Reviewed by Screenjabber
Star Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, Jack Colvin, Katherine Cannon, Nicolas Coster, June Allyson, Ray Walston, Gerald McRaney,
Tom Clancy, Harry Townes, Michael Conrad, Anne Lockhart
Written by Nicholas Corea, Jill Donner & others
UK certification 12 | UK RRP £34.99 each
DVD Region 2 | Runtime 1881 minutes
Directed by Frank Orsatti, Kenneth Johnson & others
SEASON 3 | Neil Davey ** Some shows have dated well. Some shows, thanks to time, or maybe hindsight, have acquired a certain kitsch charm. Others have become slightly embarrassing to watch. And, sadly, The Incredible Hulk falls somewhere between kitsch and embarrassing. On the plus side, Bill Bixby's performance is every bit as good as you remember. While other 70s and 80s series were, in retrospect, populated with haircuts in designer gear and shoulder-pads, The Incredible Hulk had Bixby, who brings a remarkable depth to the broadstrokes of the scripts. It's just a shame then that the formula — Marvel Comics meets The Fugitive — is padded out with some eye-poppingly dated side plots.
You could dismiss the show completely of course: each episode basically boils down to scientist Dr David Banner getting angry and turning into Lou Ferrigno in green body paint. The only variation is the location, as Banner is travelling the countyr, pursued for a crime he did not commit. As a result, this probably isn't a box-set that you'll plough through in customary fashion, i.e, while wearing pyjamas across a single 24-hour period. More than two episodes together and the repitition is depressingly obvious even if the ending — generally Banner walking away as the music plays — is as surprisingly poignant as it always was. Fans with long(ish) memories will be happy but only the geeky need really apply.
EXTRAS None — not even a seance with Bixby, or even a lisping commentary from Ferrigno.
SEASON 4 | Michael Edwards ***½ If season 3 became repetitive, season 4 solved that with its purpose. Poor old David Banner (why did they rename Bruce for the series anyway?) is stuck midway between Banner and the Hulk, with some laughable effects which slightly offset the plot improvement. Nonetheless, the classic comic book plot of a meteor crashing in the woods and causing this strange disturbance in Banner’s gamma-ray riddled body means that the purpose does not undermine the magically crazy comic capers on which this retro classic is based.
Will Banner find a cure? Will he kill everyone who could help him? You’ll have to watch to find out. But what I will tell you is that the Hulk tips over a JCB and saves a baby while doing that weird scary half grin, half baring his teeth thing. God I love Lou Ferrigno.
Whether it’s nostalgia-driven, rooted in my hatred for Ang Lees CGI Hulk, or based on my pessimism for the forthcoming big-screen offering, I love watching these old episodes — and this was not a bad series for the old guy to leave on.
EXTRAS Again, nothing. No deleted scenes, no bloopers where Ferrigno has a patch of green paint wiped off, nothing. Seriously Universal, what’s up with that?