Common Sense Media Review
By Charles Cassady Jr.
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Hulk smashes...and smashes...and smashes...
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Hulk Vs.
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 10 kid reviews
Kids say that the film is a highly violent animated feature, with graphic battles and significant gore that may be inappropriate for younger audiences despite its PG-13 rating. While some admire the action-packed scenes and animation, others warn parents about its explicit content, particularly highlighting the gruesome fights between well-known superheroes.
- violent content
- animated feature
- parental guidance
- graphic fights
- action-packed film
- humor included
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
This is actually a DVD double-feature of two 50-minute cartoons -- not connected to each other by any narrative thread -- that show the bare-chested Marvel Comics behemoth, the Hulk, in colossal fights with other Marvel-owned heroes and villains. In "Hulk Vs. Wolverine," the Hulk rampages across the forested border into Canada, whereupon a government defender called Wolverine, a tough guy with retractable claws, goes to stop him. Wolverine discovers -- in between fights -- that the havoc is primarily the work of Weapon X, a team of evil mutants from his own past, who want to harness the Hulk's powers. In "Hulk Vs. Thor," the Norse god of mischief, Loki, uses magic rather than technology to possess the Hulk and use the monster against his half-brother, the valiant warrior Thor, in a Viking-myth world. In the process Loki actually divides the Hulk from his tormented alter-ego, the human Dr. Bruce Banner, inadvertently giving Banner a chance at a peaceful repose away from the rampaging giant, but things aren't that simple with an uncontrollable Hulk loose in the Underworld.
Is It Any Good?
Hulk and Marvel Comics fans can do much better than this. Though fans like to say that Marvel Comics brought real-world anxieties and problems to the superhero funny pages, this Hulk-ing double-header pretty much amounts to lots of Pro Wrestling-style (and Japanese-anime-looking) smackdowns -- and shockingly, an occasional dismemberment -- with very little time for drama. In fact, the bloody "Hulk Vs. Wolverine" (which does double-duty by investigating the origins of Wolverine a little bit) finishes in mid-fight, with no definitive ending.
Measurably better is "Hulk Vs. Thor," which mixes immortal combat with compelling conflict, not only in Bruce Banner's pain and sacrifice but Thor himself questioning the endless cycle of good-vs-evil violence that comprises his mythic existence. Arguably there's even too much side detail here, like a bit about how a love triangle in Thor's personal life somehow set all this in motion. Newcomers who don't know these characters and their long backstories (who is that Betty person?) will be confused; longstanding Marvel scholars will get more out of it.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of these Marvel Comics icons. Ask kids who their favorites are: Hulk, Wolverine, Thor, or others? You can talk about how the Hulk is like a Mr. Hyde on steroids, unleashed rage but with a human component provided by the timid Jekyll-like scientist, Bruce Banner. You might be able to introduce kids to the more literate (and occasionally ribald) League of Extraordinary Gentleman superhero comics, that remade Mr. Hyde as a Hulk-like figure. Parents can also use the Thor character to illuminate Norse mythology, and the real-life legends (Odin, Ragnarok, Loki, etc.) Stan Lee threw into the comics-cauldron to create the superhero.
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 27, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : January 27, 2009
- Cast : Fred Tatasciore , Graham McTavish
- Director : Frank Paur
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Superheroes
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense, bloody animated violence
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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