The Incredible Hulk is pretty much a walking plot device. You plonk him down in some place you want totaled and sit back and watch the destruction ensue from the safety of your underground lair. The Hulk has no character in the same way that a nuclear explosion has no character. It exists only as a spectacle, and to make the lives of everyone and everything in a five mile radius considerably less pleasant. The reason why this movie is as good as it is is simply because it seems to understand this, and you can just feel Loki's gratification at watching his handiwork unfold through his scrying glass. 'Hulk Vs.' exists purely to show you something awesome and things that have a single purpose are remarkably strong and flexible.
Consequently, there is little plot save for 'the Hulk goes to Asgard/the Weapon-X compound and breaks things; mostly living things'. While in a regular film I would welcome the addition of Dr. Bruce Banner as the human element to balance out the sheer rage and destruction of the Hulk, here he wasn't really needed beyond setting the scene or getting the Hulk pulled out of him and let loose, and any later scenes involving him could have just as easily made way for a bit more Hulk Smash, even if they broke up the continuous action somewhat. The premise of these movies is so paper thin that it doesn't need a Bruce Banner introspective and should just focus on the battle at hand, which is one of the several reasons why Hulk vs. Wolverine is better (and arguably, shorter) than Hulk vs. Thor. However, I will say that both parts were needed to create something that was roughly feature-length. Both 'films' are short, which means they don't outstay their welcome. It keeps the action entertaining without being overwhelming. I would advise against watching them back to back though.
The sheer lack of anything approaching an engaging story or plot means that previous knowledge of the Marvel-verse (which in my case is almost nonexistent) is not required, allowing you to jump right into it and enjoying the sprays of viscera splattering off Wolverine's claws, or the blunt saucepan-like din of Thor's hammer careening off of the Hulk's flattened cheekbone, although being a fan would certainly help the enjoyment.
Another reason why I prefer Wolverine's part to that of Thor is because Wolverine is like the Hulk in many ways. He's also a stony faced brute wearing a perpetual scowl and a five-o'clock shade, but at least his one-liners are a joy to behold, mostly. Wolverine and, by extension, the X-Men, is one of the few Marvel characters I know reasonably well, probably because there are so many books he appears in (or on), and despite being a tiresome marketing gimmick to many fans he's never quite bored me. Maybe that's because pretty much everything he does is awesome. His part was better paced, better animated, and better written as well with much better side characters, for what little writing was involved in the creation of this hammy spectacle. As far as hammy spectacle goes, though, it won't get much better than this. 3 stars.
Consequently, there is little plot save for 'the Hulk goes to Asgard/the Weapon-X compound and breaks things; mostly living things'. While in a regular film I would welcome the addition of Dr. Bruce Banner as the human element to balance out the sheer rage and destruction of the Hulk, here he wasn't really needed beyond setting the scene or getting the Hulk pulled out of him and let loose, and any later scenes involving him could have just as easily made way for a bit more Hulk Smash, even if they broke up the continuous action somewhat. The premise of these movies is so paper thin that it doesn't need a Bruce Banner introspective and should just focus on the battle at hand, which is one of the several reasons why Hulk vs. Wolverine is better (and arguably, shorter) than Hulk vs. Thor. However, I will say that both parts were needed to create something that was roughly feature-length. Both 'films' are short, which means they don't outstay their welcome. It keeps the action entertaining without being overwhelming. I would advise against watching them back to back though.
The sheer lack of anything approaching an engaging story or plot means that previous knowledge of the Marvel-verse (which in my case is almost nonexistent) is not required, allowing you to jump right into it and enjoying the sprays of viscera splattering off Wolverine's claws, or the blunt saucepan-like din of Thor's hammer careening off of the Hulk's flattened cheekbone, although being a fan would certainly help the enjoyment.
Another reason why I prefer Wolverine's part to that of Thor is because Wolverine is like the Hulk in many ways. He's also a stony faced brute wearing a perpetual scowl and a five-o'clock shade, but at least his one-liners are a joy to behold, mostly. Wolverine and, by extension, the X-Men, is one of the few Marvel characters I know reasonably well, probably because there are so many books he appears in (or on), and despite being a tiresome marketing gimmick to many fans he's never quite bored me. Maybe that's because pretty much everything he does is awesome. His part was better paced, better animated, and better written as well with much better side characters, for what little writing was involved in the creation of this hammy spectacle. As far as hammy spectacle goes, though, it won't get much better than this. 3 stars.