For whatever reason, the producers of this latest Marvel Comics adaptation decided to drop "Incredible" from the title. And while I wouldn't call this latest attempt at a big screen take on a comic book incredible, I still really liked it thanks to incredibly creative direction from the versatile Ang Lee.

The rather shy and withdrawn Bruce Banner (Eric Bana) has issues with a forgotten past and a father he hardly knows. It is also clear that he has much built up hostility. After a lab experiment goes horribly wrong, that little beast inside Banner is unleashed in the form of the mean green smashing machine, the Hulk. And like all great transformation tales (think The Wolfman), Banner only tranforms when something triggers that spark (in this case it's rage), and he isn't aware of what he's doing when his alter ego is released. Thankfully, he does turn back to normal when he is comforted or given a loving touch by someone important in his life such as love interest Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly).

Not surprisingly, Hulk is loaded with a plethora of special effects, and it should be noted that the coming attraction trailers don't really do them justice. True, Hulk himself does look synthetic. I would have preferred a more realistic, flesh and blood appearance (something like Gollum in The Two Towers perhaps), but Lee opted to give the audience something straight from the page. His colossal image of Hulk is a vibrant, colorful ode to the comic from which this legendary character was spawned, and despite a cartoonish look, this is hardly Scooby Doo. Hulk rampages through the desert taking on the military and even has a lengthy battle with a pack of mutated dogs. I wasn't terribly impressed by how Hulk looked in the dark nor did I care for those crazy shots where he's leaping a mile into the sky, but ultimately, I was won over by most of the effects. It should also be noted that Ang Lee himself performed most of the Hulk's movements, which were later animated over. It is a lively, energetic performance.

Eric Bana is a terrific actor. He was absolutely mesmerizing as a brutal psychopath in the little seen Australian gem Chopper. Most American audiences may remember his role as a stoic military man in Black Hawk Down. As Bruce Banner, he's very subtle and quietly effective. While he isn't really given the opportunity to convey the sort of likability that Bill Bixby displayed in the television series, he is more than adequate in the role. Jennifer Connelly is given the more thankless task of bringing love interest Betty Ross to life. For what it's worth, she brings more depth to this part than was probably written. Her role here is similar to the one she played in A Beautiful Mind--the understanding girlfriend who stands by her troubled love until the very end. She is a beauty to be sure, but there were far too many shots of her sobbing (bringing to mind Demi Moore in Ghost). Sam Elliot plays the military man with the near impossible task of trying to capture Hulk. There isn't anything particularly dynamic about the way he plays the part but he does seem to be having fun, and the moments between he and daughter Betty do lend dramatic depth to the film. Nick Nolte has the best time as Bruce Banner's grizzled father. He's sort of the mad scientist of the picture, and his appearance in Hulk suspiciously resembles that of his infamous mug shot in the tabloids recently (perhaps that's because those shots were taken while he was making the movie). Yes, his performance is over the top, but in a fun way. And on a final performance note, watch for one of the most entertaining cameo appearances in recent memory. It happens early on in the picture and features two artists your sure to recognize.

Hulk is really more of a tragedy than a super hero movie. Unlike Spider-Man and other recent super hero flicks, this film is more brooding and serious and that will probably turn many off. I've already heard complaints about the film being sluggish and too long. I personally love that Ang Lee injects drama and character development into the picture. This makes what follows much more relevant. I really liked the friction between father and son, and father and daughter. It added weight to the picture. And again, the comic book sensiblity that Lee brings to the visual landscape of this picture is astonishing. I'm not talking about Hulk himself, but rather the camera shots and editing techniques used to fashion the film. He and his crew should be commended on a great looking movie. After directing The Ice Storm, Sense and Sensibility and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, you wouldn't think Lee would be suited for this job. Look closer and you'll realize that there probablly wasn't a better choice.

I wouldn't rank Hulk amongst the greatest superhero films. I reserve that title for the first two Superman and Batman movies (and I'm also a huge fan of the underrated Unbreakable), but I still really enjoyed this movie. Ang Lee delivers. Believe me when I tell you, there are plenty of sequences in which Hulk makes a mess of things, and that's probably what this film's target audience wants to see. What sets this picture apart is it's visual style and it's character. Like Frankenstein, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, King Kong, and even Beauty and the Beast, Hulk is thrilling, but also quite sad in it's depiction of a misunderstood Beast who just wants to be loved.

And in case your wondering, Ang and Stan are not related but they do make a hell of a team.