Living in the shadows to protect the woman he loves, scientist Bruce Banner scours the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage that dwells within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself pursued by The Abomination, a nightmarish beast of pure aggression whose powers match his own, leading to a battle where New York City hangs in the balance.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
June 13, 2008 |
Running time |
112 minutes |
Genre |
Action Adventure Sci-Fi |
Budget |
$150,000,000 |
Box Office |
$264,770,996 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Louis Leterrier |
Produced by |
Avi Arad Gale Anne Hurd Kevin Feige |
Written by |
Zak Penn |
Music by |
Craig Armstrong |
Cinematography |
Peter Menzies Jr. |
Edited by |
John Wright Rick Shaine Vincent Tabaillon |
Production Co. |
Marvel Studios Valhalla Motion Pictures |
Distributed by |
Universal Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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The Plot
Exile in Rocinha
Haunted by memories from five years prior, Bruce Banner lives a life of careful isolation. He recalls the tragic accident where a failed experiment transformed him into a raging monster, resulting in the hospitalization of his lover, Betty Ross. Forced into becoming a fugitive by Betty's father, General Thaddeus Ross, Banner has fled the jurisdiction of the United States Army. He has eventually found a fragile sanctuary in the favelas of Rocinha, Brazil. Here, he maintains a low profile working at a soft drink bottling factory, blending into the noise and humidity of the city.
Desperate to manage his condition, Banner has dedicated himself to learning breathing techniques and martial arts, disciplines essential for suppressing his heart rate and warding off transformations. Simultaneously, he searches for a permanent cure, communicating via encrypted channels with a mysterious online contact known only as "Mr. Blue." His discipline has paid off; Banner has successfully gone five months without a single "incident." However, his anonymity is shattered by a seemingly minor accident. After sustaining a cut at the factory, a single drop of his gamma-irradiated blood falls into a bottle on the assembly line. This contaminated drink eventually reaches Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is ingested by an ill-fated consumer, alerting the military to Banner's location.
The Factory Siege
General Ross, seizing the lead he has hunted for years, dispatches an elite attack team led by the British special-ops expert Emil Blonsky to capture the scientist. As the military descends upon his dwelling, Banner realizes his cover is blown and makes a desperate run for the bottling factory where he works. The escape is chaotic; amidst the shadows of the industrial plant, Banner runs straight into a gang of local thugs, including his former enemy at the factory, Silva.
The stress of the confrontation and the rising heart rate trigger the inevitable. Inside the bottling factory, Banner undergoes a violent transformation into the Hulk. The emerald giant unleashes his fury, easily dismantling the gang of thugs and decimating Ross's tactical team in the darkness. Emil Blonsky, the sole soldier left standing, stares in awe and horror at the creature. Before the Hulk vanishes into the night, he hurls a forklift truck at the special-ops soldier. Blonsky barely survives the impact, left to process the terrifying power he just witnessed.
Return to Culver University
Following his escape, Banner travels through Guatemala before crossing back into the United States. Driven by the need for data to aid his cure, he returns to the site of the original accident: Culver University. There, he discovers that Betty Ross has recovered from her injuries and is moving on with her life, now dating the psychiatrist Leonard Samson. Seeking a way to stay close and access university resources, Banner visits his old friend Stanley Markowitz, a pizzeria owner, who offers him a job as a delivery boy and a place to stay.
Using his delivery job as cover, Banner manages to sneak past security guards at the university to continue his research. His presence does not go unnoticed forever; General Ross spots Banner at the pizzeria. Eventually, Banner and Betty reunite, rekindling their connection despite the danger surrounding them.
The Super Soldier Experiment
Meanwhile, General Ross debriefs a hospitalized Blonsky, revealing the classified truth: Banner did not escape because of a monster, but rather, Banner is the monster. Ross explains that the creature was born from a failed experiment intended to replicate the World War II "Super-Soldier" program. Blonsky, obsessed with the power he witnessed, volunteers to be a test subject. He is administered a small dose of an altered, experimental Super Soldier serum—considered "very promising" despite past failures—which drastically enhances his strength and agility.
Empowered and eager for a rematch, Blonsky leads a second, more aggressive assault on Banner at Culver University. The military engagement quickly spirals out of control as Banner transforms once again. The Hulk battles Blonsky and his team in broad daylight on the campus grounds. Despite Blonsky's enhanced abilities, the Hulk overpowers the military forces. During the chaos, an explosion threatens Betty's life; the Hulk shields her from the blast, saving her. With Betty in his arms, the Hulk flees the scene, retreating to the solitude of the Smoky Mountain National Forest.
The Scientist and the Cure
Banner and Betty eventually leave the forest and travel to New York City, heading for Grayburn College to meet "Mr. Blue" in person. The mysterious contact is revealed to be the eccentric cellular biologist Samuel Sterns. Sterns has developed a potential antidote and is eager to test it. Despite the extreme risks involved, Banner accepts the procedure. He is restrained, and a transformation is induced specifically to test the serum. Miraculously, Sterns' antidote successfully reverses the transformation, returning the Hulk to human form.
However, the relief is short-lived. Sterns excitedly reveals that he has synthesized Banner's blood into a massive supply, envisioning it as the key to the next stage of human evolution and a panacea for all diseases. Horrified, Banner tries to convince Sterns that the blood must be destroyed, but their argument is cut short. A sniper from General Ross's approaching team fires a tranquilizer dart, incapacitating Banner instantly.
The Abomination Rises
General Ross takes both Banner and Betty into custody, believing the threat is finally neutralized. However, Blonsky, whose mind has been warped by the Super Soldier serum and his obsession with the Hulk, confronts Samuel Sterns in the lab. He demands that Sterns inject him with a sample of Banner's gamma-irradiated blood to augment his current power. Sterns warns him frantically that mixing the Super Soldier serum with gamma radiation could turn him into an "abomination," but Blonsky ignores the warning and forces the procedure.
The result is catastrophic. Blonsky transforms into a grotesque, skeletal monster far larger and stronger than his previous form. In the violence of the transformation, he knocks Sterns aside; the scientist falls, and some of Banner's blood drips into an open wound on Sterns' head, causing his cranium to pulsate and expand. The newly created Abomination bursts out of the facility and begins a rampage through Harlem, destroying everything in his path to lure the Hulk out for a final challenge.
The Battle of Harlem
Realizing that the military is powerless against the Abomination, Banner pleads with General Ross to let him go. He asserts that the antidote may have only suppressed the Hulk temporarily and that he is the only one who can stop Blonsky. Given permission, Banner jumps from the hovering military helicopter, hoping the lethal fall will re-trigger his transformation. He crashes into the street below, emerging from the crater as the Hulk.
The two titans clash in the streets of Harlem in a lengthy, destructive, and brutal battle. The Abomination's strength and combat training initially give him the upper hand, but the Hulk's rage and resilience turn the tide. While fighting for his life, the Hulk also manages to protect Betty and General Ross, whose helicopter is brought down into the line of fire. Ultimately, the Hulk overpowers and defeats the Abomination, choking him into submission with a massive chain. He leaves Blonsky alive for the authorities but is forced to flee immediately as the US Army approaches, becoming a fugitive once more.
Control
Thirty-one days after the battle in Harlem, Bruce Banner is found living in a remote cabin in Bella Coola, British Columbia. He is no longer trying to cure himself but is instead focused on understanding the beast within. As he meditates, his eyes flash a vibrant green, and a subtle smile crosses his face, indicating he is learning to control the transformations at will.
Some time later, Tony Stark walks into a dimly lit bar where a defeated and drunken General Ross sits alone. Stark acknowledges the recent chaos in Harlem and the "Super Soldier" debacle before revealing his true reason for visiting: a "team" is being put together.
