The scenes in Brazil are quite effective, giving the film a unique setting that I can't recall ever seeing on film before. The flimsy shacks built on a hill added to the dramatic tension of the early, Hulk-less scenes, as you fear that when the monster is eventually unleashed, this whole community could be easily torn down. This brings us into Banner's struggle to keep the Hulk at bay, even if most fans are impatiently waiting for the film's real star to appear.
Unlike 2003's Hulk, the audience doesn't have to wait long. And once we're treated to the first scene of Hulk action, Leterrier never makes us wait that long for the next helping. Thankfully, the film is cast with enough talent and given enough heft that its roller coaster thrills aren't undercut by being surrounded by stupidity. The Incredible Hulk may not be terribly profound, but you needn't check your brain at the door to enjoy it either. While the Hulkless scenes aren't near as compelling as those when the monster is attacked by soldiers led by General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) and Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), or goes toe-to-toe with The Abomination, they function well enough to let us grow attached to Banner and his relationship with Betty Ross (Liv Tyler).
More time could have been spent developing these characters (depending on what rumours you believe, Norton has distanced himself from the film due to a dispute over the final cut), but I think it was the right decision to keep this movie moving, which serves the dual purpose of never making the audience wait too long for the next action scene and keeps the pacing of a chase movie (which is one of the film's many nods to the Hulk TV series). Banner is a man on the run, not just from the army but also from the monster within, and the pacing helps reinforce this idea even if the film doesn't have a whole lot of time to dedicate to it.
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