THE INCREDIBLE HULK
RYAN: “The Incredible Hulk” was just that – incredible!
CAROLINE: It’s a very cool movie in a lot of ways, and though I don’t mean to start out negatively, I must say I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as “Iron Man.”
RYAN: Let’s not compare it to anything; let’s just discuss the merits of the film. Edward Norton is looking better than ever, much like Robert Downey Jr. in “Iron Man.”
CAROLINE: He’s no match for the stunningly gorgeous RD Jr. though. I’m sorry he had a beef with the studio over the final cut of the movie because no he’s doing very little, if any, press to promote the film. He’s so press shy, that Edward! I’d love to hear him talking about the movie with David Letterman.
RYAN: He looks absolutely amazing in this film, and he gives a great performance. I liked him as much as I liked Eric Bana in the last one.
CAROLINE: There were definitely some great action scenes, but I lose some impact in a movie like this where the superhero is done in C.G.I. and isn’t a real person like Batman, Spider-Man or Iron Man. So even though the action sequences are well done, there are moments where you’re like, “Ok, that looks totally fake.”
RYAN: Definitely. And the Hulk was a little too cute in some scenes. He has a little boy haircut.
CAROLINE: [laughs’ It took me out of the moment. I’d prefer to see Robert Downey or Christian Bale wearing the superhero suit. But I guess the Hulk is too big for Edward Norton to play him.
RYAN: Liv Tyler is fine, but I could have done without her Egyptian eyeliner.
CAROLINE: I thought she was good. I had completely forgotten that she also has “The Strangers” out now – girlfriend is a hot commodity! She looks great these days. William Hurt plays her dad, and I didn’t even recognize him at first what with the gray hair and the moustache.
RYAN: Oh, I did. He’s a real bad guy. The movie is very well balanced – there’s a lot of action, but it’s got heart too. There’s some great romance too. During some of the action scenes, I found myself thinking of Jennifer Garner aka Sydney Bristow in “Alias” being hunted by the bad guys. I like how the Hulk isn’t a typical superhero. He’s not fighting evil per se; but the good guys, who are the US Army, are hunting him. So he’s the hunted, which gives an interesting spin to a superhero movie.
CAROLINE: He’s also anti-war, and he’s trying to keep the government from making more freaks like him and big weapons.
RYAN: Which ties in with “Iron Man” since Tony Stark was in the business of making weapons. Look for a cameo from Robert Downey Jr. at the end of the movie. I wish I’d known it was at the end, because I spent the whole movie waiting and waiting for it.
CAROLINE: I, on the other hand, completely forgot about the RDJ cameo, so I was pleasantly surprised when he came onscreen at the end. I actually thought the movie was over, and I thought the ending was odd, but then the RDJ scene came on and all was right with the world.
RYAN: I knew it was him the minute I saw the back of his head and I looked over at you to see if you noticed, but you hadn’t yet. He was so great!
CAROLINE: He’s just as good in that minute-long cameo as he is in “Iron Man.”
RYAN: There’s also an hilarious cameo from Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk in the TV series. His lines are so funny. Diehard Hulk fans will be very pleased. As was my pal, Tammy, who joined us at the screening.
CAROLINE: The movie is just shy of two hours and I was never bored, but there were a couple of moments that seemed a little cheesy to me. I loved Tim Roth though.
RYAN: He plays a really good bad guy. It’s refreshing to see him do a movie like this after “Funny Games,” where he totally played the victim. He’s a very versatile actor, and he did a great job in this film. Bottom line?
CAROLINE: I enjoyed this movie, but I was a little disappointed by it too. I wanted it to be awesome, but it was merely good. I’m sure everyone is going to see it this weekend though, and I won’t discourage that. There’s great action… but the bottom line is I liked it but didn’t love it.
RYAN: I loved it. I think it’s as entertaining as any action blockbuster we’ve seen, and even though I liked Indy 4 and “Iron Man” better, I think it’s on par with those movies. It’s entertaining, and it’s a must-see on the big screen for the effects. You won’t want to snooze at all during it. Enjoy it, kids!