The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988 TV Movie) User Reviews (34)

The Hulk returns...with a beer drinking Viking

[ODDBear · 6/10 · 2 January 2007]

For those who didn't exactly take the series seriously might have a heck of a time with this comeback movie for The Incredible Hulk. But for those who did take them seriously (those being me), I find this a rather silly entry.

The humane aspect is what fueled the series. Bill Bixby was an irresistible lead and his quest for a cure never failed to be interesting. In short it was the drama that made the show as appealing as it was. In The Incredible Hulk Returns we see him team up with Thundergod Thor as David's attempts to cure himself are once again thrashed. The Hulk and Thor battle criminals who are out to steal David's machine, the one he built which might have helped to cure him.

The film starts off well and then goes downward after Thor's introduction. He's made to be pretty silly but still he's engagingly played by Eric Kramer and somehow he's pretty likable. The action scenes are fine and the Hulk moments are solid. Lou Ferrigno looks incredible and everything concerning David Banner and the Hulk is good stuff. But the campy feel and humor is something the shows didn't go much for and undermine the whole proceedings, like it wasn't taken seriously enough. But maybe that's what they were aiming for.

Jack Colvin makes a welcome return as relentless reporter Jack McGee who once again misses out on the big story. As always Bixby is rock solid and the flick works in some places but misses in others.

It's still an above average entertainment for a fan of the series.

The Hulk teams-up with the Mighty Thor!

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 4 December 2017]

RELEASED TO TV IN 1988 and written & directed by Nicholas Corea, "The Incredible Hulk Returns" is the first of three movies in the wake of the TV series that ran from 1977-82.

PLOT: Bill Bixby stars as Dr. David Banner, who is working incognito at a research facility in Southern California and on the verge of curing his gamma radiation-induced curse. Meanwhile Banner reunites with younger colleague Don Blake (Steve Levitt), who has found a magical Norse hammer, which can summon Thor (Eric Allan Kramer), an ancient Viking warrior. When a vital piece of technology is nearly stolen and David's sweetheart is kidnapped (Lee Purcell), the Hulk (Lou Ferrigno) and Thor must team-up to save the day. Jack Colvin returns as nosy reporter Jack McGee.

Despite the TV-budget limitations, this is a very entertaining Hulk movie, even better than the pilot movie from 1977. This is mostly due to the inclusion of Thor, who's pretty close to the Marvel Comics version (Stan Lee was a consultant), albeit with a brown costume rather than dark blue. This is because Thor here is (evidently) NOT the god of thunder from Asgard, but rather a mighty Viking from the distant past aided by the mystic hammer. His personality isn't like Thor in the comics (i.e. one-dimensionally noble and boring), but rather like Marvel's Hercules, where he's hearty, loves a good fight, women & brew. Kramer knocks the role out of the ballpark with his merry & mighty charisma.

The biker bar episode is a highlight with Peisha Arten standing out as one of the "Whoa, Mama" biker babes. The ending is kind of sad accompanied by Joseph Harnell's melancholic piano theme.

THE FILM RUNS 93 minutes and was shot in California (Malibu, North Hollywood and Los Angeles). ADDITIONAL DIRECTING: Bill Bixby. ADDITIONAL CAST: Charles Napier, Tim Thomerson and Jay Baker.

GRADE: B+

The original Avengers...

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 13 September 2015]

Although it's hidden behind a nondescript title, THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS actually turns out to be something of a gem of a superhero movie. It's a TV movie spin-off from the classic late '70s TV series which starred Bill Bixby as Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as his hulked-out alter ego, and both actors return in a tale which pits the Hulk against that Norse god of legend, Thor.

Yes, it's Thor and Hulk, in the same movie, some twenty years before Marvel became popular again with the likes of THE AVENGERS flick. Obviously, THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS is an entirely different kettle of fish, packed full as it is of cheesy '80s-era special effects, camp costumes and even camper acting, but at the same time it's a lovable film with plenty to enjoy.

I don't know, I do appreciate these older comic book adaptations which play up the camp - they're somehow more endearing than the new, po-faced, wisecracking superhero flicks. THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS feels a little like the BATMAN TV show of the 1960s, with a couple of erstwhile heroes working their way through various criminal types as they battle to bring down some thieving foes. Bill Bixby's calm presence centres the whole thing, but Ferrigno is the scene-stealer as ever; as for Eric Kramer's Thor, well let's say his acting is an acquired taste. The familiar B-movie faces of Charles Napier and Tim Thomerson round out the cast of what is a surprisingly entertaining and action-packed superhero outing.

A very entertaining tv movie

[daniel-may · 26 June 2003]

I first watched this movie when i was 6 years old. Im 15 now and i still enjoy it. I was always fascinated by the incredible hulk, and with Lou Ferrigno's wonderful performance, you'll never be able to leave your seats.

My favourite scene was David Banner seeing thor for the first time i thought that scene was brilliantly done. However, this film has its weaknesses. The main weakness was the scene where the hulk is trying to pull the helicopter down, i thought he could do that himself and not have thor to help him, despite that they still couldn't pull the helicopter down.

However this didn't really effect the entertainment too much. It is a great shame that the late Bill Bixby isn't with us.

Welcome Back

[Phil-King-1967 · 7/10 · 24 May 2013]

OK let me get the negatives out of the way 1st, what did they do to The Hulks face? he looks odd and not like the Hulk we loved in the series. I know they had to change his hair to cover Lou's new hearing aid but it seems the teeth they used were too big. Plus what happened to the trademark changing into Hulk music? its all some lame orchestral version and talking of the music, it was pretty awful and too loud. Finally whats this Viking posing as Thor all about? No one should be summoning the mighty Thor this way. You'll see what i mean when you see in the movie a guy used Thors hammer to summon Thor like the genie in a lamp.

You wouldn't think so by the above comments but i loved this movie, 1st of all after the premature ending of The Incredible Hulk TV series its a big welcome back to David Banner (Bill Bixby), Lou Ferrigno (The Hulk) and Reporter Jack McGee (Jack Colvin), 2nd it's great to see The Hulk moving at normal speed, i mean the slower scenes in the TV series were good but to see him running towards that bad guy, grab him and throw him through the air in real time looks real good.

This movie seem ahead of its time, doing what the recent Hulk, Thor, Avengers etc movie are doing, thats bringing together Marvel characters to maybe form a super hero group. This movie has Thor (It also feels like a pilot for maybe a Thor series) and future Hulk movies had plans to feature more Marvel characters.

This is the last time we see Reporter Jack McGee. During the series i thought Jack was a pain in the butt to start with then the further we got into the series the more it seemed that Jack was coming around to seeing who the Hulk truly was, after being saved a few times by The Hulk Jack returned the favor by saving The Hulk too (knocked the arm of a policeman who was going to shoot the Hulk and drove his car in front of the Hulk to shield him from getting hit by a bazooka are a couple that comes to mind) and it would have been cool to have finally seen Jack and David sort things out between them.

Overall this movie is on par with the best episodes of the series, it may have got 10 out of 10 if it wasn't for those few things i mentioned at the beginning of this and it really was so much a welcome return to the small screen for The Incredible Hulk.

This is followed by The Trial of The Incredible Hulk.

Very good, I was surprised!

[asinyne · 7/10 · 7 September 2011]

I wasn't expecting a lot when I picked this up on VHS for less than a buck. Even after I started watching I seriously doubted I would make it through to the end, but I was shocked to find myself really enjoying this rather cool flick. Eric Kramer was a great Thor. He was funny, hunky, and all together a delight. This was his movie to be honest about it although everyone else pitched in admirably as well. Tim Thomerson was a little underused but that is a minor complaint. It was cool to have him along for the ride along with the bad guy from the Blues Brother movie. I also found this movie to be pretty well written. Everything comes together fairly well and the film moves along with a purpose. Another big bonus is all the action, Ferrigno and Kramer get lots of time battling bad guys and each other. I loved the ending when Thor got to throw his hammer at the car. I also loved how he kept calling the Hulk the Troll...that was funny, as were lots of other stuff in the movie. The epilogues were a nice touch with a bit of a bittersweet wrap after all the frantic action. This is a cool super hero movie and you might want to check it out...the effects were pretty good for a late eighties film. Nice! Certainly much better than rated here fer cryin' out loud.

Lousy back door pilot for Thor that didn't fit the reality of the series

[whatch-17931 · 3/10 · 3 February 2021]

The Incredible Hulk tv series created a down to earth reality that was completely ignored by this movie.

While huge doses of gamma radiation won't really make someone into the Hulk, the original show still presented a real world type setting. Nothing remotely like Thor appearing ever occurred.

Trite, and nothing like the series.

[samwa-27311 · 3/10 · 19 December 2016]

I can't believe it.

Firstly, I read all user reviews before purchasing this.

I can't believe Bill Bixby would allow this.

Trite, ridiculous attempt, to incorporate the mythical, and science fiction together.

The absurdity of the Thor, and its lack of value to the plot,plus bringing occultic ( channeling) into this, cheapens the entire Hulk brand.

I hope I never see that punk with his stupid hammer, again.

No wonder... There was no involvement from Kenneth Johnson, who WAS the reason for the show's success.

I was looking forward, greatly, to seeing Jack McGee, but he got not much for his script, and Mr. Colvin seemed strained, and almost ashamed of the project.

Also, again, no resolution at the end.

Disappointing Reunion Film.

[AaronCapenBanner · 3/10 · 23 August 2013]

Six years after the TV series was sadly canceled, with David Banner's fate unresolved, we got this return, so we fans should be happy right? Well, not really.

Bill Bixby returns of course, and picks up where he left off from 'A Minor Problem' without missing a beat. Lou Ferrigno is back as the Hulk, and is as impressive as ever. Jack Colvin returns for the last time(sadly) still trying to find his John Doe, and still falling short.

This time however, another Marvel Superhero appears...Thor. Huh? Thor? Really? The original series was grounded in reality, with no other superhero or villain aspects at all, so to include a fantastic, bordering on magical character like Thor is beyond silly, it's downright insulting. Actor Eric Kramer does give it his all, though.

Kenneth Johnson was not involved at all, and his absence denied this film any heart, and the whole tone of this just feels wrong.

A shame, but does have a familiar ending...

Best of the Reunion Movies and Closest To the Series

[voicemaster71 · 9/10 · 28 November 2005]

THIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS :

After watching the Incredible Hulk reruns in the summer of 1987, I went through Hulk Withdrawal Syndrome since I didn't have a VCR back then. Then my wish came true in the spring of 1988 during my sophomore year in high school. The Incredible Hulk is my number one all time favorite series and I truly fell in love with the Incredible Hulk Returns the very moment it aired on that Sunday night on NBC. Of the three reunion films they made, I felt Returns is the closest to the series for the following reasons: 1: This movie started with the intro of the original series with the colored lettering added. And by the way, it was not Edward Platt who did the narrative in the intro, it was the late Ted Cassidy (Lurch from the Addams Family).

2: Nicholas Corea was one of the head honchos along with Bill Bixby and served a director of the movie.

3: The famous slow motion from the series was used in this movie.

4: Jack Colvin returns as Jack McGee. This is the only reunion movie he was in. Why he was not in the others I will never know.

These are the reasons this movie gets my vote for being closest to the series. However, what separates it from the series is the lack of continuity. Lou Ferrigno talks about this in his book, "My Incredible Life As the Hulk". The reunion movies were filmed by that cheesy cheap company, Roger Corman's New World Productions instead of Universal and Kenneth Johnson had no involvement in it. Otherwise, I'm sure the continuity goof would have been corrected. The biggest continuity goof for me was that Jack McGee was back to pursuing the Hulk (and not even running into him once), but he'd forgotten all about his "John Doe".

Bill Bixby once again delivers nothing short of superb excellence in his performance as Dr. David Banner (or David Banyon to everyone around him). Lou Ferrigno was bigger and bulkier than ever as the Hulk and gave an outstanding performance. I enjoyed seeing Jack Colvin one more time as Jack McGee, but only wished he had been in there more. Lee Purcell has got to be one of the most beautiful women that ever appeared on the Hulk as Dr. Maggie Shaw. Her relationship with David and her residence at that beach house gave me flashbacks to the Married episode.

Noteworthy villains were Tim Thomerson and veteran Hulk guest actor Charles Napier. Lance Rubin was the right man to succeed Joe Harnell in the musical score and gave it a more technological late 80's sound.

What I didn't care for was the addition of Thor and Donald Blake. This movie did not need that. But for what it's worth, Eric Allen Kramer was fun and amusing as Thor, the Norse God and Steve Levitt's Don Blake was pretty much a geek. It was like the Geek and the Jock as best friends.

I would definitely recommend this reunion movie to anybody who has never seen it. Even though it's a little more comic bookish in story than the old series, it's still worth watching. I give it two thumbs up.

"Ragnar the barbarian..."

[poe426 · 5/10 · 8 February 2013]

The greatest of all comic book characters (in my own, ever humble opinion, of course) is Thor; as conjured by Jack Kirby. In MARVEL COMICS- THE UNTOLD STORY, author Sean Howe quotes THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS writer and artist Frank Miller, who is giving the eulogy at Jack Kirby's funeral: "An age passes with Jack Kirby... I call it the Kirby age of comics." Me, too. "Comics is journalism," Kirby himself is quoted in the book: "But now it's restricted to soap opera." In THE TEN CENT PLAGUE, author David Hajdu quotes Stan Lee: "We didn't want to change the world." (Howe, of Lee: "For years, he'd been a master of the middle ground.") Thor, Kirby's greatest creation (and his second-longest run on a comic book, ever), was sold to television, which then proceeded to dumb it down. The goof who plays Blake actually carries Thor's hammer around in a gym bag and, when he brings forth The God of Thunder, he holds it out at arm's length and shouts "Odin!" This is a steal from CAPTAIN MARVEL: whenever young Billy Batson wanted to change himself into Captain Marvel, he would shout "SHAZAM!" and be magically transformed. So the producers of this show simply lifted that idea. At one point, someone refers to Thor as "Ragnar the barbarian." In this telemovie, he's a beer-guzzling biker-type, so the description is apt. (In two feature films, THOR and THE AVENGERS, he carries around a "war hammer" that looks like a cinderblock with a toilet plunger handle. The only thing the TV producers came close to getting right was the hammer...) Kirby's Mythological Science Fiction, his Cosmic Concepts, are rich with characters and details that would make for some fascinating adventures- if only the TV and movie folks could get it right. (Hercules- in the comics a Steve Reeves look-alike- actually overpowers the thunder god; the High Evolutionary (think H.G. Welles's Dr. Moreau in outer space) creates man-monsters who give Thor all he can handle; Ulik, mightiest of the monstrous Rock Trolls, who inadvertently unleashes the mighty Mangog on the Gods, ushering in the day of Ragnarok; "Crusher Creel," the muscle-bound bald convict armed with a ball and chain who becomes The Absorbing Man; The Super Skrull, who possesses ALL the powers of The Fantastic Four; and The Hulk and The Wrecker and Tana Nile and Galactus and and... Sigh.) Ragnar vs. a bunch of ordinary Humans- talk about a mismatch...

Extremely Entertaining

[mr_walsh · 9/10 · 22 February 2001]

Though not a huge fan of 'Hulk' I caught this show and found it extremely funny and entertaining. Yes, this is far from fine drama, but I found it to be a cut above shows of its type and wish I could watch it again.

The Hulk And Thor Kick Butt!

[Big Movie Fan · 7 June 2002]

This was a fantastic movie. After an absence of about six years the Hulk was back teaming up with the Norse god Thor to battle a bunch of gangsters. The film may have had minor faults but not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the movie.

The Hulk certainly looked different. He seemed a lighter shade of green, he seemed taller and he definitely looked more muscular. But he looked in great shape as he battled with Thor and then teamed with Thor.

Thor was another comic book character from Marvel. The comic book Thor had a red cape and could fly. This Thor could not fly and had no red cape but to be honest that would have looked rather corny on film. Eric Allen Kramer played Thor who laughed in the face of danger and only seemed truly happy when he was involved in a battle.

The movie itself could be considered different to the original series. This movie was more like an episode of Knight Rider with it's stunts and it's action but I'm not complaining.

Jack Colvin was back as Jack McGee in this movie. It would be the final time we saw McGee as he would not return in the next two films. He didn't really have a prominent role in this film, certainly not as prominent as he had in the series. That was my only complaint.

All in all, a great movie. Fans of comic books will love it.

A great TV movie.

[jeffman52001 · 10/10 · 29 January 2005]

I am so glad they made 3 TV movies of the Hulk, it is great to see Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno reprise their roles from "The Incredible Hulk" TV series, and Jack Colvin reprise his role as investigative reporter Jack McGee in this TV movie.

David Banner, using the alias David Banion, is working for an institute that is into research and he has helped develop a gamma radiation machine that will probably cure him. David Banner is living with his co-worker and lover, Dr. Margaret Shaw, played by Lee Purcell(Airplane II: The Sequel, Valley Girl, and The Unknown). Margeret does not know his secret. David Banner has not turned into the Hulk in 2 years and does not want to put Margaret in danger.

David is working at the lab late at night and an old acquaintance of his, Donald Blake, played great by Steve Levitt (Private School, Hunk, and The Experts), who knows who David is. Donald tells his adventure exploring a cavern in the mountain, discovers a tomb of an ancient Viking warrior, named Thor, played superbly by Eric Kramer(True Romance, Robin Hood: Men In Tights, and American Wedding). Donald uses a hammer he discovers in the tomb, the hammer of Thor, it is a way to summon Thor. Donald demonstrates how it works, David and Thor meet, Thor makes David anger by pushing him, and turns into the Hulk, they have it out, but they stop fighting cause of the police showing up. Jack McGee is at the institution the next day asking questions, David sees McGee and hides cause Jack McGee things he is dead.

I won't tell you the rest, but I will tell you there are forces out to steal the gamma machine, Jack LeBeau, played by a sci fi great Tim Thomerson(Trancers 1-6, Nemesis 1 and 3), and his goon, played by Charles Napier(Rambo: First Blood Part II ,Austin Powers:The Spy Who Shagged Me).

This movie is awesome, I give it 10/10 and 2 thumbs up.

A never ending road for Banner

[IrockGswift · 3 May 2003]

After six years since its last prime-time show (June 1982) Stan Lee and Nicholas Corea brought back Marvel Comics' strongman "the Incredible Hulk. Though this time David Banner has become the closest ever to be cured. He has a new girlfriend,bumped into a old colleague,and well into his medical career. Unlike in the past he worked odd jobs until his alter-ego was summons. But David banner in this movie has a new life were he doesn't feel he has to runaway anymore. Till an old colleague sneaks into David's job and his trouble begans. David's colleague tells him a story that during his journey up north he discovered a hammer that can summon an old viking hero. As the old viking hero appeared David mis-judged his well-being as being destructive which forced him to become the hulk. That was one of the best scenes in the movie were the hulk and the viking hero (Thor) battle it out. Overall the hulk over-powered Thor and Thor wanted to call a truce. A real Marvel classic!! Now that their fight got some exposure David had to put his plans for a cure on halt till the situation died down. This also brought on the attention of the trailing reportor Jack Mcgee and some bad guys who wanted to take the gamma transponder that David and his colleagues worked on. Since the hulk was seen David had to go back to his old secrecy way of life,and not letting the new relationship with his girlfriend progress. That's until he found a way of permanently curing himself. But matters got worse as the bad guys capture his girlfriend to get to the transponder. Which leaves David to team up with the viking warrior and his master to save Maggie (David's girlfriend). Though they saved her David had to leave because there was to much attention focused on the green creature and his association with his job. A sad ending as in the former prime-time series. Though I enjoyed Thor because of his comical outspoken personality. A great come-back series. But poor David must continue his journey to find a cure and live a normal life he once had.

Best of the Bunch.

[Richies50435 · 10/10 · 27 June 2003]

This is the best of all the Incredible Hulk TV movies on the grounds that it had a satisfying ending. All the other Hulk movies were good movies, but the ending just didn't deliver. Admittedly the story is actually the weakest of the Hulk movies but Bixby and crew inflate the material to make this a very satisfying movie of the week and coupled with the good ending this is again the best Hulk to date.

As the story goes on...

[GOWBTW · 10/10 · 27 January 2006]

When the show left the air in 1982, The Incredible Hulk is all but forgotten. The cast are back with a little twist, they put Thor in the reunion movie. Unlike the TV show, they indeed put in another Marvel character to make the movie worthwhile. I know my comics very well, I know that Thor(Eric Kramer) and The Hulk(Lou Ferrigno) are few of the strong titans around. And Ithink that the fight between the two could have been better. And I'm surprised that Banner(Bill Bixby, 1934-93) didn't pin the blame on Thor. Banner goes by Banion since Jack McGee(Jack Colvin) is after the creature. When McGee goes too far, it's up to the heroes to make the save. Thor takes out the car with Mjollnir(The Hammer), and the Hulk takes out the rest of the trash including Mcgee who had to "hang around" for the police to question him. I know his reporter days are permanently suspended! This reunion movie was great, and when I was younger, I was very afraid of the show. Goes to show how silly I was, I watch reruns nowadays, and I laugh my head off at everything. Great movie, great story, will Banner find the cure? Or will he keep trying? See the movie, enjoy the shows while you can. Rating 5 stars.

A rare live-action superhero team-up

[henricus-2 · 21 February 2000]

Marvel Comics loves to team its superheroes up far more than DC ever does. In the comics, this means frequent crossovers, enough to make you wonder whose book you're reading. On TV, it means guest heroes who don't have their own shows.

This often happens in the cartoons, but this TV movie -- the first of the post-cancellation Hulk specials -- was actually the first time Marvel tried it in live action. And it was only the second team-up of ANY live-action superheroes. (The first was Green Hornet guesting on the 1960s Batman show, an episode viewed more often than the actual Green Hornet series!)

I liked the Hulk series, even though his powers were limited for a TV budget. Bill Bixby's acting as Banner compensated for any change to the hero's motif. But he still was a gamma-charged powerhouse whose appearance was triggered by rage. Thor didn't survive as well with the Hulk's writers. He's not a Norse god here, just a revived Viking warrior. Donald Blake doesn't become Thor, he summons him from the hammer like a genie, with lightning instead of smoke. And Thor doesn't even get to fly. Or wear a red cape. And the acting doesn't compensate for these changes.

Apparently the writers were envisioning Thor as a "buddy" series spinoff. If Hulk was "The Fugitive," then maybe Thor would have been "Route 66"? I think the writers should have spent more time with comic book themes than with 1950s TV shows.

Great!

[AnnaPagrati · 8/10 · 25 September 2021]

A good sequel movie! Really loved the addition of Thor!

The best superhero team up in years.

[mack3175 · 19 April 2002]

When I heard about this in 1988, I was excited, But I was not expecting Thor, the other superhero from Marvel Comics. The story begins With David Banner(always well played by Bill Bixby)who takes on another identity. Finds work has a research scienctist. Builds a machine called the Transponder, That cure from becoming the hulk. And just when about to go ahead with it, he is interupted by an old friend named Donald Blake(Steve Levitt) who tells David a big secret of his own. He has a magical hammer that can summon a mighty warrior named(played with a lot of charm by Eric Kramer). But they both soon realize that a bunch of bad guys want to get their hands on the transponder, and they will stop at nothing. Its up to the Hulk and Thor to defeat them. The best hulk movie in years, It beats out The Trial Of The Incredible Hulk and The Death Of The Incredible Hulk. Lou Ferrigno is always good has the Hulk. Eric Kramer is also good has Thor. Why don't they another superhero team up. Like one day they could do a live action Spider-Man teaming up with the X-Men. The most interesting T.V. movie in years. Its a Marvel classic.

I haven't had this fun in five years!

[tr_s · 10/10 · 30 September 2004]

You may know of the brutal viking god which travels on his wagon and summons thunder, known as Thor. You might also know of the big green strong thingy known as the Hulk.

Now can you imagine what a team of those two would look like? A muscly green thingy with supposedly no intelligence together with another muscle-machine from 1000 AD that knows nothing of today's society, and mostly wants to drink mead and beer... I wouldn't have dared to guess myself, all that I can say is that it sums up to a lot of FUN.

As a friend of mine said after i lent him the movie: "I haven't had this fun in five years".

The acting is excellent, I especially like the guy who plays Thor. It's a sad thing that the great Bill Bixby - who is the main character and also has directed most of the movie isn't with us anymore.

A couple of things are worth mentioning though. The movie doesn't sport humor that everybody likes (what movie does that anyway?) and it's a straight-to-video release so don't have too big expectations on the actual picture quality and special FX (clearly drawn with a pen!!) The plot is also a little diffuse at times.

But this doesn't sink it down from an "excellent" grade. 10/10, hands down. Others may agree or disagree, but this time I'm the grader!

The Hulk was my favorite series.

[eaglewayprod · 18 March 2004]

The Incredible Hulk was a great series. It had heart, drama, Action, and sadness. The way Bill Bixby played the character was amazing. He knew this character. He must have read the comics before he started filming the first episode. Now I don't know what's so wrong about this film people don't like. Me I love it. The Hulk is my favorite show and this film was a great way to bring back on TV. I have never read a Thor comic book, but I do agree that they could of written a better character for this film then the Thor we see. It's not the actor's fault. Whomever wrote this should of written more for Bill and should of insisted on Eric Kramer builking up more for the role. But other then that this is a great film with some good action scenes. Bill should have taking charge of the script and re-worked it. For Hulk fans this is a must see. make your own judgment.

Best of the original trilogy

[hfqureshi · 9/10 · 30 November 2022]

This movie was awesome. It had great touches and Hulk had gotten more intimidating than he was in the show. I also loved the gap between Hulk-outs and the every Hulk-out itself. I also like the fact that prior to this movie Banner has not turned into The Hulk for over 2 years, for some reason that made the first transformation more tense. I also like that Hulk was bit more challenged in this movie. If I remember clearly throughout the TV series Hulk won every fight he was in so it was interesting to see him fail because it increases the excitement about what he may do next. If I had to pick a flaw in this movie it would be Thor. Thor was so cheesy and his supposed to be alter ego was instead a somewhat friend. Another thing is Mjlnor. Mjolnir everyone was able to lift Mjolnir and it didn't come back to Thor he had to go pick it up. I get they couldn't do him right because of the lack of cgi but when Hulk throws something really heavy, they manage to make it seem like it's flying though the air so I'm pretty sure they could make it look like a small hammer is flying.

Overall The movie was awesome but Thor just couldn't be done back then. So if you watch it, make sure you're watching it for Hulk not Thor.

Just about enough for those that meet it on its own terms but it is still corny, silly and basic

[bob the moo · 28 June 2005]

It has been almost two years since the Hulk last made an appearance and Banner has successfully assumed a new identity and, with soft music and the love of a good woman, has managed to control his anger. Working on a device that he believes can cure him of his Hyde side, Banner thinks things are going well until a former student turns up with stories of a hammer, an ancient tomb and a man called Thor. Demonstrating what he means sees the war god Thor appear and Banner is soon pushed beyond his own limits and the Hulk returns. The ensuing battle damages the lab and produces some sensational headlines in the local papers – headlines that draw investigative reporter Jack McGee back into the picture. Meanwhile, behind the scenes a sinister plot is developing to kidnap Banner and steal the transponder device.

The surprising thing about the negative reviews on this film are not that they are negative (surely this film deserves them) but that the writers seem so very surprised by the failings in it. Did they, I wonder, not expect that the acting would be average at best, the plotting corny, the effects very basic and the whole thing dated and silly. All these things are true but I had expected them and, although they are still annoying at least I was ready for them and tried to enjoy the film the best I could. Comic book fans may get a kick out of a story that sees the Hulk and Thor put together, but for many viewers it will just seem silly throughout. Annoyingly, it takes itself seriously too much of the time and this does make the whole thing seem sillier. At times it has humour (mainly from Thor) but this is nowhere near often enough to lift the film. The narrative is all about setting up a fight at the end (the usual warehouse stuff) and doesn't do anything within this of any interest.

The lack of characters can be understood within a tvm but they are still a real loss. Banner is his usual haunted self (despite calling himself Bannion – what a great disguise) and all this means is he mopes around thinking calm thoughts. Bixby is part of the reason it all takes itself too seriously and his performance is too worthy and self-important for such a silly film. Ferrigno is pretty poor of course but this is to be understood and the cheesy Hulk moments are something that comes with the territory. Surprisingly Kramer dominates the film and I was glad every time he came back on the screen. This is not to say he is any good, but at least he is quite funny. Colvin shows his face a few times but adds nothing to anything; Purcell is the usual love interest role and brings nothing new and, to be honest, most of the support cast are clunky and unconvincing – a few well-known faces in there add interest but not a great deal else.

Overall this is a silly film with no characters, overused slow-mo, poor effects and is pretty much basic in most regards. There is enough here to please fans and those with low expectations however please don't be surprised by how basic the whole thing is.

My Favorite TV movie.

[dayton-w-price · 10/10 · 27 June 2020]

I love this film as a die hard lifelong fan of the Incredible Hulk, and the Tv series this film is the first film in a trilogy of TV movies, all three are flawless in ever aspect. Bill Bixby is David Banner or Bruce Banner as he known in the comics and all other lore, except this show, and that partnership isn't complete without Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. Together they do something marvelous, and wonderful that in bringing this amazing character to life, obviously most watchers won't understand or agree and that's ok. I believe these movies were made for fans and not the average viewer. These movies have brought me so much joy and a lifelong obsession with the Hulk. A perfect 10/10.