THIS COMMENT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS : During my junior year in high school, I was excited about a new Incredible Hulk reunion movie to air on NBC in 1989 on a Sunday night. For the most part, I enjoyed the Trial of the Incredible Hulk like I have the other movies and the series, but as a purist fan of the series, I wound up disappointed with this movie because I feel it was the farthest away from the series. The Trial of the Incredible Hulk should have been called, Daredevil, guest starring the Incredible Hulk, since the movie focused way too heavily on its guest star, Matt Murdock alias Dardevil (The Bionic Showdown reunion movie from that same year did the very same thing). Although I was not impressed with Daredevil or the Kingpin, I did enjoy the performances of Rex Smith and John Rhys Davies in those roles.
Another goof was the fact that David Banner had a beard in the first half of the movie, but the beard vanished when he became the Hulk, only to magically reappear when he reverted back to Banner. Even Lou Ferrigno in his Book "My Incredible Life as the Hulk" points this out.
I felt the best Hulkout in the movie was what was ultimately revealed to be David Banner's nightmarish dream of being on trial, aggravated and provoked by the D.A. and Hulking out and going on a rampage. The worst Hulkout was when he wakes up and you don't even see the Hulk, but merely the aftermath of his rampage as he breaks out of jail.
What really bums me out about this movie is the fact that Banner doesn't even Hulkout for the final showdown while Daredevil takes on Wilson Fisk. Even though I'm sure it was great that David Banner accomplished something himself without Hulking out, but hey! That's why we watch this character.
The David Banner /Matt Murdock relationship reminds me of the The Harder They Fall episode of the Hulk. In both shows, Banner is down and depressed at the beginning and meets a positive minded person. But as the story progresses, things get reversed when Banner becomes the positive one and has to get his friend back up from his depression. I see Bill Bixby portraying two David Banners in this movie. The first half, he is a bearded and depressed man who could care less about life and looks like a homeless bum. The other Banner is when he shaves off the beard and remembers his skills as a doctor and helps Matt Murdock back into shape morally and physically.
This movie is enjoyable, but I find it weak in comparison to the other two films.
Another goof was the fact that David Banner had a beard in the first half of the movie, but the beard vanished when he became the Hulk, only to magically reappear when he reverted back to Banner. Even Lou Ferrigno in his Book "My Incredible Life as the Hulk" points this out.
I felt the best Hulkout in the movie was what was ultimately revealed to be David Banner's nightmarish dream of being on trial, aggravated and provoked by the D.A. and Hulking out and going on a rampage. The worst Hulkout was when he wakes up and you don't even see the Hulk, but merely the aftermath of his rampage as he breaks out of jail.
What really bums me out about this movie is the fact that Banner doesn't even Hulkout for the final showdown while Daredevil takes on Wilson Fisk. Even though I'm sure it was great that David Banner accomplished something himself without Hulking out, but hey! That's why we watch this character.
The David Banner /Matt Murdock relationship reminds me of the The Harder They Fall episode of the Hulk. In both shows, Banner is down and depressed at the beginning and meets a positive minded person. But as the story progresses, things get reversed when Banner becomes the positive one and has to get his friend back up from his depression. I see Bill Bixby portraying two David Banners in this movie. The first half, he is a bearded and depressed man who could care less about life and looks like a homeless bum. The other Banner is when he shaves off the beard and remembers his skills as a doctor and helps Matt Murdock back into shape morally and physically.
This movie is enjoyable, but I find it weak in comparison to the other two films.