The Death of the Incredible Hulk (1990) (TV)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Bill Bixby

Writer (WGA):

Gerald Di Pego (written by)

Release Date:

18 February 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

For 12 years, he's been running. Tonight, it's over. Tonight, David Banner will find freedom . . . or death.

Plot:

During the critical experiment that would rid David Banner of the Hulk,a spy sabotages the laboratory...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Comic | Superhero | Green Skin | Incredible Hulk | Marvel Comics

Cast

Bill Bixby	...	Dr. David Bruce Banner
Lou Ferrigno	...	The Hulk
Elizabeth Gracen	...	Jasmin
Philip Sterling	...	Dr. Ronald Pratt
Barbara Tarbuck	...	Amy Pratt
Anna Katarina	...	Bella / Voshenko (as Anna Katerina)
John Novak	...	Zed
Andreas Katsulas	...	Kasha
Chilton Crane	...	Betty
Carla Ferrigno	...	Bank Teller
Duncan Fraser	...	Tom
Dwight McFee	...	Brenn
Lindsay Bourne	...	Crane
Mina E. Mina	...	Pauley
Marlane O'Brien	...	Luanne Cole

Also Known As:

The Death of the Incredible Hulk: The Movie (USA) (video box title)

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 | UK:PG | UK:12 (DVD re-rating) (2003)

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

B & B Productions

Trivia:

The set that was used to film the Hulk's final scene initially remained intact because of plans for a fourth post-series "Hulk" TV-movie (which had two working titles: "Rebirth of the Incredible Hulk" and "Revenge of the Incredible Hulk"). However, Bill Bixby's death prevented the proposed installment from being made.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jasmin is cutting the window to break into the airport (near the end of the movie), she is cutting at the bottom of the window pane, with the lower cut being only an inch or so from the pane bottom. Immediately thereafter, when she is shown removing the freshly cut piece of glass, the section cut is now from the middle of the pane, about four to six inches higher than shown seconds before.

Quotes:

David Banner: I can tear down a brick wall but I can also mend flesh and bone in hours, minutes.
Dr. Ronald Pratt: David, are you telling me that this creature cannot die?
David Banner: If the damage were catastrophic maybe. Maybe. But I have seen lacerations close in seconds, bullet wounds heal, I don't even have scar.
Dr. Ronald Pratt: That's incredible. It's almost... it's almost immortal.
David Banner: Incredible yes, an incredible nightmare. And I want to destroy it and be human again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Marvel Super Hero Challenge (2007) (VG)

Soundtrack:

And Something Ends

True Hulk fans will love it. Everyone else? Hmm...

My glowing review is biased by green fever. But even so, this is a fantastic movie. Unlike the last 2 "New Hulk" abominations in 2003 and 2008, this is old school Hulk. NO CGI COMPUTER NONSENSE. No digitally manipulated fake muscles. This is just plain Lou, looking bulkier, hulkier and downright scarier than ever. All the graphic computers in the world can't make a creature 1/10th as convincing as Lou with a bucket of green paint. Damn straight.

Bill Bixby himself looks to be in top form, which is terribly ironic considering his tragic death of cancer 2 years later. But for what it's worth, this episode is like a time machine to that classic show from the 70s. Its only flaw is the lack of Jack Colvin ("Mr. McGee") as the third major character in the Hulk series.

About the story... everyone listen up. "The Incredible Hulk" is, was, and always shall be an adaptation of a comic book. It dwells in a surreal world where bizarre characters like Thor, Daredevil and evil Russian spies make their entrances and exits, and we the audience aren't supposed to get bent out of shape. It's a world where nothing is unbelievable. So if you're going to be a cynical, skeptical, stinky mcpoophead, then go watch "On Golden Pond" and leave the fun to the rest of us kiddies.

With that said, though, this is by far the most realistic of the Hulk trilogy. In plot, acting and direction, it shows a level of maturity unlike its predecessors. Some very sobering themes are touched upon here, made all the more tragic in the context of director/star Bill Bixby's real life battle with cancer. One can't help but wonder if, in this film, the creature was a metaphor for Mr. Bixby's own condition and his attempts to free himself. Keep that in mind as you watch the film and I promise it will leave you stunned and amazed.

The final scene is just breathtaking. I won't ruin it, but I'll just say it has to be one of the most memorable scenes in all of film. As you see it, pay attention to the darkness and surreal lighting, listen to song which is playing, consider the very last line (cliché as it may seem, it's absolutely perfect), and take your hat off to the great Bill Bixby.