by Jimmy Patrick

Created on: September 30, 2009

The Hulk is in for one heck of a fight in this one. In the tradition of recent popular sporting events such as MMA and UFC or perhaps recent films like "Alien vs. Predator," "The Incredible Hulk" provides a head-to-head match up between the Hulk and a worthy adversary that will have you laughing, cheering and hanging on the edge of your seat.

This most recent addition to the Hulk movie franchise was directed by Louis Leterrier of the Transporter movies, so he is no stranger to action films. It also boasts a strong cast of respected actors with Ed Norton as a tortured Bruce Banner, Liv Tyler as the lovely Betty Ross, Tim Roth as the evil Emil Blonsky, and William Hurt as the scheming General Thaddeus Ross.

The story picks up with Banner in South America, hiding from Gen. Ross and the U.S. Army while he searches frantically to find a cure for the gamma poisoning that turns him into a green hulk every time his heart rate reaches 200. It isn't long, however, until Gen. Ross and the Army locate their man and the hunt begins.

The Army has brought in Blonsky, a talented, decorated soldier, to help track down and capture Banner. When Blonsky and Gen. Ross first find Banner in South America, Blonsky is unaware of what Banner is capable of turning into. It doesn't take long for Banner's temper to flare and his eyes to glaze over with green. When Blonsky sees the Hulk for the first time, he watches the Hulk pick up a forklift and throw it at him, "like it was a softball."

Blonsky barely survives this first encounter with the Hulk, but becomes obsessed with the Hulk as a result. While the story does involve Banner trying cure his gamma disease and a slight bit of romance between Betty and Bruce, the driving force behind the plot of this story is Blonsky wanting a rematch with the Hulk.

He gets his wish.

The second time he meets the Hulk, he has been injected with some U.S. Government, Top Secret concoction that gives him semi-super powers. This of course was given to him by Gen. Ross. Blonsky can run like the wind and hit like a truck, but he still is no match for the powerful green monster. Blonsky barely escapes death after this second bout with the big man, but when he heals up, he is hungry for round three.

I won't tell you what happens in round three. The entire movie is a build up to this one grand fight between Blonsky on Hulk-roids and the Hulk, well, on Hulk-roids as well. How does all this come about? You will have to watch it yourself.

The special effects in this film are top notch and never leave the viewer disappointed. The plot line is exactly what one would expect from a Marvel Comic put on film; it has action, humor and more action, never taking itself too seriously, always building to a final, furious fight between good and evil. There is even a nice cameo by Lou Ferrigno of television Hulk fame.

Learn more about this author, Jimmy Patrick.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.