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Bruce Banner (Edward Norton, troubled without being mopey) struggles to keep his heart rate below 200 bpm so that he doesn't turn into the mean green destruction machine from the Marvel Comics series. That transformation is the reason he split from Betty Ross (Liv Tyler) and the reason her military father (William Hurt) enlists a determined soldier (Tim Roth) to hunt down the Hulk, in hopes of corralling and replicating his power to use it as a weapon.

Big question: Can "The Incredible Hulk" and director Louis Leterrier ("Transporter 2") succeed where Ang Lee and the dull, overlong 2003 film "Hulk" failed—despite Norton and Leterrier reportedly wanting to release a longer, more psychological version of the film?

Catch it: If you like your toys big, your explosions loud and your Hulk MAD, "The Incredible Hulk" will likely smash that other "Hulk" out of your memory. Though its final battle turns the movie into a video game, it's still the kind of showdown from which you won't want to look away.

Skip it: If you're planning on lying to your therapist about your secret fears, desires or superpowers, since Betty's new boyfriend (Ty Burrell) explains that all good shrinks know when you're lying. Though even the best ones still probably won’t believe you if you say, "I think my ex moonlights as a giant green monster hunted by the government."

Bottom line: Several of the dialogue-driven scenes feel a beat too fast, like the movie's afraid to get bogged down in mythology and unwilling to give the jokes time to hit their mark. But you can't blame Leterrier for being anxious. Once you discover the massive entertainment waiting around the corner, you'll be eager to move it along too.

Bonus: Anyone traveling abroad can see how important it is to master the language in advance, since in Brazil Bruce mixes up "hungry" and "angry" when he says, "You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry." Hey, there are plenty of people who get plenty mad when they're hungry!

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What do you think of 'Hulk'? Email me: mpais@tribune.com

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