Marvel Media Mania: Hulk VS Thor

Hulk Vs Thor is one of two animated films released directly to DVD at the same time in 2009. The other was Hulk Vs Wolverine.

This film doesn't waste any time getting straight to the action. The plot is presented simply: Loki and the Enchantress (Amora) have brought the Hulk to Asgard. They strip Bruce Banner from him and take over his mind so he can kill Thor. Of course, their plans go awry when they fail to calculate how powerful the Hulk is and he escapes their control.

The action is swift and brutal. You really get the sense of how powerful the Hulk is when he's smashing Thor through walls and continues to beat Thor into a crater in the ground until he's bloody. As in the comics, Thor gets the stuffing beat out of him but keeps coming back for more.

I could tell that this film was really meant to be a Thor primer leading into the 2011 film. It does a great job of introducing core Thor concepts without beating the viewer over the head with it. We see Ulik the troll, the Executioner, Frost Giants, Malik the dark Elf, Surtur's fire demons, Hela, Valkaries, Sif, Balder, Odin, the Warriors 3, and Balder among many, many other concepts presented such as Ragnarok.

The nobility of Asgard and Thor shine through in this film. The character designs are simple and directly inspired by the source material in the comics. The Hulk presented in a long haired, savage version of the character. Through the dialogue in the film it implies previous adventures and encounters these characters have had with one another but doesn't get bogged down in continuity.

The art is capable. The art is bright and clear - no dark shadows. The action is dynamic but always easy to follow. Taking everything into account, this is one of the best Marvel animated features ever.

1LR Review - 16 out of 20 - It's a Critical Hit!