The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989)

best movie i've ever seen.

A Disappointing Continuation

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Since the release of Marvels new Netflix Daredevil series, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit this TV movie. I have always been a fan of The 1970's Incredible Hulk TV show. I thought Bill Bixby played the human side of the Hulk very well and quite honestly, I don't think any of the newer actors have come close to his portrayal. What makes the three TV Hulk movies interesting is that Bixby intended to finish the Hulk saga since the television series ended abruptly without giving the show or story a proper farewell. The first Incredible Hulk TV movie featured Thor and the story of Donald Blake while the second film featured Matt Murdock aka Daredevil. You can clearly tell that this film intended to be back door pilot for a future Daredevil TV series because the story mostly focuses on Matt Murdock and his war on crime against the Kingpin. This movie is by no means great but it does do something's right and for me it was fun seeing Bixby reprise the role of David Banner. As I understand, Frank Miller used the look of Daredevil in this film when he wrote his retailing of Daredevils origins in his Man Without Fear mini series. It appears that Marvel, Netflix and co were also heavily influenced by Daredevils look in this film when they were designing Daredevils urban ninja costume in the current Netflix series. If you are a fan of the 70's Hulk show you will definitely find some entertainment in this. If your curious about where Daredevils black ninja outfit came from then this movie is worth a watch. This movie is cheese but in a good 1980's way and if you love superheroes as much as I do, then give this a watch.

Bill Bixby is back again, not only acting(very well as usual) but directing as well, and the opening is quite promising, and captures the feel of the TV series nicely, but once David Banner enters the city, and gets involved with a blind lawyer who turns out to be...Daredevil, the whole thing falls apart. Fine actor John Rhys Davies plays sinister gangster the Kingpin, and it makes you sad to think that New York is still plagued by these powerful criminals, even after the Hulk cleaned up the city back on the TV series! Daredevil is presented in a bland, uninspired way, and this film, like it's immediate predecessor, lacks soul, since Kenneth Johnson was once again not involved. Daredevil is at least plausible(unlike Thor) but film is lifeless, despite the fine performances of Bill Bixby & Lou Ferrigno.

Dr. David Banner (superbly played by Bill Bixby, who also directed) gets jailed for assault after stopping two men from terrorizing a woman on the subway. Banner's shrewd blind lawyer Matt Murdock (a fine performance by Rex Smith) turns out to be vigilante superhero Daredevil, who enlists Banner's assistance in taking out arch criminal Wilson Fisk (John Rhys-Davis in top-rate smoothly villainous form). Bixby, working from an earnest and engrossing script by Gerald Dipego, relates the compelling story at a steady pace, maintains a serious tone throughout, and stages the action set pieces with a reasonable amount of flair and competence (a nightmare sequence with the Hulk trashing a courtroom rates as the definite exciting highlight). Moreover, the teaming up of two classic Marvel superheroes is both interesting and inspired, plus the Hulk (intensely portrayed with growly menace by Lou Ferrigno) seems more fearsome and dangerous than ever. Bixby and Smith display a natural and engaging chemistry in the leads, with sturdy support from Nancy Everhard as Murdock's smitten partner Christa Klein, Marta DuBois as the frightened Ellie Mendez, Nicholas Hormann as Fisk's cowed henchman Edgar, and Joseph Mascolo as hard-nosed police chief Albert G. Tendelli. Both Chuck Colwell's sharp cinematography and Lance Rubin's melodic and melancholy score are up to speed. Worth a watch for fans of the series.

THIS COMMENT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS : During my junior year in high school, I was excited about a new Incredible Hulk reunion movie to air on NBC in 1989 on a Sunday night. For the most part, I enjoyed the Trial of the Incredible Hulk like I have the other movies and the series, but as a purist fan of the series, I wound up disappointed with this movie because I feel it was the farthest away from the series. The Trial of the Incredible Hulk should have been called, Daredevil, guest starring the Incredible Hulk, since the movie focused way too heavily on its guest star, Matt Murdock alias Dardevil (The Bionic Showdown reunion movie from that same year did the very same thing). Although I was not impressed with Daredevil or the Kingpin, I did enjoy the performances of Rex Smith and John Rhys Davies in those roles. Another goof was the fact that David Banner had a beard in the first half of the movie, but the beard vanished when he became the Hulk, only to magically reappear when he reverted back to Banner. Even Lou Ferrigno in his Book "My Incredible Life as the Hulk" points this out.I felt the best Hulkout in the movie was what was ultimately revealed to be David Banner's nightmarish dream of being on trial, aggravated and provoked by the D.A. and Hulking out and going on a rampage. The worst Hulkout was when he wakes up and you don't even see the Hulk, but merely the aftermath of his rampage as he breaks out of jail. What really bums me out about this movie is the fact that Banner doesn't even Hulkout for the final showdown while Daredevil takes on Wilson Fisk. Even though I'm sure it was great that David Banner accomplished something himself without Hulking out, but hey! That's why we watch this character.The David Banner /Matt Murdock relationship reminds me of the The Harder They Fall episode of the Hulk. In both shows, Banner is down and depressed at the beginning and meets a positive minded person. But as the story progresses, things get reversed when Banner becomes the positive one and has to get his friend back up from his depression. I see Bill Bixby portraying two David Banners in this movie. The first half, he is a bearded and depressed man who could care less about life and looks like a homeless bum. The other Banner is when he shaves off the beard and remembers his skills as a doctor and helps Matt Murdock back into shape morally and physically.This movie is enjoyable, but I find it weak in comparison to the other two films.