HTF DVD REVIEW - The Incredible Hulk: The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons (1 Viewer)

[Kevin EK]

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
THE COMPLETE THIRD AND FOURTH SEASONS


Studio: Universal
Original Broadcast: 1979-1981
Length: Season Three: 1093 mins Season Four: 867 mins
Genre: Science Fiction/Drama

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Full Frame
Color/B&W: Color

Audio:
English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono


Subtitles: English SDH
Rating: Unrated (TV-safe violence, Multiple Hulkouts)






Release Date: June 3, 2008

Rating:

 

[Sam Favate]

Thanks for the review. Any idea if the 5th season will be released (as scheduled this fall) with the post-series telefilms? Or will it just be 7 episodes?

 

[Bryan^H]

Very informative review Kevin. I'll pick both of these up.

 

[Kevin EK]

I don't believe Universal holds the rights to the later TV movies. If you were to see a "5th Season" release, it would likely just be the 7 episodes. If anything, it would be an indicator of how unfortunate the ending of the show was. Kenneth Johnson had wanted to end the series with another two hour episode that would have wrapped up the story and allowed David Banner to be cured. The point of that was to say that we can eventually solve our problems and move on. In blocking that idea, the network effectively made Banner's problem an endless one.

The later TV movies were mostly a major step down from the series. First, someone thought it might be interesting to pair the Hulk with other Marvel heroes. So they decided to put Thor in the first TV movie, and Daredevil in the second one. I'll allow that the second one did have an interesting performance by John Rhys Davies as the Kingpin, but the story and the delivery was very silly. The final TV movie, entitled "The Death of the Incredible Hulk" pretty much tells you everything with the title. All of the TV movies were shot on very small budgets. The first one was directed by Nicholas Corea, who had done many episodes of the series, and the second two were directed by Bill Bixby. Johnson had nothing to do with the TV movies. As one final trivia note, there was a plan to do a fourth TV movie, I believe to be called "The Revenge of the Incredible Hulk", which would have brought Banner back to life. Bixby was going to once again direct the project, in between his directing assignments on Blossom. But instead, he was diagnosed with cancer and died before they could do anything but the initial development.

 

[heathjack]

do you know if you get a free movie ticket for the new incdabile hulk movie?
I also heard that the fifth season might come out in october.

 

[Firebee]

Thanks very much for the review! I'm definitely getting both of these seasons, as I pre-ordered as soon as the links were available on Amazon! Psyched that we're getting these, and two at once!

 

[Kevin EK]

Sorry, I should have mentioned that each set contains an $8.50 coupon toward movie admission to the new INCREDIBLE HULK feature film. My bad.

Also, regarding the "5th Season" of seven episodes, Kennneth Johnson has announced on his own site that he is trying to clear the way for a quick blooper reel to be included in the set. He says that the set will come out along with the new feature film when it hits DVD in the fall or winter. Keep in mind that a season set of seven episodes will likely only be one or two DVDs, depending on whether they go single layer or not.

 

[Brian Himes]

I got my Season 3 and 4 sets today and on Monday I sent my old Season 2 box in for the new lenticular box.

What I find really starnge is that since there are only 7 episodes in season 5 why Universal didn't just put season 4 and 5 in the same set like they did for Columbo Season 6 & 7.

I know, they are waiting to release season 5 when the new movie comes out, but still...to me this is really a silly move.

 

[Duane Alford]

It's called milking the fans for as much money as they possibly can. We should be lucky they didn't split the season sets up.

 

[Sam Favate]

I agree. Especially since season 4 had fewer episodes than season 3, it would have made perfect sense to group 4 & 5 together.

The only other option, which is unlikely, is that the final season 5 episodes would be grouped with the TV movies that followed the show's end. I say this is unlikely because other companies have the rights to those (indeed, two of them were just reissued together).

 

[Gary Seven]

Hey Brian,

I was bothered by the second season box I have not being the lenticular one. What is the info required to get the box with the lenticular cover?

 

[Moore Maxx]

Hey,

Picked up Season 3 and 4 on sale at the local Best Buy for the total price of $40. Nice Deal and love revisiting this show.

Watching these together with the Dukes of Hazzard DVDs brings back fond memories of those Friday nights way back when.

Don't know if anyone caught this but Best Buy is giving away a free sampler DVD of trailers and info from the new Hulk movie and it also has a complete episode from Season five of the tv series. The episode is titled "The
Phenom" Looking foward to the release of that short 5th season

 

[Brian Himes]

My replacement season 2 box arrived yesterday. It only took 9 days from the day I sent the old one off to get the new one. Not bad. Happened much faster than I thought it would.

 

[Ockeghem]

Your post reminded me of something. When I ask for a replacement via Amazon, it usually ships in 2-3 days (sometimes sooner!) What I am curious about is why it takes 5-7 (or thereabouts) shipping days for the original order, yet much less than that for a replacement order. Hmmm....

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Hear me out...

First, I have to tell you, I'm a big fan of the Hulk as he was in the comic books, and I had a complete collection going from the early '60s to the early '90s.

I was 15 when the TV show premiered and I looked forward to that very first episode... but I despised it completely, because it was nothing like the comics, and the Hulk was not at all even remotely articulate, and so on. I'll never forget how mad I was at seeing Banner ("David", not "Bruce"!!!??) hurt his hand while changing a tire in the rain... this gave the writers some lame excuse to get Banner angry enough to rant and change. But in the comics, he wasn't required just to be "mad".... it would be any change to his blood pressure which could trigger the transformation. And Lou Ferrigno just seemed to stand there and clench his teeth and fists a lot.

Anyway, after all is said and done, I'm writing this because now I'm wondering if I might decide to take a blind chance on watching this series, and maybe trying to enjoy it more as a "Fugitive On The Run" show. What do you think?

 

[Bryan^H]

I enjoy the formula of the show. Banner goes from one city to the next, helps people in need and moves on. I don't think you'd be disappointed. Some of the stories are very good. I love the show.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I've heard that the show gets best after the first season...?