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Reviews
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
The Perfect Adaptation of Civil War
This movie is just, amazing. The first film of the MCU's Phase Three and the last film in the Captain America trilogy is just incredible. This film puts Captain America and Iron Man at odds, and their disagreement tears the Avengers apart. The film also introduces the Black Panther and the MCU's Spider-Man, but we'll get to them later.
Marvel decided to bring back Joe and Anthony Russo to direct this film, and it was a great decision. This film is almost like their audition tape of "Avengers: Infinity War" and they did a great job at balancing all of these characters. They shot the action great and knew what to do with this ensemble cast.
The cast is incredible. Chris Evans continues to create an amazing character out of Captain America. Robert Downey Jr. gives his best performance as Iron Man since his debut film. Scarlett Johansson does a good job as Black Widow, playing the double agent. The film brings in Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, and he is very entertaining. The rest of the Avengers are all great, but the two new additions are really where the cast shines. Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther has a great story arc and does a great job with the character. Tom Holland is introduced as Peter Parker, and he is instantly my favorite live action interpretation of the character. He has the wit, the heart, and the right attitude. I truly love this cast.
The writing is also very strong. The main villain Baron Zemo, as played by Daniel Bruh, has a very smart plan that succeeds in tearing apart the Avengers. The story of the Winter Soldier also really works, and Sebastian Stan does a great job. The comedy also really shines, with Ant-Man, Spider-Man, and Falcon (played very well by Anthony Mackie) really shines in the airport battle. The emotional highlights are also very well done, with Tony's parents and Rhodey's (as played by Don Cheadle) paralysis being the high points. The only slight weakness is the romantic dialogue between Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany's Vision. But it's not terrible, it's just not great.
The effects are breathtaking, with the obvious highlight being the air port battle. It looks amazing, and is one of the action highlights of the MCU. What really sticks out to me is how the fight as three climaxes. The first one being when the two teams charge at each other, the second being when Ant-Man goes Giant-Man, and the third being when Rhodey gets shot down. The excitement lasts the whole fight and it's breathtaking to watch.
In conclusion, this is as perfect an adaptation of the Civil War comic in the MCU could be. It keeps the core ideas of the book while making changes for the better. It introduces new characters to excellent effect and does the old characters more than justice. I truly think this movie is one of the MCU's best.
10/10
Daredevil (2015)
The Best Superhero Show of All Time
As Marvel decided to venture into uncharted territory with their cinematic universe, Marvel decided to make a deal with Netflix to allow them to use certain characters for series. Netflix decided to start with Marvels Man Without Fear, Daredevil. And they crafted a masterpiece. Now that the show is officially canceled unfortunately, I've decided to review the whole thing.
The first season deals with Matt Murdock taking on the crimeboss Wilson Fisk, and his firms exploits in trying to put him in prison, while Matt deals with it as the Man in the Mask. The second season has two main storylines, one dealing with the Punisher, the other dealing with Elektra Natchios and the Hand. The third season deals with a broken Matt dealing with Fisk, who made a deal to get out of prison, and an imposter Daredevil.
The cast of this show is undeniabley perfect. Charlie Cox is Matt Murdock, and plays him to the point where you stop looking at him as an actor playing Daredevil, just as Daredevil. Deborah Ann Woll is great, she makes Karen Page interesting and deep. Elden Henson is great as Foggy Nelson, adding some levity to this otherwise dark show, but still being serious when needed. Elodie Yung is good as Elektra, and Jon Bernthal is absolutely perfect as Punisher. Vincent D'Onofrio embodies the character of Wilson Fisk, and is on a whole other level compared to most of the cast. Wilson Bethal is great as Bullseye, adding a psychopathic element to the character. Finally, Scott Glenn is great as Stick. This cast is lighting in a bottle perfect.
Each season does something perfect with the writing. Season One is the perfect origin story, from telling Matt becoming the Man in the Mask, to him becoming Daredevil. Season Two is a story ripped straight from the books, getting to see him in the red suit fight the Hand and Punisher is awesome. Season Three is a man having a crisis of faith and beating his own personal demons. The plots and the characterizations are perfect.
The effects are fantastic. The suit design starts out a little rough, with the Daredevil costume looking a little weird at the end of season one, but it improves the next two seasons. But the action scenes are where this show shines. Each season has a one shot fight early on, and it's always a spectacle to look at. The other fights are great as well. The effects and choreography are all great.
In conclusion, Daredevil is the perfect superhero show, with fantastic characters, amazing action, incredible storytelling, and uncanny writing talent. It's such a shame that Netflix canceled this astonishing show, but hopefully the Man Without Fear continues on, but it will never be the same.
10/10
Ant-Man (2015)
Can The Tiniest Hero Make A Big Impact?
As Phase Two of the MCU came to a conclusion, Marvel decided to sneak in one last movie before it officially ended. Ant-Man has been in development Hell for years, it had originally been planned to come out in Phase One. But what we got was a funny Phase Two movie with really likeable characters.
Originally Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and Baby Driver) was directing this film. But Marvel wanted to put connections to the other films in the universe in there, so he left. Marvel hired Peyton Reed instead, and he did a pretty good job in my opinion, but I would've loved to had seen what Wright would've brought to the table.
The cast is very good, with a likeable charm to most of the main characters. Paul Rudd is very charming, and his goal to make his daughter proud is very well done. He is also very funny. Michael Douglas is great as Hank Pym, this mentor to Scott with an estranged relationship with everyone else in his life. Evangeline Lily is great as Hope van Dyne, who really shows that she should be wearing the suit, which makes it very satisfying when she does in the sequel. Corey Stroll is fine, unfortunately another forgettable villain. Michael Peña is very funny as Luis, and his flashbacks are comedic highlights. The cameo from Falcon is also done very well and is a very entertaining fight scene.
The writing is very comedic throughout the film, but it does have a good heart to it. The father-daughter relationship of both Scott and Cassie and Hope and Hank is done very well, and is very touching. The film is very funny as stated, and self aware about how goofy it's premise is. You can tell some scenes are leftovers from Wright's script though. It also follows a formula very similiar to Iron Man.
The effects are cartoony, but very well done. The first scene when Scott shrinks is amazing to look at, and every shrink scene afterwards is just as good. The final fight between Ant-Man and Yellowjacket is so entertaining, just taking place in a children's play set is awesome. The effects are great.
Ant-Man is the little movie that could, pun intended. The somewhat formulaic plot and weak villain are carried by one of the most likeable solo film casts in the whole MCU. Ant-Man is just a fun side film, and it relishes in that fact.
7/10
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Can the Sequel Live Up to the Hype?
The first Avengers movie was a massive success, becoming the third highest grossing film of all time. So it was no surprise that we would be getting a second Avengers movie. What was a surprise was that the villain would be Ultron, not the teaser villain Thanos from the last film. The film was released to mixed reviews, but it had the same cast and crew of the first film. Why was this?
Joss Whedon came back to write and direct the film. Marvel and Disney wanted Ultron to feature as the villain, as he is a massive bad guy from the comics. On top of that, Whedon also had to introduce Scarlet Witch, Vision, Quicksilver, the concept of Wakanda, and build up Civil War, Ragnarok, and Infinity War. Whedon had a lot to stuff into this movie.
The cast is perfect, as to be expected. The Avengers really feel like a team in this movie. Evans nails the leader role as Captain America, you really feel like he knows what he's doing. Downey Junior is funny as hell as Iron Man. Hemsworth doesn't have a lot to do as Thor, but he is still good. Ruffalo and Johansson have a forced relationship, which doesn't really work, but they still give good performances. Jermey Renner shines in this movie as Hawkeye, with his personal life and revealed family really giving him a strong character. Elizabeth Olsen is good as Scarlet Witch, with her killing Ultron in the end being a highlight of the film. Aaron Taylor Johnson is fine as Quicksilver, but he's outshined by Evan Peters interpretation. Paul Bettney is great as Vision here, in what I feel is his best performance as the character. James Spader is great as Ultron, when he's threatening. Ultron joking isn't good. When he's a legitimate threat, it's incredible. I think this cast is great.
The writing is good for what Whedon can do. Disney wanted all of these individual prices introduced in this film. While a lot of them do work, including Andy Serkis as Klaw, some do not. The best example is easily Thor's trip to understand the Infinity Stones and set up Ragnarok. It really kills the flow of the film and has nothing to do with anything. But the quips and action and characters all make sense, so I still think the writing is good, though over stuffed.
The effects are pretty good. Hulk still looks great, and the action all looks good, mostly. Their are a few scenes in the opening action scene where it looks pretty bad. In particular when Thor kicks the guy on the tower, it looks terrible. But Ultron looks great, as does Vision. The fight between the Hulkbuster and the Hulk looks amazing. I think the effects are good, with some bad moments.
In conclusion, I really like Age of Ultron. I think it is a good follow up to the first film, and gave me what I was looking for. I feel like people went in expecting this incredible movie, but I went in looking for a fun action movie, and that's exactly what I got.
8/10
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
The Weirdest Marvel Team is Really Entertaining
The films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has all been predominantly Earth based until now. They had gone to a few of the Nine Realms but that was about it. So Marvel decided to expand into its cosmic universe with Guardians of the Galaxy, while also getting to build up the big tease from the first Avengers, Thanos.
While looking for a director, Marvel eventually decided on James Gunn, who had worked on a few smaller projects, but nothing of this caliber. James and Marvel were smart, knowing that no one would take a film involving a talking raccoon and a talking tree seriously, so they turned it into an amazing space comedy.
The cast to this film is great, because they had to be. These weird characters had to be played by the right actors, or else they would fall flat on their face. Chris Pratt plays Star-Lord, and adds a charm to him no one else could. Peter Quill is just a normal guy from the 80's stuck in an incredible situation. Zoe Saldana plays a good Gamora, though because she's the serious one she isn't as memorable as the rest. Dave Bautista is good as Drax, though he gets way funnier in future films. Vin Diesel is good as Groot, because he only has to say 3 words. Bradley Cooper steals the show as Rocket, he's funny and deadly, and a talking raccoon. It's great. John C. Reilly and Benecio Del Toro are also highlights. Lee Pace does good for what he's given, but unfortunately it isn't much. I really love the cast of this movie, with the main five really feeling like a family at the end.
This film is more comedic than any Marvel movie before it. Two of the five main characters are quip machines, with Rocket's obsession with prosthetic theft and Quill's Footloose reference being highlights. Drax not knowing metaphors is also very funny. Gamora's hatred of Thanos is hinted at, though not fully explored. The scene where the Guardians are forming their plan is truly great, with Quill's losers speech being the highlight. Once again, the villain, Ronan is underdeveloped. Hopefully "Captain Marvel" can expanded on his backstory.
The effects are fantastic, top notch for Marvel at the time. Rocket looks real, almost on the same level of the Andy Serkis Apes Movies. The make up is all great, the ships and lasers all look good, the effects are great.
In conclusion, this movie is great. It introduced the world to these oddball characters and the world proceeded to fall in love with them. They would go on to become some of the MCU's best, and it's all thanks to this one movie.
9/10
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The Movie That Made Captain America Cool
After the Avengers, pretty much nobody thought that Captain America was the coolest Avenger. Everyone thought it was Iron Man or Hulk or maybe Thor. But nobody thought it was Captain America. This film made everybody change their minds. The Winter Soldier turned Cap into the most badass Avenger, and proved why he's the leader of Earth's Mightiest.
Joe Johnston didn't return to direct this film, which I think is a positive. He made the 40's astetic work great, but what Joe and Anthony Russo bring to the table is on a whole other level. They made a superhero spy movie, with a heavy focus on hand to hand combat and spy movie tropes.
The cast is great, with Evans being the highlight. Steve Rogers feels like a man out of time, with the same black and white mindset of the 40's, while the future is filled with grey. He still does his best to do what's right, even if nobody wants to follow him. Pairing him with Black Widow was brilliant, as she is completely grey. Scarlett Johansson gives a great performance, with a truly tortured soul under the surface of her character. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Fury, and he is badass, with a great car chase scene. Sebastian Stan is good, though not given much screen time. Anthony Mackie is introduced as The Falcon in this movie. Falcon is funny, and he adds a sense of realism to this movie. Robert Redford is fine, does good for what he's given. The cast is phenomenal, with some of the best performances in the franchise.
The plot is fantastic. Everything from Cap trying to readjust to modern day society to the big twist that Hydra was infested and even help build SHIELD was incredible. Bucky being revealed as the Winter Soldier was great for the character of Captain America, even though the twist was revealed on the poster. I also love the fact that Bucky killed the Starks, even though that plot doesn't come into play for years. I love the plot of this movie.
The effects are all pretty good. When the punches strike, they feel real and tangible. Cap's shield is awesome in this movie, as are Falcon's wings. Bucky's mechanical arm looks great as well. When the Helicarriers finally go boom, it does not disappoint.
Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is one of the best movies in the franchise. It captures the character of Captain America perfectly and turned him into a cultural phenomenon. Also Punisher was apparently in the truck that helped Fury, which is amazing.
9/10
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
The Worst of the MCU, but Still Average
After the events of the Avengers, one of the major questions most people had was what happened to Thor and Loki. Loki was being brought back to Asgard after attempting to take over Earth, supposedly getting ready to face Odin for his crimes. Thor: The Dark World was released to an astounding "eh" and was branded the worst in the franchise, but what about this film makes it so bad?
Marvel decided not to have Kenneth Branagh return to direct this film, instead hiring Alan Taylor. The film was going to be about the Dark Elves waging war against Asgard, and the introduction of another Infinity Stone, disguised as the mysterious Aether. Sounds like a pretty good plot, so what happened?
The cast is similar to the last film. Hemsworth and Hiddleston both do great in there roles once again. They have settled into the roles and are a blast to watch together. Hopkins is also good as Odin and Stellan Skarsgard is good as Erik Selving. Where the cast falls apart are the other supporting characters. Once again, Natalie Portman phones in her performance, even though she is much more important here. Kat Dennings is worse here than she was last time, being much more annoying than the previous film. Christopher Eccleston does fine for what he's given, which isn't much, seeing as how Malekith is the least interesting villain in the franchise. The cast is fine, a little worse than last time, but still fine.
The writing and plot is cool in concept, but it gets screwed in execution. They give Jane Foster the Aether, making her the center of the plot, but Jane isn't an interest character, on top of Portman's weak performance. They give the villain nothing to do, with a very weak motivation, and they fake-kill Loki for the third time. Although it has some bright spots, the plot really isn't good.
The effects are pretty good. Thor's introduction is amazing, though he will have better intros later on. The space battles are cool, and the final battle between Thor and Malekith is cool to look at.
Thor: The Dark World is average. It has a dull plot with some terrible performances, but the leads are good enough to carry it to the finish line, and it has some entertaining action scenes to boot.
5/10
Iron Man Three (2013)
Can One Bad Twist Ruin a Movie?
After the smash hit of "The Avengers", it was without question Marvel would continue the franchise, starting with the third movie for its most popular character. With a change of director "Iron Man 3" was met with lukewarm response, mostly thanks to a twist that made fans furious. But how is the movie really, and was the twist even that bad?
"Iron Man 2" was met with mediocre reviews, so Marvel decided to hire Shane Black to direct the third entry in the franchise. Black had only directed one other film up to that point, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" but Marvel thought he could bring something to the table. The presentation was quite well done, with rock music and scenes from the previous movies in the credits. But presntation can only get you so far.
The cast is great, as to be expected with these movies. Robert Downey Jr. adds a whole other layer to Tony Stark, who is dealing with PTSD from the Battle of New York. Gwenyth Paltrow is great as Pepper, and it was cool seeing her wear the suit. I like Don Cheadles performance, but War Machine is way cooler than Iron Patriot. Guy Pierce is fine, just another forgettable Marvel villain. His Extremis soldiers were all fun though. While he doesn't direct, Faverou returns as Happy Hogan, and is entertaining while he's there. The big point of contention comes from Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin, I mean Trevor Slattery.
The big twist in this movie is that the Mandarin, one of Iron Man's most famous bad guys, not actually the bad guy, but an actor playing the Mandarin. This pissed a lot of people off, including myself. But, it is a decent twist, and very well executed. Plus Kingsley is very funny once the jig is up. I just wish they had someone better than Guy Pierce to back him up. The writing throughout the film is very tight, with Stark's quips being some of the most entertaining yet.
The effects are really good, with the 42 Iron Man suit final battle being the highlight. Seeing an army of Iron Men charge into battle is a real spectacle to see. Each one has a unique design, with the Heartbreaker and Igor being my personal favorites. The limb regeneration is also done quite well.
In conclusion, I really do like Iron Man 3. That twist in the end throws you off the first time you watch the movie, but once you know it's coming and can just enjoy it for what it is, it's much better. The movie ends with Stark getting the Arc Reactor surgery, proving he really is more than the suit, and proving that he is Iron Man.
7/10
The Avengers (2012)
Phase One Ends with Earths Mightiest
Marvel has proven itself. They made people care about Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America. They built up this massive interconnected universe which is all leading to one massive movie. The entire future of this franchise laid in the hands of this movie. Did it payoff? Obviously it did, but why? Why did Joss Whedon's blockbuster become the 3rd highest grossing movie of all time?
Marvel and Whedon had a lot to prove with this movie. They had to prove this massive gamble they took with a connected universe was worth it. And they did.
The cast played a big part in this. Seeing Iron Man meet the Hulk and Thor fight Captain America was awesome. Their personalities all played off each other excellently, with RDJ leading the charisma meter. Hulk was recast for this movie with Mark Ruffalo, a worthy replacement for Norton. He makes the character his own. This is the first movie I really started liking Black Widow. Johansson gives a great performance and her writing is great. Jermey Renner does good for what he's given, which isn't little, but he shines in the next movie. Tom Hiddleston does great as Loki, with his few comedic moments being highlights. Samuel L. Jackson is great as Fury, and Clark Gregg really shines as Coulson. The cast is great, not a single person is miscast.
The writing is good, with quips galore. It sets up the epic battle at the end excellently, and the character interactions make the movie. A few characters feel wasted though. Evans and Hemsworth both do amazing, but they feel underused. Hawkeye is famously shoved to the side, and that's a real shame. The opening twenty minutes are pretty boring, but the movie picks up after that. But I think it's still very well written.
The effects are all great. They finally got the Hulk right. He looks like Banner, just ripped and green. Cap's suit sucks though. Iron Man's suit looks life like. The alien army looks good, everything looks great.
I love this movie. I'll never forget watching this movie for the first time and being utterly astounded. Marvel had crafted a masterpiece in my opinion, and I thought this was it. If only I knew how truly epic this series would get.
9/10
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The Star Spangled Avenger gets a Great Start
After the successes Marvel has with Iron Man and Thor, people began believing that they could do it all. But Captain America was the last solo hurdle they had to jump. And once again, Marvel proved to everyone that they understood their characters.
Captain America had a movie back in the 90's, which left a sour taste for the character. But Joe Johnston and everyone at Marvel Studios turned him into a world phenomenon, like Iron Man before him.
A big part of why this movie works is Chris Evans as Captain America. After playing another Marvel role as the Human Torch, Evans took the shield and made it his own. He embodied the role, becoming both an inspirational hero of the Golden Era, and a relatable man looking to fight for his country. The other characters are good to, Sebastian Stan as Bucky really shines comedically after Steve becomes Cap. Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter quickly became my favorite girlfriend from these movies. Another area where this movie shines is the villain. Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull is as entertaining as they get, being evil just for the sake of being evil. Dominic Cooper is great as Howard Stark, and you can really see Tony in him. Stanley Tucci is great as the scientist mentor to Steve. The other characters are fine but forgettable. I bet you forgot Tommy Lee Jones was in this movie.
The writing is exactly the way I want it. It's intentionally cheesy, as it takes place in the 1940s. You really feel for the characters when it counts though. I do have one massive problem with the script, and that's the fact that it skips a lot of action in one montage! The action looks great but they just skip it all!
The effects are very well done, especially the effect they did to make Chris Evans appear little. It's incredible how good it looks. The costume Cap wears is also a cool modification of his design, similar to his Ultimate WW2 outfit.
I really like Captain America: The First Avenger. It skips a lot of action and some characters are forgettable, but the rest of the cast, the environment of the 40s, and the action we do get are all incredible. The post credit scene is literally just a trailer for "The Avengers" and this movie gets you ready for it.
7/10
Thor (2011)
Did Marvel Make a Good Movie out of a God?
The end credit scene of Iron Man 2 showed Phil Coulson finding a large crater in New Mexico. At the center of the crater was a hammer, which many people were attempting to move, to no effect. This was an obvious tease at the superhero based on a Norse God, Thor. Thor was an obscure superhero, known for his goofy winged helmet (that I love). Nobody thought Marvel could turn him into a convincing hero. Were they right?
The main issue with this movie is that the quality is very different depending on the location. On Asgard and Johtanhiem, this movie is great. On Earth it's pretty bad. It's not awful, but it's still bad. The directing is distracting, with a Dutch angle every other shot. I like the shots at first, but it becomes distracting.
The cast is also split in half. Chris Hemsworth was a good Thor, though he would get much better in the films to come. Same can be said about Hiddleston as Loki, he wasn't great but he was good. Hopkins is good as Odin, and I think Jamie Alexander could be a great Sif if given time to shine. On Earth the only character I like is Erik Selving. Kat Dennings is annoying, but she gets worse in the sequel. Natalie Portman just phoned in her performance as Jane Foster.
The effects are still pretty good. The opening action scenes and the closing two look great. The Frost Giant fight and the Destroyer battle are particularly exhilarating. The final fight between Thor and Loki is good because you like the dynamic the two have, and want to see the conclusion. Asgard looks fantastic, and never looks better then it does here.
Overall, Thor is okay. It's one of my least favorite MCU movies but it's still serviceable. Everything from the Nine Realms works, but Earth can't hold it up to something truly great.
6/10
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Can Lightning Strike Twice?
After the surprise box office and critical success of the first Iron Man, it was no surprise that Marvel would want a sequel as fast as possible. That being said, many panned this movie when it came out, and claimed it wasn't as good as the original. But looking back on it, was it as bad as we thought?
The cast is still top notch, with RDJ once again taking the spotlight. Even when Tony is acting like an unlikable jerk, RDJ somehow makes him charismatic. His plight to save his life is also done well. Terrence Howard was replaced by Don Cheadle in this film and all of the following movies, and he does a great job as Rhodey. Gwenyth Paltrow is still good as Pepper, but that's to be expected. Scarlett Johansson is good in her introduction as Black Widow, but she gets much better in movies to follow. Sam Rockwell is pretty good in this, playing Justin Hammer, a less funny, less smart Tony Stark. Unfortunately, Micky Rourke doesn't give a good performance as Whiplash. He's just "angry guy with whips, a Russian accent, and he likes birds." Other bright spots in acting are Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Jon Faverou as Happy Hogan.
The writing is okay, with the comedy not being as strong as the first one. Whiplash wants a bird from Russia. That's a running joke from the movie. Tony acts like a huge jerk through most of the movie, and that's somewhat understandable because he is dying, but fighting with Rhodey took it to far, and is slightly out of character in my opinion. The effects are on par with the first one. The drones and suits all look great, and the suitcase suit up is the best part of the movie.
This movie was heavily criticized for just being set up for "The Avengers" with the introduction of Black Widow, Fury playing a big roll, Thor's hammer, and a model of Cap's shield. While that is true, it's the other stuff that you only know in hindsight that makes it cool. The senator looking to take the Iron Man suit is a B-Plot, until "Winter Soldier" when you find out he's actually a Hydra agent. The little kid in the Iron Man mask is a throwaway moment, but now we know it's Peter Parker under that mask. Things like this make the movie better with recent viewings.
In conclusion, I like Iron Man 2, with all of its faults. Upon release it was probably a 5/10, based mostly on its stellar cast. But now, with little things to add depth to the world, it's actually better. So lightning didn't strike twice, but it got somewhat close.
6/10
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Can a Hulk Solo Movie Work?
After with the surprise blockbuster hit of Iron Man, it was only natural that Marvel would team with Universal to make the next installment of their universe based on a more popular character, the Hulk. But it received mixed reviews at the time, but is it really just okay?
Though this wasn't the first movie based on the character. 2003's Hulk directed by Ang Lee and starring Eric Bana was mostly hated for being boring. So this was a reboot of the franchise, within the MCU.
The cast is excellent. Edward Nortan makes a great Bruce Banner, and plays the duality of Banner and Hulk well, though not as good as Ruffalo later on. Liv Tyler is perfectly acceptable as Betty Ross. William Hurt is great as Thunderbolt Ross, and you believe in his cause against Banner. Finally Tim Roth does a good job with what he's given, though he's much more entertaining as a person then he is as the Abomination. Sterns and the RDJ cameo are also highlights.
The script is decent, it captures all the main ideas that you want in a Hulk movie. Banner on the run from military, the duality of the characters, Hulk smashes things, it's great. But it suffers the "villain who suddenly goes crazy" syndrome. Though, it does have a rushed explanation, with the super soldier serum driving him nuts.
The visual effects are okay. It's always fun to watch Hulk smash tanks and other gamma monsters. I don't love the design of the Hulk, the main reason is that he doesn't look like Edward Norton, and the Hulk should look like Banner.
In conclusion, I like the Incredible Hulk, but it's not one of the best MCU movies. It's entertaining, and the cast is great, but the writing and effects could be a lot better.
7/10