Universal Studios Home Entertainment has put together an exciting package for the release of Louis Leterrier’s The Incredible Hulk. Debuting October 21st, The Incredible Hulk: 3-Disc Special Edition packs in over two hours of bonus features, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, an alternate opening and a digital copy of the film.
You've already seen the film, so what you really want to know is…
Should I buy The Incredible Hulk: 3-Disc DVD?
PROS
The running commentary, which I typically ignore on most DVD’s, was quite entertaining and informative. Leterrier has a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the film and enjoys talking about it. He manages to gives away nearly all of the "Easter Eggs" sprinkled throughout the film.
The "Becoming" and "Anatomy" featurettes were excellent! The producers, designers, actors and stunt coordinators discuss the process of creating the Hulk and Abomination and their incredible action sequences.
The set includes a disc containing a digital copy of the film for easy downloading to your Mac, PC or iPod.
CONS
The deleted scenes were pretty lackluster, especially the ones with Leonard Samson: no wonder they were cut from the film!
As a fan of comic books and comic-based films, I was disappointed to find that Leterrier’s comments about Steve Rogers/Captain America appearing in the film seem to have been fatuous. The alternate opening was very compelling, but there was no hint of Cap to be found.
Overall, I give The Incredible Hulk: 3-Disc Special Edition…4 out of 5 stars! I would buy it!
Click HERE to find clips of The Incredible Hulk DVD extras!
Synopsis courtesy of Universal Pictures:
Academy Award nominee Edward Norton stars as scientist Bruce Banner, a man who has been living in shadows, scouring the planet for an antidote to the unbridled force of rage within him: the Hulk. But when the military masterminds who dream of exploiting his powers force him back to civilization, he finds himself coming face to face with his most formidable foe: the Abomination – a nightmarish beast of pure aggression whose powers match the Hulk’s own!
Also starring Liv Tyler, Oscar nominee Tim Roth, and Oscar winner William Hurt, The Incredible Hulk is "steeped in action and spectacular special effects"(Claudia Puig, USA TODAY) and delivers a mind-blowing final showdown that can only be summed up with one word...INCREDIBLE!
From Universal Studios Home Entertainment:
From the Marvel Universe of the world’s most popular Super Heroes comes the $234.6 million worldwide summer hit that fans have been waiting for as THE INCREDIBLE HULK blasts onto DVD and Blu-ray Hi-Def from Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Marvel Studios on October 21, 2008. Filled with unstoppable action, spectacular visual effects, and non-stop thrills, THE INCREDIBLE HULK is directed by Louis Leterrier and features an all-star cast including Academy Award® nominees Edward Norton and Tim Roth, Liv Tyler and Academy Award® winner William Hurt. The visually spectacular, super-charged release will be available in three versions: a three-disc Special Edition DVD available for a limited time only; a two-disc Blu-ray release, offered in collectible 3D lenticular packaging for a limited time only; and a single-disc DVD edition.
Both the Special Edition DVD and Blu-ray releases include over two hours of bonus extras, including an exclusive, never-before-seen alternate opening and a digital copy of the film that is iPod, PC or MAC compatible. The two-disc Blu-ray set, offering the perfect picture and purest digital sound, will also include all-new, interactive features including My Chat, an innovative application that allows viewers to communicate with friends and family while watching the film for a fully immersive, exclusive experience.
The suspense-filled, action-packed story is the epic tale of Dr. Bruce Banner, whose life has been changed forever by a dose of gamma radiation that transforms him when provoked into the terrifying and powerful Hulk. Though pursued by military leaders intent on harnessing his unbelievable strength as a secret weapon, Banner must call upon the hero within himself to battle an equally powerful adversary, The Abomination.
The single-disc edition includes the film and deleted scenes. In addition to these components, both the Special Edition DVD and the Blu-ray Hi-Def release will include the following:
BONUS FEATURES – SPECIAL EDITION DVD
Alternate Opening
The Making of The Incredible Hulk
An in-depth look at the making of the blockbuster film, featuring interviews with Edward Norton, director Louis Leterrier, and producers Avi Arad, Kevin Feige and Gale Anne Hurd and the entire cast and crew. The documentary covers the film’s innovative take on the character, look and storyline, as well as the casting process, production and profile of director Louis Leterrier.
Becoming The Hulk
This featurette focuses on Edward Norton’s approach to the iconic role and the incredible visual effects employed by award®-winning studio Rhythm & Hues to create the character on screen.
Becoming The Abomination
From the first motion-capture session to the visual effects at Rhythm & Hues, viewers go behind the scenes with actor Tim Roth and watch as he transforms both his mind and body into the super villain known as The Abomination.
Anatomy of a Hulk Out
Behind-the-scenes looks at three of the movie’s most exciting action sequences:
Hulking Out in the Bottling Plant – Go inside the first action sequence of the film where both viewers and the army are given a glimpse of the Hulk to come.
Hulking Out on Campus – A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a Hulk action sequence, featuring airplanes, guns, and even a sound machine.
Hulking Out in Harlem – From pre-visualization animatics to visual effects, this featurette shows how filmmakers created one of the largest action sequences in Marvel film history.
From Comic Book to Screen
See the incredible comic books come to life courtesy of narration, sound effects and “living” panels of action.
Feature Commentary With Director Louis Leterrier And Cast
Digital Copy of The Incredible Hulk
Compatible with PC, Mac or iPod.
Deleted Scenes
CAST AND FILMMAKERS
Directed By: Louis Leterrier
Screenplay and Screen Story: Zak Penn
Produced By: Avi Arid, Kevin Feige, Gale Anne Hurd
Director of Photography: Peter Menzies, Jr.
Edited By: John Wright, Rick Shaine, Vincent Tabaillon,
Production Designer: Kirk M. Petruccelli
Costume Designer: Renee Bravener, Denise Cronenberg
Original Music By: Craig Armstrong
Cast: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson, Ty Burrell, Lou Ferrigno as the voice of The Incredible Hulk
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Street Date: October 21, 2008
Pre-Order Close: September 9, 2008 (DVD); September 2, 2008 (Blu-ray)
Packaging Layout and Design: Copyright © 2008 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: Single Disc SRP $29.98; Special Edition SRP $34.98; Blu-rayTM Hi-Def SRP $39.98
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images and brief suggestive content
Running Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
With a library of over 5,000 characters built over more than sixty years of comic book publishing, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics), with emphasis on feature films, television, DVD, consumer products, video games, action figures, role-playing toys and promotions. Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world.
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