The director, Louis Letterier, employs very well the natural talent of Norton, Liv Tyler, and Tim Roth, and makes the film darker than Spider-Man and more believable than Superman. The computer-generated imagery of the Hulk, very thoroughly criticized in The Hulk, is improved a great deal, and even the Abomination (though not addressed as that in the film) is also portrayed as a realistic and gradual transition. Another trump card used by Letterier is using the voice of Lou Ferrigno as that of the Hulk, which would definitely help humanize and familiarize the character to viewers.

The screenplay is taut, fast moving, and very self-contained. In fact, even Hulk novices could watch the movie, and not only enjoy but also gather a pretty clear understanding of the sequence of events, except of course the David Banner era, which we can, for now, just pretend wasn't there. The climax is very well conceptualized and the open ending leaves enough chance for multiple conclusions, either with only the Hulk or the Avengers.

The performances by the entire cast are exemplary. Norton as Banner is dead on in his usual hesitant drawl-y demeanor, and Tyler is very effective as the girlfriend who tames the Hulk. On a side note, is it just me or has Tyler gotten broader as she's progressed in age? Moving on though, Roth is very good as the poorly aging warrior with power as his only aspiration. Similarly, the cameos including the one by Farrigno are perfectly cast.

The Incredible Hulk is entertaining cinema at its almost best. It doesn't try to break any barriers of commercial cinema, but for a summer blockbuster, along with Iron Man, this year it's probably worth your while to visit The Incredible Hulk. I'd score the film on a scale of 1-10 at a very good 8.