After the cancellation of The Incredible Hulk TV series, NBC decided to make a trilogy of made for television movies to keep fans happy. Incredible hulk returns is the first of those movies and is an entertaining movie for anyone who loved the series. The film stars Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno and Jack Colvin reprising their roles from the TV series. It also features Eric Kramer who was a fairly new actor at the time and has continued to be a popular character actor. The film was a bit ahead of its time in that it featured a team-up between the Hulk and Thor, something we see often now with Avengers movies, but didn’t really do back then.
In this movie, Dr. David Banner (Bixby) believes he has found a cure for his transformation into the Incredible Hulk. His research is soon sabotaged when his lab is attacked by a group of thugs. One of them shoots him and he starts to transform. However, he is stopped by a strange looking Viking man who calls himself Thor (played by Kramer). Thor is very close to the Marvel Comics version and was consulted on the film by Stan Lee.
The two team up to battle the thugs and their leader LeBeau. The film is very simplistic and campy, but it’s fun to watch. It also has some decent action scenes and it’s nice to see the Hulk move at normal speed rather than his slow moving screams from the TV series.
Another great thing about this film is that it shows a lot of different personalities and emotions from the Hulk. From the rage to the quieter moments. It’s an enjoyable movie for fans of the series and a good way to see what the Hulk could have been like if it had gone on for a few more years.
The film is available to watch for free on several streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Tubi and Pluto. You can also buy it on DVD or Blu-ray from various online stores. If you are having trouble watching this content due to geo-blocking or other restrictions, using a VPN may help. Click here to try ExpressVPN free for 3 months!