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The Trial of the Incredible Hulk
USA 1989
produced by Robert Ewing, Hugh Spencer-Phillips, Bill Bixby (executive), Gerald Di Pego (executive) for New World/NBC
directed by Bill Bixby
starring Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, Rex Smith, John Rhys-Davies, Marta DuBois, Nancy Everhard, Nicholas Hormann, Richard Cummings jr, Joseph Mascolo, Linda Darlow, John Novak, Dwight Koss, Meredith Bain Woodward, Mark Acheson, Richard Newman, Don MacKay, Doug Abrahams, Mitchell Kosterman, Beatrice Zeilanger, Ken Camroux, Charles Andre, John 'Bear' Curtis, Stan Lee, Michael O'Hare
screenplay by Gerald Di Pego, based on the Marvel Comics-character, created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, music by Lance Rubin, Hulk-makeup by John Goodwin, special effects by John Thomas
TV-show Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, Incredible Hulk (Lou Ferrigno)
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Always make sure of DVD-compatibility!!!
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All David Banner (Bill Bixby) wanted to do was to help a lady he didn't
even know, Ellie Mendez (Barta DuBois), when she was attacked by two thugs
on the subway, but then rage turned him into the incredible Hulk (Lou
Ferrigno), he wreaked havoc, and was later arrested when back in his David
Banner-persona. And now he's in prison because Ellie, whom he tried to
help, accuses him of attacking her. Enter blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Rex
Smith), who wants to take Banner's case free of charge. Why? Because
the two thugs who have attacked Ellie are two of crime kingpin Wilson
Fisk's men, who were returning from a heist when attacking the lady. And
of course, it was Fisk who furced Ellie to make a statement that Banner
attacked her. Thing is, now that Ellie has made her statement and Banner
has a lawyer, Fisk decides to have her killed, and she is only just saved
by blind superhero Daredevil - who is of course Matt Murdock in disguise.
Soon enough, she is kidnapped by Fisk's men though .. Banner meanwhile
breaks out of prison in his Hulk persona, and then hooks up with Murdock,
and the two of them let each other know about their secret identities.
Then Murdock learns where Ellie is held, and he rushes to her rescue - but
it was all just a trap of course, and in an especially equipped warehouse,
Fisk has Daredevil beaten to a pulp on camera, and he would have done
more, but just in time, the Hulk came to the rescue. Matt Murdock feels
shattered, not only on the outside, but also on the inside, but then
Banner gives him an inspirational speech, and after a few hours in the
gym, Murdock feels back on top and pays a visit to Fisk's penthouse to
save Ellie. Fun thing is that Fisk has invited crime kingpins from all
over the country to form a crime web, and to make himself head of this
web, he shows everyone the video of his men taking care of Daredevil. The
real Daredevil's arrival of course derives the footage of much of its
impact, and soon enough, he has beaten up everyone in the place, with Fisk
only just escaping. Oh yeah, and Ellie is saved, too. For some reason
though, the hulk is left out of the finale. Pretty much your
typical made-for-television superhero movie: The story is uninspired and
formulaic, the direction bland, the effects less than special and the
action less than spectacular. And while the Hulk-movie from
the previous year, The
Incredible Hulk Returns, at least had some humour to its credit,
this one takes itself way too seriously. And on top of that, Rex Smith's
performance as Daredevil is nothing short of underwhelming. Not worth
your while.
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