The Incredible Hulk (1977) (TV)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Kenneth Johnson

Writer:

Kenneth Johnson (written by)

Release Date:

4 November 1977 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Fantasy

Tagline:

A scientist is exposed to a massive dose of gamma rays - and becomes a superhuman beast...

Plot:

A T.V. movie based on the comic-book character, telling the story of how he came to be.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Radical Transformation | Based On Comic Book | Character Turns Green | Marvel Comics

Cast

Bill Bixby	...	Dr. David Bruce Banner
Susan Sullivan	...	Dr. Elaina Marks
Jack Colvin	...	Jack McGee
Lou Ferrigno	...	The Hulk
Susan Batson	...	Mrs. Maier
Mario Gallo	...	Mr. Bram
Eric Server	...	Policeman
Charles Siebert	...	Ben
Terence Locke	...	Young Man
June Whitley Taylor	...	Mrs. Epstein
George Brenlin	...	Man At Lake
Jake Mitchell	...	Jerry
William Larsen	...	Minister
Olivia Barash	...	Girl at Lake
Eric Deon	...	B.J.

Runtime:

120 min | Finland:105 min (uncut) | Finland:103 min (cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 (1981) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (1979) (uncut) | UK:PG | Australia:G | Denmark:11 (2003) | France:U | Sweden:11 | UK:A (original rating) | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Richard Kiel was initially cast as the Hulk, but shortly after filming began, it became apparent to the producers that he wasn't "bulky" enough to play the role. There is, however, an intact but brief high-angle scene with Kiel as the Hulk (when he looks up at a tree).

Goofs:

Continuity: As the Hulk is smashing Banner's car (right after the very first transformation), the headlights of the car switch from on to off and back to on.

Quotes:

Dr. David Banner: I love you Elaina. I think you loved me too. Although you never said it.

Movie Connections:

Edited into "The Incredible Hulk: Kindred Spirits (#2.19)" (1979)

A fitting start

This pre-series pilot was a good way to start off a TV saga based on a comic book superhero. To me, it is a TV-movie classic.

As you'll see in this pilot (as well as the series that followed it), our hero is really a reluctant hero. We have a man who changes into a seven-foot green creature, but he doesn't want to. All he wants is to be rid of the curse. Still, he has to give his alter-ego credit for having saved countless lives.

The three characters in the series are also ones that I can relate to because of various common traits, and they are as follows:

David Banner: he is a man looking for solace. In addition, I know what it's like to be close to obtaining certain goals, only to have them suddenly slip away. He's experienced that himself when he has thought that he would finally be cured of his problem, only to have something happen and ruin that chance.

The Incredible Hulk: he has experienced something we all experience in life: rejection. In his case, the rejections tend to result from some misunderstanding. Like the Frankenstein monster, the Hulk is misunderstood, and, therefore, people confuse his intentions. Few people will admit it, but I am sometimes misunderstood. And I suspect that other people's general misconceptions about me has often played a role in my being rejected.

Jack McGee: he is, of course, the newspaper reporter who chases the Hulk, thinking our hero is a killer. McGee is persistent in his goal to capture and expose the Hulk. Like McGee, I am very relentless when it comes to reaching certain objectives, and I tend not to give up until they are finally obtained.