After a scientific experiment goes awry, Doctor Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is turned into a raging green hulk everytime he becomes angry.

While General Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross (William Hurt) wants to turn the monster into a weapon, Banner must evade capture to try and find a cure.
But with dedicated soldier Emil Blonsky willing to undergo similar biological enhancements to capture the green beast, Banner finds that the monster within him may be needed after all.

Making any kind of adaptation of the Hulk seems to be met with constant criticism.
While the popular 70s TV show was a little hokey, Ang Lee's 2003 effort was accused of being too cerebral with not enough action.

But thanks to the action-tinged touch of Transporter director Louis Leterrier, The Incredible Hulk dodges the 'motivation' and entangled family-tree of the previous film, and takes a far more two dimensional approach: Banner becomes Hulk; Hulk smashes up things.

While this will inevitably annoy a faction of cinema goers demanding a little intellectual substance, it is hard to deny that watching a 12 foot giant using cop cars as boxing gloves is what the fun of comics is all about.

More a reinvention than a sequel, a shake-up of cast and a visual style that is more sensitive to the source material brings the final product closer to the overall tone of the graphic novels.

And thanks to Marvel Studios tying together other franchises, their ability to bring in welcomed cameos from within the Marvel universe is a welcomed sight.

The notoriously awkward Edward Norton handles his role as Bruce Banner and the monster he becomes incredibly well; offering just enough fear and frustration without becoming too dramatically heavy, and even throwing in a little humour when needed.
And Tim Roth's turn as British solder Blonsky come raging beast Abomination is a worthy adversary.

But while the acting is as strong as should be expected from such an experienced cast, the real of star is the Hulk himself.

A darker and more aggressive appearance ramps up the threat level missing from other incarnations, but occasional fluctuations in the CGI are a little distracting.

Nevertheless, The Incredible Hulk is still a fast-paced, action adventure which confirms that comic book adaptations are here to stay.

7/10 - Smash-ing comic book fun.