Unleash the hero within|Jun. 19, 2003|USA|138 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Action;Science;Fiction;SuperHero
Description: David Banner, a government genetics researcher, aims to enhance human DNA. His supervisor, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, prohibits human experimentation, leading David to test on himself. His wife, Edith, gives birth to their son Bruce, who inherits the mutant DNA. David seeks a cure but is forced to stop when Ross discovers his dangerous experiments. In retaliation, David sabotages Desert Base’s gamma reactor, causing an explosion. In a tragic twist, David attempts to kill Bruce but accidentally kills Edith instead. The trauma suppresses Bruce’s early memories. Ross arrests David, sending him to a mental hospital, and places Bruce in foster care, where Mrs. Krenzler adopts him. Bruce grows up believing his parents are dead.
Decades later, Bruce is a brilliant scientist at Berkeley Lab, working alongside Betty Ross, his ex-girlfriend and Ross’s estranged daughter. Glenn Talbot, representing the private company Atheon, shows interest in using their nanomeds research to create regenerative soldiers for the military-industrial complex. David reappears as a janitor in the lab and begins reentering Bruce’s life. Meanwhile, Ross, now a general, investigates and grows concerned for Betty’s safety around Bruce.
Bruce is involved in an accident while saving Betty and a colleague from a malfunctioning gammasphere. Surprisingly, he survives and feels stronger than ever. Unbeknownst to them, the radiation has merged with Bruce’s altered DNA. David later reveals their relationship and hints at Bruce’s mutation. Using Bruce’s DNA, David conducts experiments on animals. As tensions rise, Bruce’s rage triggers his gamma-radiated DNA, transforming him into the Hulk. He destroys the lab but remembers little afterward. Betty finds him unconscious the next morning, and Ross arrives to question him. Betty seeks out David for answers.
Cast director: Ang Lee
Cast actor: Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte, Paul Kersey, Cara Buono, Kevin Rankin, Todd Tesen, Celia Weston
Original name: Hulk