Is It Bad?: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

 Iron Man was a revelation.

Thor and Captain America put the MCU into motion.

The Incredible Hulk...came out in 2008 and didn't affect all that much.

Mind you, the Film rights were tied up with Universal, so things were complicated- and that is before Disney bought Marvel.

Simply put, they could use him in team-ups and group Films, but no Sequel for you!

With billions in Box Office and at least a dozen more Films coming down the pipeline, let's look at the SECOND MCU Film and figure out if it is bad.

Pro: The Film feels like an extension of the original '70s TV Show.  It has Banner on the run, finding a cure and trying to help people.

Con: Is it perhaps a bit too safe?  Maybe don't go full-on crazy like Ang Lee, but...

Pro: Edward Norton is a really good Bruce Banner.
Con: Edward Norton is apparently lots of trouble, rewrites all of his Film Scripts without anyone asking him to and then gets mad if he doesn't get credit.

Pro: This Hulk design is great.  No disrespect to the classic MCU one- which is also great- but this one feels very visceral.

It is based on Dale Keown's version and I love it.

Pro: Having Betty Ross in the tale really helps to anchor the Story and Banner in a good way.

She's a reminder of his past mistakes and someone who pushes him to make future improvements.
I have to believe that if she was able to be in more MCU Films until now, things could have been even better.

Pro: The origin of this Hulk is tied to the Super Soldier Program, an idea that came from The Ultimates version.
Thankfully, this one is not a cannibal.

Con: Ultimates Captain America is awful.  I'm glad that they didn't adapt him into the MCU.

Pro: Having his future rival- Abomination- get an Arc in the Film leading up to the big battle is a good call.  Plus, it gives us more Tim Roth.

You all slept on She-Hulk and missed him.  Your loss.

Pro: The Film parallels Bruce nicely with different Scientists/Experts in the Film.

Doc Samson- who doesn't get powers and is mostly cut out of the final version- is too cautious and ceding to authority.

Doctor Samuel Sterns- who went into MCU limbo after this Film until recently- is too chaotic, too willing to take risks and respects no authority- even that of Science!

Con: Due to the inability to make a second Hulk Film, he was written out in a tie-in Comic.  Sigh.

Pro: The Film builds nicely to a Hulk vs. Abomination battle.  It is still great all of these years later.

Some of the CGI is, well, obviously CGI, but it is still quite great.

Pro: The Film sets up a nice place for Banner, which is mostly followed up on in The Avengers.

Con: Does that Film contradict this one?  A little bit.

What Is Good?

The Plot is really good, with Character Arcs for just about everyone in the Film.  Bruce grows and changes, as do Betty and the man who would be Abomination.

Even General Ross gets one- even if he won't admit it!

The Action is great.  They build up the Hulk reveal nicely and it looks great.  The actions feel visceral too.

If you can look at this as something that doesn't contradict the MCU, but also doesn't exactly add a ton to it, it fits in pretty well into the whole structure.  Spare me the old 'the Timeline doesn't make sense' argument- please.

What Is Bad?

Some of the CGI- mostly the use of full Scene Replacements- stand out.  It is like watching a Video Game Cutscene.  It might be a good one- let's say a high-end PS4 one- but your eyes tell you that something is off.

As noted, its MCU connection is a bit wonky (so far).  That wasn't a big deal in 2008, but it stands out here.

Certain Characters and Plot Points get a bit short-changed as well, thanks to many Cuts (there are over a dozen or so Deleted/Extended Scenes- which is a lot!) likely due to make the Film breezier.

So...

Is It Bad?

No.

While it struggles to stand out against later Films like The Avengers, Iron Man 3 or The Guardians of the Galaxy, the Film is not a 'black mark' on the Franchise.

It just struggled to tie things into the main Timeline and kind of got pushed away...until now (he says optimistically).

A Film that was kind of ignored for quite a while, in spite of the MCU's success.  It is long overdue for a reevaluation.