14. University Transformation (The Incredible Hulk)
Louis Leterrier directed 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, which stars Edward Norton as Bruce Banner and his titular alter-ego, The Hulk. Critic’s mostly soured on it, and audiences failed to turn up in droves the way they did for Iron Man earlier that year.
Still, halfway through the run time Leterrier gives us a brilliant set-piece involving the green rage monster. Cornered in a university campus, the army closes in on the elusive Banner.
Leading the charge is General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross, the father of Banner’s love interest Betty Ross. Bruce holds his own, even when they deploy gas canisters. It all proves too much, and he finally loses it when he sees a soldier tackle Betty to the ground.
Leterrier’s in top form here; the scene’s shot and edited perfectly. TheCraig Armstrong-score crescendo’s with Peter Menzies Jr’s tight cinematography creating a genuinely thrilling sequence.
The tension builds throughout and we follow Banner as his options gradually decrease until he has no choice but to let the monster free.
It’s a movie that feels largely forgotten from the broad canvas of the MCU. Still, Leterrier and his team managed to give us some of the best Hulk content we’ve seen in live-action. As a result, The Incredible Hulk has more than earned a spot on the list.
