The Incredible Hulk (1979)

Absolutely the worst movie.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Extended pilot episode for the popular television series of the 1970s, this two hour mini-movie explains the origins and creation of everyone's favourite jolly green giant. Although the story is good and the central casting spot on, this generally left me cold; invariably the special effects have dated and seen in today's light the transformations look pitiful (Fredric March did much better back in 1932 with his transformation into Mr Hyde). There is also an infantile element to the movie, with the Hulk portrayed as a childish brute. Lou Ferrigno looks the imposing part with his incredible physique, but his incessant grunting and ludicrous green wig reduce the visual power of his being and instead just make him look a little laughable.Bill Bixby is good as the tortured Doctor, haunted by his inability to save his wife from death when others have succeeded in similar circumstances; best of all is Susan Sullivan, who adds a level of credibility to her character which ups the film a notch. The origins of the Hulk are explained carefully with a scientific explanation which sounds good at least; Bixby's character is given a great set-up for his unauthorised experimentation on himself, a breath of fresh air when the reasons for such activities are usually left unsaid. The action sequences are short and tend to make too much use of silly slow motion which hampers any excitement the film tries to generate. Oddly affecting is the explosively-charged finale which adds a mature, tragic element previously missing. Overall I personally didn't enjoy this a whole lot, but comic fans may want to check it out as the first attempt.

The original pilot of the TV version of The Incredible Hulk is a Twentieth Century mini-classic. The interaction between Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, and Susan Sullivan is wonderful. You care about the characters, especially the Hulk, in ways that the later movies simply could not duplicate. You feel sorry for the Hulk and can relate to his frustration and anger (and his compassion) on so many different levels. The addition of Mr. McGee as the nosy, overly aggressive reporter was a brilliant touch. The original TV pilot had the right mix of humor, horror, tragedy, and fantasy that made the story almost believable. The story of The Incredible Hulk is of course little more than a Twentieth Century updated version of the Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde legends. Despite this you still feel sorry for the Hulk. Somehow it all works in ways that the later movies could never match.

Dr David Banner works alongside Dr Elaina Marks in a study into the root causes of those people who have had a sudden burst of strength when placed under extreme conditions. David has a vested interest in this having failed to save his wife from a burning car after an accident. Hearing stories of others who saved themselves and loved ones in similar circumstances, he is filled with a sense of self-loathing as well as scientific curiosity. After years of searching they decide to check the DNA of those involved and a few hours later have the answer they want. David decides to expose himself to gamma radiation to mimic his subjects DNA status. It doesn't appear to work, angering him. Things get worse as he drives home in the pouring rain and gets a flat. Unable to change it he gets very angry and his "inner anger" starts to come out. Not only does his inner anger have a complete lack of auto-repair skills, but it also forces him into an actual physical change that overtakes and controls him.Opening with a horribly hammy and soft-focus flashback of Banner being in love with his wife before losing her in a crash, I honestly thought about bailing out and giving the whole thing up as a bad job. However once you get passed these terribly dated opening scenes the films gets better and, although still very much an 1970's TVM, actually has plenty of good points about it. The narrative is engaging if a bit familiar to those who know the Hulk already from different visions and sources. In this regard it is occasionally a bit dull because it has to lean on the side of explanation as part of its role as a pilot but regardless it still does a good job of getting to the heart of the character – which is one of tragedy and loss.Although this is not a work of art it does get the tone right and even produces a suitably downbeat ending that the series could then run with. The narrative could have been better in terms of bringing out the people rather than the plot steps but it has this current running through it and it is for the best. As director Johnson may not ever manage to shake off his television pilot budget but he does seem to understand the importance of Banner's loss in his life and also in the roots of the Hulk. Bixby brings out this aspect well and although his range is limited he does seem to have understood what his character is about. Ferrigno is solid as the Hulk but overdoes the rage aspect without having the ability here to show that Banner is still below the surface – his is a limited performance. With the material being slanted in Bixby's favour the support isn't anything special but do enough for the TV standard of the film.Overall this is a TV movie and a pilot and therefore it has its limitations but it does manage to get the emotional tone (if not depth) right. The opening flashback is shockingly bad but after that even the most instructional of scenes is built on a sense of sadness and loss that does well to make the Banner character interesting even if the Hulk himself is not delivered well enough to run this through the entire film.

The Hulk's first incarnation on TV was this made for television movie starring Bill Bixby as the green giant. I don't know Hulk's origins in the Marvel Comics series, but here Dr. David Banner (Bixby) is experimenting with gamma rays, trying desperately to figure out how people get an incredible flow of Adrenalin when faced with utter danger. Having recently lost his wife in a car crash and not being able to save her in his attempts to lift the vehicle, Banner is nothing short of obsessed with finding out why he failed where others succeeded in saving their loved ones. Once he starts injecting gamma rays into his body he turns into the green giant whenever he gets really mad.This is no grandiose spectacle, it's rather cheap looking really, with that oh so 70's look and feel with special effects at a very minimum. It is however a very well written and totally involving story, well acted and ultimately very tragic. The scenes involving the Hulk aren't spectacular visually speaking but they are powerful, especially his first appearance on that rainy thunderstorm night when Banner gets mad while changing his tier. The love story here, between Banner and a fellow scientist, is very well played out and makes for a strong ending for the film.This film was the starting block for a long running TV series, but on it's own the film is very satisfying, definitely won't entertain younger viewers who're used to such visual extravaganza's as most modern superhero films are these days. I however like it very much, it takes it's time in establishing the character, it's a very human story that doesn't go overboard despite it's subject matter and it has a bitter ending that makes it all the more memorable.This cheap looking made for TV film is also a lot better than the 2003 version which I found simply terrible.