Plot: What’s it about?
Although he has lived with his malady for some time now, Dr. David Bruce Banner (Bill Bixby) wants nothing more than a normal life. It seems as though whenever he gets close to that, The Hulk (Lou Ferrigno) surfaces and chaos follows. He has searched the globe for a cure to his affliction, with no success to mention. Even so, he pushes on and continues his search, as he cannot give up on the hope of a solution. These days, his desperation is more evident than ever and his search has taken him on the wrong side of the law. This involves sneaking into a high end lab, one run by a man named Dr. Ronald Pratt (Philip Sterling). The lab could hold the key to Banner’s freedom, so he breaks in and begins to hunt down the potential cure. Pratt soon discovers Banner’s presence, but instead of being upset, he is sympathetic to his plight. As it turns out, Banner and Pratt able to engage a special experiment at the lab, one which seems to be the solution. But before the experiment can be finished, a spy named Jasmin (Barbara Tarbuck) sabotages the lab. She seeks to steal information from Pratt’s research, in order to deliver the data to terrorists. But she isn’t acting on her own will, as her bosses hold her sister hostage. Banner and Jasmin strike up a bond right from the start, but with The Hulk just below the surface, is their love doomed?
This is the final chapter in the saga of television’s Incredible Hulk, which spanned a popular series and multiple made for television pictures. After all the groundwork, it comes to an end here, but is the finale a smash or a bust? Although it has some good moments, this conclusion turns out to be a let down. As we’ve invested a lot of time in Dr. Banner’s story, through the show and the movies, I expected a grand showdown, probably with Jack McGee. But like the previous movie, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, this installment acts as if McGee doesn’t exist and in the grand scheme of things, that was a massive mishap. The ending comes off as weak also, since we’ve seen The Hulk endure such varied trials & tribulations, its hard to believe that the situation would work out as it does, so the saga ends on a flat note. I think the producers knew this, as another film was actually planned, but the death of Bill Bixby closed those talks. That’s good though, as Bixby and costar Lou Ferrigno were in all of the Hulk episodes and television movies, so fans would have been disappointed if someone else were brought in. But while I would have tweaked the ending and included McGee, the other elements in this movie are solid. So if you’re a fan of the television series and the movies it sparked, then you’ll want to check out The Death of the Incredible Hulk.
Video: How does it look?
The Death of the Incredible Hulk is presented in full frame, as intended. The treatment here is decent, but not as refined as the Hulk movies released by Anchor Bay. But I suspect Fox just pushed this out without much care, whereas Anchor Bay spent much time and effort on their release, so that’s to be expected. I do wish Fox would have done a little more work here, if just to cut down on the shimmering and jagged edges. Those flaws prove to be frequent and at times, can distract from the movie itself. The print looks to be in good condition, with minimal grain and debris, so not all is lost here. The colors aren’t that vivid, but look bright and acceptable, while contrast is stable, but lacks the depth it needs at times. So while not as good as I would like, this presentation is solid and as such, I won’t complain too much.
Audio: How does it sound?
The Death of the Incredible Hulk is presented in full frame, as intended. The treatment here is decent, but not as refined as the Hulk movies released by Anchor Bay. But I suspect Fox just pushed this out without much care, whereas Anchor Bay spent much time and effort on their release, so that’s to be expected. I do wish Fox would have done a little more work here, if just to cut down on the shimmering and jagged edges. Those flaws prove to be frequent and at times, can distract from the movie itself. The print looks to be in good condition, with minimal grain and debris, so not all is lost here. The colors aren’t that vivid, but look bright and acceptable, while contrast is stable, but lacks the depth it needs at times. So while not as good as I would like, this presentation is solid and as such, I won’t complain too much.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
