Customer Reviews

Incredible Hulk [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
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"The Incredible Hulk" is the pilot film for the long-running TV series starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. Although a number of comic-book purists derided it for being unfaithful to its source, the movie is still thought-provoking and entertaining. The movie and the series were rare examples of serious dramatic themes succesfully interwoven with science fiction (another example would be "The Twilight Zone.")

Everyone knows the premise: Bixby plays a scientist who unwittingly exposes himself to a massive amount of gamma radiation while trying to unlock his hidden strength. Although he seems alright at first, later he gets angry and...well, you know.

Although I like the series, I think that the movie had insight and excitement that no subsequent episode of the series could match. (Although one came close: "The First", where Banner finds another man who can become a Hulk.)

Put simply: this movie is awesome!! END

For those of you looking for superhero battles and action scenes, this is not the movie for you. The Pilot episode for the 70's Incredible Hulk series was a drama about a man, David Banner, driven by his past.

The Hulk is the result. This touching story gives us great insite into the character of the Hulk and of Banner himself, but without the action so common in other comic adaptations. The Hulk is neither hero nor villain, he is a victim.

A scientist, saddened about the death of his wife, finds out that others have been able to perform super-feats because of a kind of gamma radiation in their body. He trys to expose his body to the radiation and uses a accedental overdose, and when he gets angry he becomes a superstrong giant. Afraid he may harm people in his other stage, he searches for a cure. Simple Enough? It's actually a very touching story. Of all the movies I've seen in my 10 years of life, This is the only one to make me cry at the end.

When "The Incredible Hulk" first aired, I was only a year old. I do remember though, being extremely fascinated by the metamorphosis of David Banner into the Incredible Hulk. As an adult, I can enjoy the series and appreciate the mild but funny violence of this character. The ending of this movie really touched my heart as David Banner is "dead" and must live his life on the run, all the while searching for a cure to his problem.

The Incredible Hulk was made more realin this movie and the subsequent series. The loss Banner felt and theguilt he felt from his wife's deathmade him do what any man would want to do, except for the disastrousresults. I grew up watching the Hulkat first because I liked the color green, and thought it was cool thatthe Hulk was big and strong. Therewas, however, more realism with themovies and the show. It showed us the pain and anger that Banner feltnot only in the death he wasn't ableto prevent, but also in having tohide himself, control his emotions,and his search for peace, to rid himself of the monster inside.

I was fortunate enough to catch this on the SCI-FI channel, & its following episodes, Kenneth Johnson did a graet job giving the Hulk much depth as well as David Banner & at times you actually feel for his unfortunate situation, an ordinary man leading an ordinary life, suffers a tragedy(loss of his wife in a car accident which left him powerless to do anything about) as a scientist he discovers that others have had similar experiences, but was able to save their loved ones, & he begins a quest to discover these miracles & associates them with gamma rays, which he exposes himself to in an experiment gone wrong, unbeknownst to him, his DNA is altered at the first sign of anger or fustration & it eventually leads to the death of a fellow scientist for which the Hulk is accused of thanks to nosy newspaper reporter Jack McGee, David Banner's world is forever changed as he is believed killed also, which begins a quest of finding a cure for his alter ego, thus sets the series in motion, the series that followed were good most of the time, some were bad, but most were good, one of the best was the episode titled "The First" which let the viewer know that there was another, as with "V" Kenneth Johnson created a show with style & substance.

This TV movie is a classic in the genre of "creature's movies" of the thirties-forties that featured Frankenstein, Wolfman etc. The scene where the Hulk meets a little girl in a lake reminds us a scene in the first "Frankenstein movie" in 1931. It's a must have for Marvel fans. Bill Bixby plays a wonderful Dr Banner, Lou Ferrigno is amazing in the role of the Hulk. The end of the movie is tragic When Elaina Marks (Susan Sulivan) dies in the harms of the Hulk and the Hulk raise his head to heaven and shows his pain by a growl. I hope they release the series on tapes and soon.

"The Incredible Hulk" is definately one of the most thrilling and emotional picture you will ever come across. This pilot episode truly set the standards in terms of action/adventure and drama. A perfect picture.

I actually loved the show and the TV pilot that once aired on CBS and soon got back to TV like on SCI-FI when I 1st catch the premiere of the back-to-back episodes. Yep this is not something to disappoint, it's a great movie that shows a real side of Bruce Banner (whom Stan Lee, the founder of Marvel Comics) changed to David 'cuz Bruce was too homosexual. Reason why they did that 'cuz of the reason of the name. So they add it along the TV series from '78 until it's demise in 1982. So sad Bill Bixby is not here. He was a good actor and definitely my all-time favorite stars. He's such a good man and I miss him deerly. Wish if he would've stay long. But long period short, it started off when David Banner begin losing his wife from an automobile accident, soon transformed into a doctor along with his associtate Dr. Elaina Marks (played my Susan Sullivan), begin testing people 'bout their health and what they feel about stress, then started doing a lil experiement of gamma reactions probably known as gamma rays which I'll say, and once he leaves the office, he soons gets into his car and when he's get mad, he transformed into the 7-foot green tall man known as the Hulk (played by Lou Ferrigno). And before the concl. he comes back until Jack McGee (played by Jack Colvin) wanted him 4 murder. Y'know David Banner would be real serious here about what he's doing. To me he could be a Dr. Jekyll while the Hulk could be a Mr. Hyde. Similar to the book I read from Robert Louis Stevenson. This movie is such interesting to me b/c of the action, the effects, and the mixing to the set. Wish Hulk fans would be proud if this was a classic. I recommend this who wants to feel any difference to it.

And definitely check out:

Return of the Incredible Hulk (1988)
Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989)
Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990)
The Incredible Hulk TV Series (Seasons 1 & 2)
The Incredible Hulk- Return of the Beast (1997)

Like I told ya you won't be dissappointed if u see this 'cuz I'ma get it DVD also even tho I have it on VHS. Rest in peace to my man Bill Bixby who is in good spirits now. Wish he could've made it on the 4th installment of the Hulk film THE REVENGE OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK or REBIRTH OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK.

I've always loved the pilot because it gives really strong sensations and proves what Dr.Banner feels. In this episode where everything begins we'll be plunged into the raging spirit that dwells within us.