"You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry...hungry? That's not right."

Long absence and again I apologize. But here's my The Incredible Hulk review to bring a bright ray of sunshine to your barely tolerable lives. 

From the opening credits this film grabs you. As the names roll you're treated to a retelling of the Hulk origin story. Much like Spider-Man 3 the 

scenes play out in live action but they are done so much better here. You're actually drawn in and there's some suspense and sense of dread.

I don't want to go to far into details of the plot but as the film opens we know Bruce Banner is a man on the run. He has adapted and learned to blend in as much as possible into the culture of his new home, Brazil. His Portuguese is poor but passable and he's attempting meditation to keep his temper and emotions under control. 

Of course the Army and General Ross find him, there would be no movie if that didn't happen. But the story, the chase and the confrontations play out in a way that's entertaining and the action is so fast and intense you don't have time to consider plot points. And frankly when you're watching the Hulk toss forklifts as if they were sticks who really cares about plot?

Apparently Ed Norton does. I've always been a fan of his work and the intensity he brings to his roles. Here he doesn't disappoint. As Bruce Banner you see the toll his journey has taken on him; the weariness and disappointment, the desperation and the fleeting moments where he allows himself to hope. Marvel continues to cast actors instead of faces to lend gravitas to its characters and it pays off in spades. I can only dream of how they would cast a Fantastic Four movie. Seriously, I actually have dreams about it. Such happy, happy dreams where Jessica Alba is nowhere to be seen. 

Liv Tyler is really coming into her own as an actress. She was great in Empire Records and did her job in Armageddon but after seeing her in The Strangers a few weeks ago and now here she's really becoming an actress I'll keep an eye on. It certainly doesn't hurt that she's beautiful. 

As far as villains go Abomination was a pretty solid bet 

here. Great job by Tim Roth (as usual) in bringing a real sense of menace and savagery to his character. 

Like I said I won't go into plot details but we all know Abomination and Hulk throw down and here's what I have to say about that: best modern monster movie scenes ever. Watching the end of the struggle between these two things really takes me back to being a kid and watching the Godzilla movies. These guys want nothing but to beat the tar out of each other, no scratch that; they want to tear each other limb from limb and here's where the CGI really shines. The emotion and barbarism comes across beautifully. Emotions cross the Hulk's face far better than they ever did in that...other movie. 

It's no secret Marvel Studios is building a universe with these movies much like they did in comics. It is the most exciting thing in film right now because you start to care about not only these characters but the characters surrounding them as well. What roles will they play in the future? 

The Tony Stark cameo is brilliant. No spoiler there, everyone has seen the TV spot by now. 

All in all I can't recommend this movie enough. If you liked Iron Man you'll love The Incredible Hulk. A lot of setup here for future films as well that you won't want to miss. Marvel is doing a great job here of drawing in audiences to their other projects by planting seeds in already popular properties.

Can't wait until that Avengers movie :)

HULK SMASH!