There seemed to be a collective apprehension amongst people when time was getting close to the release of “The Incredible Hulk”. I really don’t know why. The character is nearly 40 years old and has a rich history within comics. The TV show seems to be a well liked show; a fugitive on the run storyline with emotional depth by the late Bill Bixby, but its good old Lou Ferigno that still has people ‘hulking’ out to. This series is where most non-comic fans get there Hulk knowledge from. Now, when Ang Lee released his “Hulk” just a few years ago, there was this huge backlash against it.

Lee’s “Hulk” never really worked as a traditional superhero yarn. It was too philosophical for summer audiences, never had a clear cut villain, and didn’t feature enough ‘Hulk smash!’ for comic fans. It was a flawed film, but if you can separate your initial distaste for it, Lee’s take on the nature of the Hulk and the theory of Banner’s anger is still an interesting take on the character. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love the film, but if you take the final 20 minutes off of the film, delete the Hulk Dogs, and maybe streamline that zany comic panel inspired editing, the film would’ve worked better for the summer crowd. Unfortunately, it bombed and there seemed to be little hope for the Green Guy to return.

Enter a new team and studio. Well everyone who has been crossing their fingers in deep hope that this is better than Ang Lee’s version can safely breathe again. “The Incredible Hulk” is a fun summer film. That pretty much sums up the film; action fans will be defiantly pleased as the Hulk smashes almost everything up but there’s little to chew on outside of the action.

“The Incredible Hulk” is an incredible safe bet. The film skips the origin of the Hulk, thankfully, as it might’ve been tedious to see it again and gets right into Bruce Banner on the run. Here the film mimics the vibe of the TV series. Banner is concerned with a cure and collaborates with a mysterious Mr. Blue all the while having the U.S. military hunting him down. Emil Blonsky, a soldier concerned with becoming the best soldier he can be, despite his age, undergoes a super soldier program that backfires and makes him The Abomination. He goes berserk and only the Hulk can stop him.

That’s basically the film and like I said, it plays it safe. It features a ton of action set pieces, a proper villain, and ultimately it is fun. They clearly avoided anything that could resemble Ang Lee’s film; more action, easily to follow story, shorter running time, and a big, destructive battle between Hulk and Abomination. For all they got right in the film-the acting is fine, special effects is better, it is a lot of fun to watch-something felt missing. Duality is what drives us to care for a character; his choices and situations. Little is given to the duality nature of Bruce Banner/Hulk. He wants to cure it. While action fans will get a thrill out of everything Hulk smashes, fans of his Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde nature will be disappointed. It’s unfair to comment on Marvel’s decision to exercise over an hour of footage from the film. Apparently, Ed Norton wanted to balance the action with a study of Hulk’s nature. They clashed and ultimately the 107 minute running time is what won over the original 140 minute cut. If anything, when it comes out on DVD, “The Incredible Hulk” will need to be reevaluated.

The outright dislike for Ang Lee’s “Hulk” to me is unfair. I can acknowledge his film’s flaws, but missing here is his tale of angst and the nature of anger. A little more of that injected here, would’ve made this film truly soar.

But when it comes down to the bottom line, “The Incredible Hulk” is a winner, a real crowd pleaser. You got to hand it to Marvel Studios. They taken back control of their characters and so far are two-for-two. The Marvel Universe is starting to breathe with one another and for comic fans, it’s been a dream come true this summer. Look for nods to Captain America, S.H.I.E.L.D., a future Hulk villain, and of course, Iron Man’s cameo setting up anticipation for the Avengers. It’s a great time for these films and while this film isn’t as original or inventive as “Iron Man”, it’s still a heck of a lot of fun and in these summer days, that’s as good as a cool drink.