Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Planet Hulk

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Animated Hulk movie is as violent as the feature films.

Movie NR 2010 81 minutes
Planet Hulk Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 2 parent reviews

komars
komars Parent of 10-year-old
June 12, 2010
age 16+

This is basically a horror movie...

I was EXTREMELY disappointed this was rated PG. This movie has zombie-like creatures and some moments that have young children in some real terrifying situations. I wish I had read the Common Sense review before getting it.

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
Steve J.
Steve J. Adult
September 8, 2016
age 12+

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Iron Man and several other superheroes decide that the Hulk (voiced by Rick D. Wasserman) is too much of a menace to remain on Earth, so they send him into outer space. After the enraged Hulk goes on a rampage, his spaceship passes through a wormhole, and he winds up on an alien planet -- captured, enslaved, and forced to fight, gladiator-style, for the amusement of the Red King. The Hulk excels in battle, and some begin to believe that he might be the "chosen one" who's destined to save the planet. Eventually his fellow slaves decide to band together and find a way out of their predicament, but the Hulk only has one thing on his mind: Smash the king.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (7 ):

The Hulk's predicament and behavior in this story make for an interesting comparison with the moods of ol' Green Skin's teenage fans (i.e. feelings of not fitting in). Unfortunately, the movie's constant battle sequences and humorless tone don't leave much room for any kind of real emotional connection with the characters. In this tale, the Hulk never returns to his human form, and thus the battle between his two "sides" takes place on a less visceral, visual level. Likewise, the villain is terribly uninteresting, and the plot twists are a little too transparent.

For what might have been a decent Saturday morning cartoon-type adventure, PLANET HULK is very violent -- and, indeed, has very little to offer but violence. The Hulk's fits of rage can cause even more tension than the slicing and dicing and blood and gore of the battle sequences. That said, the animation is solid, and perhaps die-hard Hulk fans can find something worthwhile here.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. Does the fact that it's animated affect its impact? How would that change if it were live action?

  • The Hulk is reluctant to join the "hive" (or family) that his fellow slaves have formed. Why? Is he too angry? Is he afraid of being rejected again?

  • Other superheroes decided they didn't want to deal with the Hulk anymore, so they sent him away. How would this make the Hulk feel? Does it mean that he's a bad person?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate