Is The Incredible better than Ironman? Yes and no. It depends. I enjoyed Ironman slightly more because it was original and cool, BUT the depth of the Incredible Hulk is on the level of King Kong - meaning that it has more genuine human emotion than any Marvel or DC superhero movie made to this day. I have to say that it was pretty damn refreshing and cool to sit there and watch a superhero movie with such great writing and acting. Liv Tyler's Dr. Ross is a hell of a lot more believable and likeable than Gwyneth Paltrow's act-by-the-numbers Pepper, Tim Roth rocks as the power-addicted and ass-kicking villain, and Ed Norton brings grown-up realism, a compelling level of vulnerability and addictive charisma to the character of David Banner.

Yeah, sure, the Hulk does look fake (better than the first one, but still very CG-looking). That being said, so did Spiderman. With that said the "I" in CGI is pretty tight, however. (The Hulk looks like a high res comic book character, but he interacts flawlessly with his environment, which works well overall.)

And this time around, the Hulk is CLEARLY catapulted into the role of hero, which wasn't entirely clear in Ang Lee's unfortunate attempt a few years ago. As a matter of fact, Marvel got it so right this time that I would recommend that both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg go see The Incredible Hulk to see how even a CGI creature can inject a movie with a) genuine emotion, and b) a sense of desperate panic when their loved ones find themselves in jeopardy. (A MAJOR plot element markedly absent from Indiana Jones 4, and Star Wars Episodes 1, 2 and 3.)

That's right, George: Ed Norton and his green CGI alter ego don't crack jokes when their love interest is about to die. They don't pout either. They freak the hell out and throw every bit of themselves into saving her. Learn this!!! This is how heroes act. You suck for not knowing this by now.

Is the Incredible Hulk "great?" I wouldn't go that far. But if you liked Spidey 1 and 2 and Ironman, you will like this movie as well. A lot. Just ignore the first Hulk movie and start over with this completely reloaded "sequel."

And if you're a true geek, you'll love the Tony Stark (Ironman/Avengers) cameo at the end.

Marvel Brand: 2. Lucas Films: 0.

Labels: acting, building great brands, movies, the hulk