In 2008, I didn't know what to make out of the then-new MCU. I wasn't even aware of any connection to the series until I saw the post-credits scene with Iron Man and Thunderbolt Ross chatting about the Avengers Initiative, which surprised me after viewing my Netflix DVD rental. I still find it hard to believe that it's still considered an MCU film at all, what with the change of the Hulk star between them and The Avengers 4 years later and the seeming lack of inclusion of anybody from the film until Civil War 8 years later. But, I gotta say I do like the movie, even if it sits pretty low on my MCU film ranks. Edward Norton is Bruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the US military, who want to use and weaponize him, leading the charge is his girlfriend's father, General Ross. Seemingly safe in Rio, he seems to have been able to control his anger and secure a job at a soda plant, while in communicado with a mysterious scientist trying to aid him into curing his condition. Unfortunately, the US find his whereabouts, and forced back to the US to help with the cure, he comes across his former love, his potential captors, and his biggest foe yet, The Abomination. After the meh performance of Ang Lee's Hulk from 2003, it was surprising that they returned to the well so quickly, but I gotta say they pull it off, offering a superior film despite a lesser director at the helm. I'm not saying that the film's director, Louis Leterrier, is a bad director, with some good movies like Clash of the Titans, Unchained and Now You See Me under his belt, but he isn't Ang Lee. But, Lee took the direction of Hulk in a more boring direction, with a lack of action, a stagnant pace and a climax that makes me scratch my head to the skull everytime I see the movie. Luckily, the film has a greater focus on some good action scenes, my favorite being the soda factory scene, shot like a monster reveal from the olden days of the Universal Monsters. The cast and crew all do a fine job, with Norton being a good Banner, but luckily Mark Ruffalo took over the role and has made him the definitive Hulk in my humble opinion. The story is nothing special, but the actors carry the story rather well, despite hitting some unoriginal dramatic and action beats. The CG is quite good for it's time, and the cinematography is slick and screams "blockbuster" as does everything else. Just don't expect Iron Man quality here. After getting the BluRay a couple of years after release, complete with the awesome green BluRay case and 3D lenticular slipcover, I was satisfied with the look and sound of the film, with a fine layer of grain (When shooting a comic book film on 35mm wasn't a rarity), a beautifully sharp picture compared to the DVD I have (still own it!) and the colors, especially the greens, looking amazing. Seeing the 4k version for so cheap (The cheapest MCU 4k release, since it not being a Disney release), I had to pick it up and, lo and behold, it looks great! It retains the same positives as the now eleven year old BluRay (!), which is included, but with the awesome additions of HDR (Sadly only HDR10, but hey i still enjoy it) and Dolby Atmos on the 4k disc! The image is a 2k DI, but the boost in details and colors are beautiful in 4k and the Atmos sound is also fantastic. Of course, the BluRay has the standard 5.1 DTS-HD, which is also a great track, but if you have Atmos, you won't ever want to go back. The extras are also plentiful, all carryovers from the standard BluRay. On the 4k disc and BluRay is the commentary with Leterrier along with Tim Roth, who is the Abomination. Also included are around 45 minutes of deleted scenes, about an hour's worth of featurettes, P-in-P tracks and more, giving it better BTS looks than of the Disney discs as of late. It even had better audio than the "At-mouse" that are twice as much as this quality disc. My only gripes are the lack of a green case and the Target-exclusive features on the original release, but overall, this is a must for any collection.