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Some people don't count this film as part of the MCU, and there are several reasons why. Firstly, it's the only one ever to be produced by Universal (the others being distributed by Paramount until Disney took over) and so naturally it has a very different feel. And secondly, outside of William Hurt's General Ross, none of the other cast members return to reprise their roles. Betty is never seen again, so naturally Liv Tyler isn't either. Tim Roth's Abomination is another 1 time Marvel villain, Tim Nelson's Leader tease never pays off and when we next see Dr. Banner 4 years later in the Avengers, it's Mark Ruffalo as the Great Green Giant, not Edward Norton. Outside of a Robert Downey Jr. Cameo at the end of the film and a few subtle references in later movies, very little ties this film to the MCU. But I decided to count it, hoping it would surprise me. Unfortunately, it did not. The Incredible Hulk is as underwhelming as I remember it being.

But it's not all bad. We have a sound performance by Edward Norton as a man who desperately does not want to become the Hulk, and goes to Brazil to study under a master of breath control in order to curb his anger. It's clear we're never seeing him again, but in another universe he would still be playing the role 13 years later, and I wouldn't be too opposed to that. It's not as good a casting as RDJ for Tony Stark, but what is?

In terms of other performances, they're all ok. Liv Tyler is in full trembling sympathy mode, but I've never thought Hulk needed a love interest, and she ultimately is not too consequential here. Hurt delivers enough gruffness to have him brought back 8 years later, and Nelson is on screen so little no-one really gets to care about him. Roth is so-so as a bad guy, until he gets that Hulk juice in him, ultimately leading to the big CGI smorgasbord. And this battle, as I have suggested, pounds away relentlessly, taking as its first victim our patience. "Iron Man," the much better spiritual partner of this film, also ends with a showdown between an original and a copycat, but it involves two opponents who know who they are and why they are fighting.

Ultimately, I can see why this film is forgotten. Everything ranges from decent to fine, nothing stands out and in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't end up mattering anyhow. When you get down to it, as a fictional creature, the Incredible Hulk is as limited as a bad drunk. He may be fun to be around when he's sober, but when he drinks too much, you just feel sorry for the guy.

Well this is it. 13 years, 26 films and 24 billion dollars later, this is the unlikely hit that started it all. When the director of Elf and a disgraced 90s actor came together on a B-tier Marvel hero at best, many set their expectations low. But more fool then, for this film blasted out the gates running. The stars combined, 586 million dollars were made and the most significant cinematic franchise of all time began.

First, let's talk about that disgraced 90s actor, old Robert Downey Jr. Himself, cast in the perfect role. This film starts on the song 'Back in Black', and not only is it the perfect song for the egocentric Tony Stark to be blasting in the back of a jeep in Afghanistan, it's the perfect song for RDJ. This film signified that he was back, and kickstarted the role that he played for 11 years and made about 400 million for. What his post Iron Man career will look like remains to be seen, but this was the gamble that paid off. Everything about his performance is perfect. His timing, his mannerisms, the subtle little changes in expression. This film was done mostly on improv and it's clear who lead each scene. Such a perfect casting that he took a character invented 45 years prior and made it his own, to the extent that no-one else, in any other franchise or series, could ever play him. In some ways, he was too good.

But while RDJ shines, the rest of the cast slightly stumble. Characters such as Terrence Howard's Lt. "Rhodey" Rhodes and Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Pottes seem quite stiff when compared to RDJ, something that Paltrow would improve on later down the line, and that Howard wouldn't get the chance to. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jeff Bridges' Obadiah Stane is all over the script, going from calm and subdued to loud and bombastic in the same scene. It's a good performance, and a fault I have more with the material he was given, but still, he does not go down on the admittedly exclusive list of memorable Marvel villains.

But just as important to any good superhero film is the plot, for without it, it's just mindless action (see Batman & Robin). Ultimately, it's incredibly serviceable. It gets Tony Stark from spoiled brat to superhero, introduces long standing character arcs with Potts and Rhodes that continue later in the sage. It creates the fast paced, quippy formula that's still going strong almost a decade and a half later, and gave the Avengers their first hero. What else was really needed? The action is also very stylish, and the CGI, while not what it will be (obviously) does it's job.

Ultimately, if you're still somehow on the fence about Iron Man, get off it and watch it. It's truly worth your time, and will likely drag you into a Marvel fandom kicking and screaming.

In 2013, during the final months of the PS3, Naughty Dog released The Last of Us, a stunning, cinematic, emotional masterpiece that balanced hope and hopelessness masterfully. A game that is still in my Top 3 Games of All Time. Seven years later, as the PS4 winds to a close, Naughty Dog released the sequel to that masterpiece. And I was extremely disappointed. Because they removed the hope, and still expected the balance to work. Technically, this game is top notch, one of the best when it comes to graphics, mo-cap, lighting, sound design. In that regard, Naughty Dog remain untouched. But the story was a massive disappointment. It wasn't up to the standard that had been set by the original. When developing a sequel, you always have to have the audience of the original in mind. Those are the people who are going to buy your game. But yet, they elected to completely change the tone and style, and expect to please the same fans of the 2013 classic. Maybe this game would have worked more if the original was written like this one was, but I was just disappointed.