The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988) (TV)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Nicholas Corea

Writers (WGA):

Stan Lee (character)
Nicholas Corea (written by)

Release Date:

22 May 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Our Superhero Is Back In A Brand New Action Packed Adventure.

Plot:

It's been two years since the Hulk has surfaced, and Dr David Bruce Banner is on the verge of curing himself of the Hulk...

Plot Keywords:

Thor | Based On Comic | Green Skin | Marvel Comics | Superhero

Cast

Bill Bixby	...	Dr. David Bruce Banner
Lou Ferrigno	...	The Hulk
Jack Colvin	...	Jack McGee
Lee Purcell	...	Maggie Shaw
Charles Napier	...	Mike Fouche
John Gabriel	...	Joshua Lambert
Jay Baker	...	Zack Lambert
Tim Thomerson	...	Jack LeBeau
Eric Allan Kramer	...	Thor (as Eric Kramer)
Steve Levitt	...	Donald Blake
William Riley
Tom Finnegan	...	Capt. Brills
Donald Willis
Carl Ciarfalio	...	Barner (as Carl Nick Ciafalio)
Bob McLaughlin

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:PG

Company:

Bixby-Brandon Productions

Trivia:

This TV-movie served as a pilot for a proposed "Thor" TV series that never went into production.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Donald Blake is in the cave and first finds Thor's hammer inside his sarcophagus, he mentions the room was filled with thunder and the lid of the sarcophagus was blown off on its own. However, strings attached the lid are clearly visible when they pull it off of the sarcophagus.

Quotes:

Doctor David Banner: You were in the mountains, Donald. At the altitude you reached, oxygen deprivation can easily happen, which makes one experience delusions...
Donald Blake: A hallucination? I wish. That's what I thought at first, but some time ago, back in America, I woke up... and there HE was, looking at me! He's been shadowing me around ever since, popping out like a magic rabbit from a hat! He isn't a hallucination, Bruce. He's real.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Incredible Hulk (1977) (TV)

A never ending road for Banner

After six years since its last prime-time show (June 1982) Stan Lee and Nicholas Corea brought back Marvel Comics' strongman "the Incredible Hulk. Though this time David Banner has become the closest ever to be cured. He has a new girlfriend,bumped into a old colleague,and well into his medical career. Unlike in the past he worked odd jobs until his alter-ego was summons. But David banner in this movie has a new life were he doesn't feel he has to runaway anymore. Till an old colleague sneaks into David's job and his trouble begans. David's colleague tells him a story that during his journey up north he discovered a hammer that can summon an old viking hero. As the old viking hero appeared David mis-judged his well-being as being destructive which forced him to become the hulk. That was one of the best scenes in the movie were the hulk and the viking hero (Thor) battle it out. Overall the hulk over-powered Thor and Thor wanted to call a truce. A real Marvel classic!! Now that their fight got some exposure David had to put his plans for a cure on halt till the situation died down. This also brought on the attention of the trailing reportor Jack Mcgee and some bad guys who wanted to take the gamma transponder that David and his colleagues worked on. Since the hulk was seen David had to go back to his old secrecy way of life,and not letting the new relationship with his girlfriend progress. That's until he found a way of permanently curing himself. But matters got worse as the bad guys capture his girlfriend to get to the transponder. Which leaves David to team up with the viking warrior and his master to save Maggie (David's girlfriend). Though they saved her David had to leave because there was to much attention focused on the green creature and his association with his job. A sad ending as in the former prime-time series. Though I enjoyed Thor because of his comical outspoken personality. A great come-back series. But poor David must continue his journey to find a cure and live a normal life he once had.