Although I actually liked Ang Lee’s 2003 film The Hulk more than most people, there were undeniably flaws with the movie. It was pretty slow-moving, and although the Hulk is a more cerebral character than many people give him credit for, Lee’s version was too cerebral. Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk has proved to be its superior in nearly every respect.

While the filmmakers have been quite insistent that this is not a sequel to the first film, there’s actually nothing here that would seriously contradict it — earlier events are alluded to briefly, and the film begins with Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) hiding out in South America, just as the previous film ended. From there, though, this movie is completely its own animal. Banner has been in hiding for five years now, trying to find a cure for his condition and, simultaneously, studying things like Yoga and martial arts to help him control his emotions and prevent another “incident.” (The “Days without incident” calendar that appears periodically throughout the film is a nice touch.) An accident alerts the US government to Banner’s whereabouts, though, and General Ross (William Hurt) recruits a special ops agent named Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) to hunt Banner down. The chase returns him to America, to the arms of his true love Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), and to the one person who may potentially help.

While the first movie was undeniably slow, no one can make that claim about this one. There are several phenomenal action scenes, beginning with a thrilling chase we even see the Hulk the first time. The second big Hulk scene may be my favorite in the movie, though, with Blonsky really showing off the “enhancements” he’s been given. (The film has a great many allusions to other Marvel comic book characters who have movies in the works. If the effects for The First Avenger: Captain America are done in the same fashion as Blonsky’s fight scene, it will be one of the most thrilling action movies ever made.) The climax of the film, as you no doubt have surmised from the trailers, is a massive blowout fight between the two monsters on the streets of New York City. It’s an awesome scene full of power and energy that puts the last movie to shame.

There are a lot of little bits to enjoy too. Aside from the many references to Marvel Comics, the movie also drops a lot of references to the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferigno TV show (including cameo appearances by both — even the late Bixby), such as borrowing the “sad walking-away music,” a fleeting reference to reporter Jack McGee, and a very funny nod of the hat to the most famous line from the TV show. Stan Lee, of course, makes his usual cameo appearance, and there’s a fantastic scene at the end that everybody has already heard about. On the off-chance that you didn’t, though, just rest assured that it does for this film what Samuel L. Jackson’s cameo did at the end of Iron Man. Norton and Tyler work very well together, too — in fact, the film is impeccably cast. And what’s more, the Hulk itself starts to evolve during the film. With each appearance of the beast, it’s clear tht he’s becoming a little more intelligent — he’s not just a mindless engine of destruction. He recognizes Betty as a friend, he learns to use debris to make tools and weapons, and yeah, he even talks a little.

Speaking of Iron Man, this movie has drawn a lot of comparisons to that one, and it’s fair enough — these are not only the first two movies produced by the new Marvel Studios, but also the first two film to attempt to cohesively link together the various Marvel movies into a single “universe” the way the comic books are done. I’d say that both endeavors have proven highly successful so far. Two great superhero movies in two months — that’s no mean feat. While Incredible Hulk isn’t quite as good as Iron Man, it was still pretty darn entertaining.

On a Marvel Movie Scale of 1 to 10, 10 being Iron Man and 1 being Man-Thing, I give The Incredible Hulk a solid 8.5. If you didn’t like the Ang Lee movie, don’t skip this one thinking it’ll be more of the same — it’s worth your action movie dollars.

R.I.P. Stan Winston

Some sad news now — yesterday it was announced that legendary special effects wizard Stan Winston has passed away at the age of 62. Stan Winston was the genius behind the makeup, robotic and computer effects for some of the most visually amazing movies of all time, including Alien, Predator, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park and dozens more, including his most recent work in Iron Man. Winston was a unique talent that changed the way movies look and operate in as profound a way as Orson Welles, and he did more for movie effects than any man since Ray Harryhausen. The lights in the cinema will flicker a little less brightly now.

And a word of thanks…

Thanks to everyone who has read and responded to the first chapter of Summer Love, which I posted yesterday. Your comments have really bolstered my spirits. It’s one thing to spend the time writing this thing, it’s quite a different thing to actually put it out there for the world to pass judgment. And don’t forget, guys, you can add your comments right here at the Realms. At the top of every post there’s a “Comment” link. Click on it and post your thoughts! I not only want to know what you think, I want everyone to have a chance to share what they think — and not just about Summer Love, but about everything else I post here.