The Death of the Incredible Hulk

For all the phony fx and Ferrigno's campy though lovable Hulkisms, this film is everything that Lee's pathetic re-hash wasn't!

Bixby as David Banner had such pathos and dignity. Being older than most reviewers here, I remember fondly the late Bill Bixby in "My Favorite Martian" (another TV series unwisely and embarrassingly updated for the big screen....think "The Flintstones," "Mission Impossible," "Wild Wild West," "I Spy," etc - all complete and utter dead losses) But as I was saying, Bixby was an utter gentleman, and in this film he gives us the tortured scientist who carries this unwanted creature of destruction within him. He conveys vividly, his pain, his desperation and his regret for his wayward experimentation. Bana in the remake was a totally miscast idiotic wuss and with less credibility than the tea lady. Everything Bixby and Ferrigno stood for was washed down the plughole in two hours of split-screen insensitivity and dumbass special effects. Ferrigno...green and in tight beach shorts looks way better!

I recently bought this DVD for a miserable $2.95 in a bargain-bin. It is the only time I have ever felt saddened by the fact. This film and Bixby himself should never have been thus demeaned.This is a movie that is far better than its production values might otherwise suggest. Bixby directs (and acts) with commendable emotion.

At the end, it is almost as if he sensed his own approaching mortality. The Hulk had been such a huge part of his life, those two words "I'm free" might be seen as pretty much his epitaph.

If you laugh at this film, you should never have been watching it!

I can still remember watching this post-series HULK TV-movie the first time it was shown (February 18, 1990). I was only 17 at the time, and I have to admit that after it was over, I almost cried. As a huge fan of the INCREDIBLE HULK television series since 1979, I found it to be painfully depressing to see the Hulk die.

When you consider all the things the Hulk survived throughout the TV series (such as being buried alive, electrocutions, poisoning, car accidents, being shot, drowning, and even having a car collapse on him), it's implausible that he could die by simply falling from an airplane. In fact, he survived a similar incident on the show (episode "Free Fall")!

The story was good, though. However, since many believed that this was the end of the TV saga for our green hero, they must have been surprised that his nemesis, newspaper reporter Jack McGee, was nowhere to be seen. This meant that McGee missed his last chance for closure!

But it turned out that there were plans for a follow-up entitled The Revenge of the Incredible Hulk (a.k.a. The Rebirth of the Incredible Hulk). Unfortunately, it was never filmed because of Bill Bixby's untimely death (from prostate cancer). So when Bixby died, plans for another HULK TV-movie went with him. :(

Sadly, the Hulk's death also ended up meaning the death of David Banner, whose final words were: "I am free." To David Banner and the Hulk: may you both rest in peace.

The Incredible Hulk was my favorite series growing up and when they started doing these movies I was thrilled. I've watched every Hulk film they did including this and I didn't like the way they ended it. I loved the film I just would have given it a different ending. It's a very sad film to watch not just because it's the end of an era, but also because Bill Bixby is no longer with us. The world will miss his talent. He was a talented actor and a talented Director. I recently purchased all of the TV movies on DVD and they were suppose to do another Hulk film after this one, but after Bill's death this became impossible. This is a must see for fans of the series.

My glowing review is biased by green fever. But even so, this is a fantastic movie. Unlike the last 2 "New Hulk" abominations in 2003 and 2008, this is old school Hulk. NO CGI COMPUTER NONSENSE. No digitally manipulated fake muscles. This is just plain Lou, looking bulkier, hulkier and downright scarier than ever. All the graphic computers in the world can't make a creature 1/10th as convincing as Lou with a bucket of green paint. Damn straight.

Bill Bixby himself looks to be in top form, which is terribly ironic considering his tragic death of cancer 2 years later. But for what it's worth, this episode is like a time machine to that classic show from the 70s. Its only flaw is the lack of Jack Colvin ("Mr. McGee") as the third major character in the Hulk series.

About the story... everyone listen up. "The Incredible Hulk" is, was, and always shall be an adaptation of a comic book. It dwells in a surreal world where bizarre characters like Thor, Daredevil and evil Russian spies make their entrances and exits, and we the audience aren't supposed to get bent out of shape. It's a world where nothing is unbelievable. So if you're going to be a cynical, skeptical, stinky mcpoophead, then go watch "On Golden Pond" and leave the fun to the rest of us kiddies.

With that said, though, this is by far the most realistic of the Hulk trilogy. In plot, acting and direction, it shows a level of maturity unlike its predecessors. Some very sobering themes are touched upon here, made all the more tragic in the context of director/star Bill Bixby's real life battle with cancer. One can't help but wonder if, in this film, the creature was a metaphor for Mr. Bixby's own condition and his attempts to free himself. Keep that in mind as you watch the film and I promise it will leave you stunned and amazed.

The final scene is just breathtaking. I won't ruin it, but I'll just say it has to be one of the most memorable scenes in all of film. As you see it, pay attention to the darkness and surreal lighting, listen to song which is playing, consider the very last line (cliché as it may seem, it's absolutely perfect), and take your hat off to the great Bill Bixby.

David Banner wants to be cured. When he finally develops one,a spy destroys the lab.Now Hulk will have to destroy the spy's evil boss,and rescue the doctor who can cure him.But will he die doing this task? I loved this film. It was a lot better than the new hulk film which I was very dissapointed by. Lou Ferringo is the Hulk period! I love it! A lot better! See it!

3.5/4