Good movie. Great special effects. may be a little scary for kids under 13.
The Hulk
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
The Hulk lacks personality; not a great movie.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 13 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Hulk was written by Nell Minow
Parents need to know that this movie has a great deal of comic-book-style "action violence," meaning that there's a lot of destruction, but it's not very graphic. Some viewers may be upset by the tragic family events in the story.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the appeal of comic book characters, especially the Hulk, the tangible representation of repressed anger.
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More on The Hulk
What’s the Story?
In THE HULK, Eric Bana plays Bruce Banner, a scientist who has repressed memories of childhood trauma and as a result represses his emotions as well. He cares for fellow PhD Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly) but is unable to let her get close to him. When he is exposed to gamma rays in a lab accident, it triggers a genetic mutation that was the result of his father's experiments. When all that repressed anger is released, he becomes the physical embodiment of rage: an enormous green guy known as the Hulk. After the Hulk saves Betty's life, he winds up being held captive at an Army base, where Major Talbot tries to obtain the Hulk's superpowers in order to make a profit.
Is It Any Good?
Director Ang Lee creates images of great grace, elegance, and dignity, but he tries to make the inner conflicts the focus of the story and so this movie doesn't work. It's also way too long. The decision to make the Hulk character computer-animated was a mistake. The Hulk doesn't speak (except for one sentence), so he never comes to life. And his interaction with the physical world isn't believable. He's supposed to be extremely heavy, but when he jumps, he lands like a grasshopper. We never really care about him or root for him, and his fights, while impressively staged, aren't compelling. He doesn't fight bad guys; he fights the Army, which is trying to stop him from destroying everything around him. He's more like King Kong than Spider-Man.
Jennifer Connelly looks lovely, but basically carries over her Beautiful Mind role, except this time instead of being in love with a brilliant crazy guy she's in love with a brilliant green crazy guy. Nick Nolte, looking worse than his mug shot, overdoes the mad scientist bit as Bruce Banner's father. His character is supposed to add dark, Oedipal themes of destiny and consequences, but his appearances frequently sparked laughter from the audience.
Movie Details
Studio: Universal Pictures, Director: Ang Lee
Run time: 138 minutes
Theatrical release: 6/20/2003, DVD release: 10/28/2003
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some disturbing images and brief partial nudity
Run time: 138 minutes
Theatrical release: 6/20/2003, DVD release: 10/28/2003
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some disturbing images and brief partial nudity
Our Members Say
See 21 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate sexual content
Not a great movie but a darn good one.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
This movie wasent that good. It was boring and I couldent care less what happened in the story. This is not worth your time even if your a hulk fan. Go rent the new hulk movie cause its alot better. This doesent really matter if your going to listen to me but there are some violence that you should watch out for. Bad acting Bad movie.
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Lives in WashingtonI rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
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I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
A Waste of Time...Trust Me!
THE HULK is just a bad movie. No two ways about it. Not even talented actors like Sam Elliot or Jennifer Connelley can save this boring, repetitive waste. It's not the most inapropriate film you've seen, but I wouldn't recommend it for your kids, simply because it's a bad movie. The Hulk often goes on destructive rampages, crushing things and people alike. However, the only graphic violence in the movie comes when characters perform experiments on animals. A jellyfish is stabbed with a surgical knife, a starfish has its insides cut out, and a flog blows up in a momentary explosion of blood. Several scenes and one character will be frightening for kids. There is no sex or references, but one scene where Bruce/Hulk is seen naked while walking towards a car. While is front is always blurred when seen from that angle, all else is exposed to the camera. Language is some "d**n"s and "a*s"s.
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I rate this title on for age 12 and give it
just all right
The action was mild, scenes were drawn out, and what was with those oddball dreams? Took forever for him to finally transform into the Hulk we know and love.
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