The Bar

Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, & Tim Roth

Director: Louis Leterrier

Writer(s): Zak Penn & Stan Lee

Studio: Marvel

Rating: Pg-13

Official Bar Score: 

The story of one of two great marvel entities finally got the relaunch it so needed. The Incredible Hulk based on the comic that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created in 1962, was based on science wiz Bruce Banner (alliteration is very prominent among Lees characters in marvel.)
working on a gamma bomb in a nuclear testing site with the army, girlfriend, Betty Ross, and angry, gruff General Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross (who is also Betty’s father)– In 62 communism was alive and well, and with that, comes the villain, Emil Blonsky, a Russian communist spy. How it plays out in the comics is that a young drifter named Rick Jones, wanders in his car onto the testing site, Bruce sees that, and halts the bomb, as he runs to jones to get him out of there, Blonsky sabotages the launch so that it goes early. Bruce with no choice left, throws rick into a ditch as the bomb goes off, sacrificing himself and taking the full brunt of the gamma radiated explosion- thus becoming the hulk. Eventually Blonsky becomes the abomination, and years of classic comic tit for tat continue since. This 2008 film rides on a somewhat similar path, the characters are there, but their roles are slightly different.

The film is a mix of both the Bill Bixby television series and that of the comic, in well blended action packed flick. The Incredible Hulk has Director Louis Leterrier (Transporter) and Edward Norton (Fight Club, Primal Fear) along with a great cast in Liv Tyler (Armageddon, The Strangers) William Hurt (A History Of Violence, Vantage Point), and Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs, Hoodlum). The story of course centers around Bruce Banner, again working with Betty and her father Ross on a gamma program, unbeknown to Bruce however, is that it was a secret project, revitalizing the super soldier program ( Captain America ). Bruce was on to something, and decided to test it on himself, and so with Betty looking on, Bruce overdosed, and out came the HULK– he went on a barrage, accidentally hurting Betty, and the others, when Bruce went back to the hospital, he was met by her father, and so Bruce ran off. Five years passed since, and Bruce is hiding in Brazil, working in a bottling factory, and secretly contacting the mysterious Mr.Blue regarding a cure for the Hulk. After an incident that led to Ross and the Blonsky finding Bruce in Brazil, Bruce has no choice but to go back home, only to find Betty has a new boyfriend in DR. Leonard Samson ( Ty Burrel ). Soon after, Betty finds Bruce when she sees him in the restaurant, and the two are inseparable since, Betty tries to help him by giving him all the data on the experiment that led to the Hulk, so that Bruce can pass it to Mr. Blue. Eventually reaching New York, they find MR.Blue -Samuel Sterns (aka the leader– played by Tim Blake Nelson)
and the three get started on curing Bruce of Hulk, it all goes awry when Ross finally captures Bruce, and that’s when a greedy sick looking Blonsky decides he wants some of Bruce’s blood in a transfusion that causes him to become the Abomination. Ross having no choice let’s Bruce go and Hulk out after Blonsky and what follows is all the action you can eat in one serving. The two tear each other up through the streets of New York, causing more damage the seen in Iron Man, Fans of the comic finally get their chance to giggle at the thought that you can now hear Hulk give his famous line “HULK SMASH” voiced by Lou Ferrigno. Eventually the Hulk flees, and at the end we get a shot of what’s to come, as Tony Stark walks into a bar and finds a beaten General Ross drink his sorrows away, Tony pretty much reminds us of a team being formed together.

I think this film has it all in what a Hulk movie should have, great action, great story, and of course Ed Norton, who knows all about duality conflicted roles. Liv, Hurt and Roth give great performances too, Roth was great to watch, in some scenes he sort of had this Christopher Walken tone to him. The pace is fantastic, though regrettably i wish they had put all the other scenes that would’ve made it a the now famed ” Norton cut” ( apparently in one scene, Bruce loses it, in the arctic, and decides to blow his brains out, as he pulls the trigger, he Hulks out and thus it proves that nothing can kill him so long as he is the Hulk. ). There were great nods in the film, with appearances by Bill Bixby, Stan Lee, and Lou Ferrigno– also as a little inside jab, when Bruce is accessing the computer in the university, we get a shot of Norton anti virus getting to work. The film has lots of comic book nods also, with references to Captain America, Iron Man and very, very subtle.. Thor. It’s great as a stand alone Marvel film, but also as a great set up for future installments, and the VERY anticipated AVENGERS film. All in all very much well worth watching.

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