Equipped with better actors, upgraded CGI and special effects, thrilling action sequences, and a more true-to-the-comics storyline, The Incredible Hulk serves as a band-aid over the Ang Lee wound. The focus of the story shifts from the horribly verbose and introspective view of the 2003 film to more of action-driven battle as Bruce Banner struggles to avoid becoming The Hulk.

The opening scene explains how The Hulk was conceived, pinpointing Bruce Banner as his own guinea pig for the military project that he was appointed to. The objective of the project was to use gamma radiation to produce a new breed of supersoldiers that could withstand firepower. The project goes terribly wrong, of course, thus poisoning Banner with gamma radiation and creating the rampaging creature within.

In his past, Edward Norton has flawlessly performed conflicted dual characters in movies like Primal Fear and American History X. This film is no different as he delivers a solid performance as Bruce Banner. He ensures that his speech and mannerisms are reminiscent of The Incredible Hulk TV show from the 70’s. As a unique tribute, fans will rejoice when they catch a brief shot of Bill Bixby as the movie opens up.

The camera lingers on a majestic shot of beautiful Brazil where Banner ventured off to study breathing exercises (apparently the ones in those Lamaze classes aren’t effective enough) to keep his anger managed. Louis Leterrier cleverly depicts Banner’s desperate effort to control himself by consistently showing a “Days Without Incident” count. While in Brazil, he constantly communicates with a mysterious Mr. Blue (Captain America maybe?) as they collaborate to rid Banner of the tragic physical aspects that transform him into the green monster. An accident at the bottling plant spills a drop of Banner’s blood onto a soda bottle, leading a case of gamma poisoning where Stan Lee makes an appearance at this pivotal point in the film. This accident puts Banner back on the grid and General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and newly-hired best-in-show Emil Blonsky drive Banner out of hiding in no time. After his first encounter with The Hulk, Blonsky urges General Ross to tell him about the relationship between Bruce Banner and the Hulk.

Fans will be wide-eyed and enchanted by Banner’s first transformation into The Incredible Hulk. Indeed, it is something incredible. From the mean green eyes and a visage that looks strikingly similar to Lou Ferrigno’s Hulk to the burly green structure, the imagery will excite you to a nerdgasm.

Liv Tyler performs as a mediocre Dr. Betty Ross who is in love with Bruce Banner. Her role is simple as the two have trouble acting on their relationship because being the Hulk makes expressing physical affection hard. Betty remains emotional while Bruce remains distant, though they do share a very brief moment of physical affection that Banner interrupts for fear of getting too excited. With few lines and little screen time (thankfully), Liv Tyler spends most of the movie doing what she does best, crying her eyes out and screaming at her father. The interaction between Betty and her father, General Ross (William Hurt), is full of tension and bitterness as Betty is disgusted with the general’s obsession with hunting Banner and using the gamma radiation in him as a superweapon..

Here is where the focus of the movie begins to shift from the fascination with the Hulk to the creation of The Abomination. It takes little convincing for Blonsky to sign on for a gamma radiation injection. A nearly fatal second encounter with The Hulk produces a healing reaction that Blonsky lavishes in. Realizing the god-like strength and power gained from gamma exposure, he forms an obsession with gaining more. Rogue Blonsky captures Banner and Betty Ross, turning them over to the General and forcing the eccentric Professor (played wildly by Tim Blake Nelson) to infused him with more of the good gamma radiation stuff. The one-dimensional Abomination character is born and sets out to destroy the city.

In the hulk-on-hulk action sequence that ensues, the highly resourceful Hulk and the atrocious Abomination test their strength on each other as they trade blows using anything they can get their superhuman hands on, effectively demolishing vehicles and infrastructure along the way. The fight escalates into a chase across rooftops, engaging Ross’s USAF helicopter that the Abomination single-handedly takes down. The Hulk finally puts a name to the action as he inflicts a Hulk Smash to the Abomination. Disappointingly, yet another epic battle in movie history ends with a despairing woman tearingly interrupting the action to plead a case (ultimately, for the Hulk to not stoop down to his enemy’s level.)

We never do hear an explanation on how the growing concern regarding the appearance of two incredibly large and extraordinarily strong monsters, the seemingly random, aimless unloading of .50 caliber weaponry in the middle of the night, and the irrevocable damage done to the city is addressed to the public. One might wonder if the General has even has superiors with his unlimited access to human resources and firepower. You might guess that the Air Force has nothing better to do that lead a manhunt across the continent. Though in the comics, we were never worried about covert operations, the ending scene of the monumentally marks a macrocosmic merger of comic book worlds.

The movie ends on an all-too-stimulating note and serves to perpetuate the formation of The Avengers. Details aside, I will say that Thunderbolt Ross is seen throwing back what a friend cleverly pointed out to me as “Incredible Hulk” shooters (he says it conists of Hypnotiq and Mountain Dew).

Nerds beware The Incredible Hulk is a smash hit!