After the "Incredible Hulk" series ended Bixby and Ferrigno (that's David Banner and the Hulk if you haven't been paying attention) teamed up 3 more times to bring us some made for TV Hulk movies. The pilot is typically treated like a movie as well so I consider "The Incredible Hulk Returns" to be the second movie, though if you consider the first episode after the Pilot, which is movie length, you could make the case that this is actually the third movie. Hmm, but then you could say that all the double-length episodes like “Married” are movies, too, and that's starting to make me confused.

However you want to count them, "The Incredible Hulk Returns" is the first movie produced after the series got tossed out the window like a bag of old McDonald's food that sat in the car too long despite the fact that the show was doing well and still producing great episodes. These extra-serial movies contain more comic book geekery than the series itself does. It's good if you're a geek (like me) but maybe corny if you're normal (BORING).

It builds on the continuity of the series though, meaning that Banner is still David rather than Bruce and he got his Hulk affliction in the lab not from a bomb explosion. If none of that clicks with what you know of the Hulk you should probably start with the Pilot movie before seeing this one. You don't have to watch the entire series to be caught up although I highly recommend the series on its own merits.

David has suppressed his alter ego for longer than he ever has before and is on the verge of a cure (for real this time). A former student of his, Don Blake, shows up having stumbled across and recognized the scientist for who he truly is. Don wants David to help sever the tie that has been woven between him and a Viking called Thor. Thor is not quite dead, not quite alive, but is either/or and both at the same time. Banished from Valhalla (Viking heaven) until he performs a number of noble deeds he has been bound to Don for need of a guide in the modern world (and by “modern” I mean back in a time when people were buying cassette tapes rather than CD's, of course).

This is more responsibility than Don cares to have, but he cannot seem to ditch Thor which is why he’s seeking the wisdom of the scientist he respects most: Banner. Thor agitates David until he morphs into the Hulk resulting in a mighty battle, and David blames Don for the creature’s resurgence. He helps Don and Thor both in ways they don’t expect while they team up to save David’s kidnapped girlfriend. All the while he watches his hopes of a cure slip away when he’s never been so close.

If you haven’t seen "The Incredible Hulk Returns" yet you may be disappointed or pleasantly surprised. Can I state the obvious or what? If we were talking binary I’d be telling you that the next bit would be either a 1 or a 0. No kidding, right? What I mean is for the most part a fan is a fan, but I have run across people that liked the series and hate everything after including this one. Why is that? I don't know, I think they're all nuts. I'll give you some possibilities and let you figure it out yourself.

If you watch this one thinking you’re going to see the greatest incarnation of the Hulk you’ve ever seen you’ll probably be let down. It's a movie after the series, but that doesn't mean the production values are improved. It still feels like the same series rather than an updated version or a theatrical presentation. With it being called a “movie” I think people perhaps expect a Richard Donner level superhero flick when it's not.

Likewise, you should not make assumptions about the portrayal of Thor; he’s not a line-by-line carry-over from the book or from Norse mythology. That bothers some fans of the book and some who are sticklers for history. However, if you go in with the attitude that you’ll take what you get, no assumptions or preconceptions about what Thor or the production quality needs to be, I think you’ll like it if you enjoy the series.

I enjoy the internal struggles of the characters, the super-human action sequences, and the humor. On the downside, the acting, directing, special effects, and choreography all lack at times and take the overall effect down. David Banner, Jack McGee, Thor, and Hulk are pretty much flawless in my eyes (though some folks have expressed dislike of Thor, I think his nuances are amusing such as his look of confusion when Blake calls him “Dude.”) but most everyone else ranges from decent at best to poor with a few that fluctuate depending on the scene.

The pitfalls in directing show through in scenes that are more cheesy than dramatic, or have weak dialogue and inconsistencies. For example, sometimes when Don calls Thor his voice echoes even when he whispers, other times it’s normal. Kenny Johnson was not a part of this movie which is one main reason it gets into the realm of bringing in someone like Thor which the series mostly avoided during its run. If he had been at the helm I think this would have been better than it is in some ways though I wonder if we would have the superhero action we get here.

Whatever its downfalls, it’s still one of the greatest moments in classic TV fantasy. The Hulk vs. Thor battles are a lot of fun, the costumes are pretty good, and the whole thing holds true in almost every way to the episodes. The ending is properly heroic and somewhat sad, just what we fans expect. Just keep in mind it's on older TV movie. That alone means its going to have a level of campy you wouldn't find in a big budget theatrical motion picture.