When Marvel Entertainment announced that it would begin producing its own films starting with Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk and hired Louis Leterrier to helm the latter, the director stated that the difference between his Hulk film and the previous one was that his film “would be good.” That sarcastic remark notwithstanding, The Incredible Hulk offers a different if not markedly improved adaptation of the comic series.

The film opens with Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) hiding in Brazil, working secretly to find a cure for the monster inside of him while General Ross (William Hurt) is seeking him out, looking to turn his Hulk-ness into a weapon. Soon Banner’s cover is blown and he finds himself pursued by Royal Marine-on-loan-to-the-Pentagon Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who, as a Russian raised in Britain, represents an interesting and arbitrary amalgamation of the stereotypical foreign villain in American action films.

Impressed, frightened, and emasculated by the power of the Hulk, Blonsky volunteers to be injected with a so-called “super serum” to heighten his strength and agility. (Comic buffs will rejoice at the numerous references to the now-inevitable Marvel-produced Captain America film in this section of The Incredible Hulk). The super-serum eventually proves to be no match for the Hulk, leading Blonsky to go “abominably” further in his quest to defeat him.

Meanwhile, still on the run, Bruce reconciles with his lost love Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), the daughter of the general. During his absence she has found someone else, but the fertile dramatic territory to which this situation could lead is assumedly on the editing room floor, as Betty decides to leave her boyfriend of who knows how long about 10 minutes’ film time after Bruce re-enters her life.

An excessive use of editing shears cripples this film, not just in terms of missing exposition, but in general dramatic terms. Each shot is so short as to not let any performances actually happen on film. For example, during a typical shot-reverse shot exchange, we see the actors’ reactions to each other’s lines, but we don’t see them react. A shocking statement from General Ross prompts a quick cut to a shocked look on Blonsky’s face instead of a cut to Blonsky changing his expression to one of shock. The result is almost comical and makes the rather respectable actors in the film look somewhat ridiculous.

Where Ang Lee’s film was risky and flawed, The Incredible Hulk is far too “safe” and flawed. Lee, with his bloated melodrama, was attempting to mine the 40+ year history of the comic for its rich thematic potential. Leterrier strips the story to its narrative basics, furthering the plot at breakneck speed at the expense of the story’s depth and characters.

Leterrier cannot be solely to blame: he and actor Edward Norton had a falling out with Marvel Entertainment over their insistence on editing out much of the exposition. Leterrier’s previous efforts on The Transporter and Danny the Dog (known as Unleashed in the States) make me doubt that a Director’s Cut will prove to be any better of a film, but Marvel is certainly happy with its fast-paced, barebones superhero film.

Marvel Entertainment is ushering in a new phase in superhero films, proving that they need neither backing from a large studio (except for distribution) nor respectable Hollywood autuers (e.g., Ang Lee, Bryan Singer, Sam Raimi) to make very successful films based on their comics. Their first two films, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, remind me of why I read mainstream comic series only after they have a good reputation: most of them are flashy, vapid, sexist, trendy stories that can barely hold my attention.

On the positive side, Marvel has a definite sense of continuum and continuation with their new set of films. It is commendable, perhaps, that they do not try to sum up the best of 40 years worth of comic book history in one film, as so many recent comic adaptations do. They plan on this being just one in a series of interrelated films and sequels, so they are taking their time with the events and themes of the Marvel Universe, even while planting seeds for sequels and spin-offs.

This, too, can be said for The Incredible Hulk: the loud, frenetic action scenes are exciting, and luckily they make up the majority of the film, or so it seems. Like most of the stories Marvel Comics is putting out right now, The Incredible Hulk will not age well; the film is a light snack, consumed quickly and forgotten soon afterwards – but like a snack, it is rather enjoyable as long as it lasts. The film fits easily into the “harmless fun” category, but whether it counts as a good film is another question altogether.

There is a scene in the film in which Betty suggests Bruce wear bright purple pants with an elastic waist band, the classic costume of The Incredible Hulk. Bruce laughs at them and refuses to wear them, and the audience is supposed to laugh along at the reference. Marvel’s implied rejection of its own legacy in an effort to be “cool” and “edgy” is something that is typical of the company and has helped it take the lead against DC in successful superhero movies, but is also its weakness. It is hard to write stories with meaning, relevance, or significance when your focus is not on art, but on making a buck.

At least Ang Lee embraced the purple shorts.