THE INCREDIBLE HULK
A predictable superhero spectacle best reserved for discerning adults.
Should You Watch It?
The Incredible Hulk is entertaining in the way a large comic-book spectacle can be. The familiar story gives Bruce Banner a sympathetic struggle: he becomes a powerful green monster when anger or danger raises his blood pressure, then changes back as he calms down. At its heart is also a love story, with Betty trying to help Banner control the monster within.
But the entertainment comes with a steep content cost. The film repeatedly shifts into ultra-violent, video-game-style action, including intense fighting and destruction. It also contains foul language, sexual content, nudity, and troubling religious elements. The story portrays a rogue American general and a rogue soldier as villains, while presenting power and violence as central attractions.
If you are a discerning adult who wants a predictable but energetic superhero movie, watch it at home, where you can control the experience. Do not choose it for children or young teens.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESScientist Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk after a military experiment goes horribly wrong. When anger or danger sends his blood pressure rising, Banner transforms into a huge green monster; when he calms down, he returns to human form.
The military general behind the experiment considers Banner government property, forcing him to travel the world in hiding. While searching for an antidote, Banner tries to live quietly and reconnect with Betty, the general’s daughter.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is a flawed but entertaining superhero film. The story is predictable, but the love story gives the movie an emotional center as Betty tries to help Banner control the monster within himself.
The movie’s biggest weakness is its presentation of the Hulk action. It switches between live action and ultra-violent video-game-style sequences, and both Hulk characters look so obviously computer-generated that they lack the humanity of the television Hulk. The film still succeeds in making audiences cheer when thugs receive what is coming to them, but the spectacle often overwhelms the story.
The Worldview
The film presents a light, slightly mixed moral allegory about a man battling the monster within. It exalts love as redemptive and includes a moment of sacrifice in which the hero risks his life for others.
The movie also includes pagan and false Eastern religious elements, with martial-arts training and Eastern meditation appearing in one scene. Its portrayal of a rogue American general and a rogue soldier as the bad guys gives the story a critical view of leaders who seek to create indestructible killing machines.
The review’s deeper concern is that the world needs more than superheroes. It needs the Savior, Jesus Christ, and people who live led by the Holy Spirit rather than by hatred, greed, and violence. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Light, slightly mixed moral, allegorical worldview about a man battling the monster within, with love seen as redemptive and a moment of sacrifice where hero risks his life for others, but some pagan, false Eastern religion elements where hero uses martial arts training plus Eastern meditation in one scene, and a rogue American general and a rogue soldier from England are the bad guys; about 12 obscenities, one strong profanity and six light profanities, plus bad guy taunts the Hulk with phrases like “Is that all you’ve got?” and sounds of man getting sick in bathroom; massive amounts of video-game style violence, especially in climactic fight scenes, with troops trying to kill the Hulk and the “good” Hulk fighting the bad Hulk, soldiers die in assorted crashes, “bad” Hulk is very destructive in a city, tosses cars and other items, bad soldier thrown against tree, intense punching between enlarged men monsters; sex between unmarried adults stopped only because of danger that blood pressure is rising to “make-a-Hulk” levels; male nudity in shower, plus muscular animated figures lose some clothing and they expand and shot of woman in bra; brief drinking in a bar; cigar smoking; and, deceit, dishonesty, anger, genetic tampering in quest for super-soldiers.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film portrays Banner as battling the monster within himself. What does Scripture say about the source of our inner struggles, and where can we find help?
James 1:14–15 · Galatians 5:16Betty tries to help Banner control what frightens him. How can love help someone face weakness without excusing wrongdoing?
1 Corinthians 13:4–7 · Galatians 6:1–2The military experiment seeks power by tampering with human bodies. What does the Bible teach about the proper use of power and authority?
Mark 10:42–45 · Romans 13:1–4The film suggests that the world needs more than powerful heroes. Why does Scripture say humanity needs a Savior?
Romans 3:23–24 · John 3:16The Final Word
The Incredible Hulk has enough heart and superhero energy to entertain discerning adults, but its intense violence and other content make it unsuitable for children and young teens. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For a gentler family movie night, try.
