"Incredible Hulk immediately launches us into a story of a man on the run, and it’s a mostly joyless experience. Banner is a tortured character, and an alternate opening had him trying to commit suicide on a desolate mountaintop before the Hulk breaks out and crushes the gun. What separates Hulk from his Marvel compatriots is that Banner has no agency in his superpower. He didn’t want to become the Hulk; the best he can do is bury the beast, and when it breaks out, he loses almost all control. That’s not heroism; that’s desperation, and it’s tough to squeeze a fun summer action movie in there."