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Continuing with the "Marvel-thon" is the movie that not only followed Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it did so by even following it to theaters a month later. That movie is The Incredible Hulk, the second big-screen adaptation of the Hulk after the 2003 version*.
After exposing himself to gamma radiation, Dr. Bruce Banner is on the run from the military in search of a cure for his condition: you won't like him when he's angry. Although he is close to ridding himself of the Hulk, the military seek to use it as a weapon. In his search, he finds his old girlfriend Betty Ross and needs her help. Unfortunately, the leader of her father's team not only wants Banner... he wants what's inside him.
Before I get started with my positives, I'm going to try to not compare this version and the 2003 one here, and save it for when I eventually get around to reviewing that. This one has precedence for a reason mentioned in the Iron Man review. Now let’s get to the positives.
What Worked: The cast is really good. Edward Norton is believable as Bruce Banner, displaying his sense of urgency and desperation quite well. The same goes for the physicality and ferocity of the Hulk.
Then there is Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings, Armageddon) as Betty Ross, who genuinely cares for him, and it's easy to tell that the emotion is there. William Hurt, another good choice, plays her father, General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. He's very forceful and physical, and feels like a general type of character.
There are a couple other characters to mention: Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns, who works with Betty, and Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, the leader of General Ross's team. Nelson is very good here, playing an eccentric scientist who's more than willing to help after meeting Bruce. As for Roth, much like Jeff Bridges in Iron Man, he makes for a great villain. Similar to that, the name for his character's alter ego is foreshadowed at one point, but there are two differences here: 1: it's not him who does it, and 2: it's mentioned shortly before he becomes that villain.
For the technical aspects, the direction is actually pretty good. The director here is Louis Leterrier, a French director who has done several films I find underrated: the first two Transporter films with Jason Statham (2 being my favorite) and Now You See Me, which was a surprise for me that year. For a superhero film, he does a solid job. You can tell he's giving not only fans of the character what they want, but also fans of the 70s TV show, as there are quite a few references to it (examples being the use of "The Lonely Man" theme within the score, and at least one use of Lou Ferrigno). The score fits the tone: it's tense and exciting when it needs to be.
The visuals for the Hulk are really good, because he looks and feels like how one may picture him. The same goes for the villain, who looks different than he does in the comics, but it distinguishes him from the Hulk more here and the changes to his abilities make sense. Out of all of the MCU's villains, he is ultimately an underrated one.
The biggest positive here is the action. Again, it follows the "Rule of Threes," where every sequence must get bigger and better. Compared to Iron Man, it's not until at least the second one where you begin to realize that, whereas there, you could tell right away. The finale is not only the biggest action sequence here, but it's also the best one. It gets brutal at times. There's even a reference to a popular Hulk video game at one point.
What Didn't Work: While Liv Tyler is very good as Betty Ross, and she does show emotion, there are a couple times where it seems like it's there a little too much. Those parts are near the end, though, and one in particular that just doesn't work you'll know when you see it. Also, when Tim Roth is slowly becoming the villain, it's not as subtle as it was with Jeff Bridges in Iron Man.
Overall: The Incredible Hulk, while not one of the best MCU films, nor the best that features the Hulk (that comes later), is one that a lot of fans are likely to overlook when talking about their favorites in the franchise. Be they fans of the franchise itself, fans with a sense of nostalgia for the show, or otherwise, they get what they want: a Hulk movie that just lets him loose to smash anything and everything in his way. For some, it may even feel like an episode of the show that features an actual villain from the comics. Either way, there is plenty of fan service here.
Side Note: While it is a staple of MCU films for there to be a mid-credits scene, a post-credits scene, or both, this one has neither, as the final scene is basically what would have served as one. Another staple of them is to have a Stan Lee cameo, so one can be expected here as well.
*There are very loose connections to it here (an example being how he's in the same location at the end of that version and the start of this one); aside from that, this version continues the formula set forth by Iron Man.