Let's get one thing out of the way first: The Hulk, in Ang Lee's version, looks fantastic. He has texture, he certainly has mass, and the devastation left in his wake convinces us of his existence. Until you've seen the Hulk smash a tank and wrestle a helicopter in mid-air, you ain't seen nothing.

Lee catches newcomers up at a fevered clip. In 1966, pioneer scientist David Banner enjoys breakthroughs in the field of immune system modification. He needs a human guinea pig, but his supervisors forbid it, forcing Banner to run tests on himself. When Banner and his wife conceive a child, the father suspects he's passed his mutated genes onto his offspring, Bruce.

Years later, scientist Bruce (Eric Bana) unknowingly follows in his father's footsteps. Working alongside former flame Betty Ross (Jennifer Connelly), the mild-mannered brain analyzes cell regeneration data until the day he's exposed to extreme doses of gamma radiation. As a result, Bruce's emotional damage and suppressed childhood memories manifest themselves physically in the form of a massive green monster when he's angered.

Lee successfully elevates the comic book adaptation to an art form without forgetting his source. Amazing frame wipes effectively set the film's mood, as new scenes enter and exit in circles and squares lifted from the pages of comic books. Not content with the basic "Hulk smash" approach, the director and his team of screenwriters introduce moral quandaries we're meant to chew on between rampages. Digs at the military's inclination towards dominance through advanced weaponry will sting the most patriotic of viewers. Nerds will revel in the passionate debates involving a scientist's instinctive desire to control nature.

Ever the perfectionist, Lee leaves no stone (or enormous boulder) left unturned. He receives quality acting across the board, particularly from an overachieving Nick Nolte as Bruce's deranged dad. The grizzled thespian plays Banner as more a "mad scientist" than a concerned paternal figure. He also fits in a great Lou Ferrigno walk-on cameo in there as well. This is a terrific reinvention of a classic superhero by one of our best directors.