The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989 TV Movie) User Reviews

Worth a look for Daredevil fans

[cosmic_quest · 5/10 · 30 September 2006]

I've always been a fan of the Marvel characters but, by the time I was old enough to properly watch Bill Bixby's 'Incredible Hulk' series, it just seemed rather dated, especially since my head was filled with the special effects of the first two 'Superman' films. It also didn't help that the big, green hero terrified me as a child! That said, this film is enjoyable enough to catch the first live-action look at Daredevil (one of my personal favourites of the Marvel characters) and his interactions with David Banner.

The film sees David Banner, whose alter-ego is the Incredible Hulk, intervening in the mugging of a woman only to end up accused of assault when the victim mistakenly thinks he was the one who attacked her. When the case goes to trial, Banner finds himself represented by blind Matt Murdock, lawyer by day and crime-fighting Daredevil by night. Murdock hopes Banner can help him bring down a powerful crime bass and soon circumstances see the Incredible Hulk and Daredevil working towards the same goal.

Bill Bixby gives a decent performance as the down-trodden, world-weary David Banner, a man persecuted for his alter-ego yet still determined to do the right thing. Rex Smith also delivers in his role as Matt Murdock, giving those not familiar with the character a glimpse of what he could do, and John Rhys Davies excels as always as the Kingpin.

The main reason for watching 'The Trial of the Incredible Hulk' is to see the Incredible Hulk and Daredevil's connect and rub shoulders with one another. Of course, this Matt Murdock not only has a less flashier suit but he's living in the lap of luxury in some mansion instead of struggling in a Hell's Kitchen apartment on his meagre wage but it's a rare chance to see two Marvel series' mingle and the film handles it well, showing the strengths and flaws of both characters and how both have their fights in life. This is a film for Marvel fans and those who would liked Ben Affleck's 'Daredevil' film and need something to tide them over until the possible sequel is released.

Daredevil's first appearance on the (small) screen

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 5 December 2017]

RELEASED TO TV IN 1989 and directed by Bill Bixby, "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk" is the second of three movies in the wake of the TV series that ran from 1977-82.

PLOT AND MAIN CAST: Drifter David Banner (Bill Bixby) is held as a suspect in a crime connected to the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk (John Rhys-Davies), but is helped by blind lawyer, Matt Murdock (Rex Smith), who knows he's telling the truth and just so happens to be the masked crime-fighter Daredevil. Lou Ferrigno plays the jade giant while Nancy Everhard appears as Murdock's office associate. Marta DuBois plays the crime victim manipulated by the Kingpin.

This one isn't as good as the previous "The Incredible Hulk Returns" (1988) because it's hard to beat Eric Allan Kramer's charismatic performance as Thor. The way Daredevil is depicted in his first appearance on the screen is pretty faithful to the comics (a mix of Stan Lee's original version with Frank Miller's early 80's version), except that the creators inexplicably opted for an all-black costume rather than dark red. Perhaps it was cheaper to have a black costume or maybe they felt it would be more realistic. Either way, it was a mistake. Nevertheless, the costume's not bad and it sorta makes Daredevil look like a ninja.

Daredevil's origin is eventually divulged and it's pretty interesting. I always felt he was one of the more fascinating superheroes due to his blindness and heightened other senses. It would take fourteen more years before Daredevil would make his theatrical debut (2003) and 26 years before he'd get his own TV series (2015). Ferrigno is effective as usual as the green goliath. Unfortunately, the creators fumble the ball in the female department as the characters played by Dubois and Everhard are pretty unsubstantial.

THE FILM RUNS 93 minutes and was shot in the Vancouver, B.C., area. WRITER: Gerald Di Pego.

GRADE: B-/C+

Enjoyable Movie but Farthest From the Series

[voicemaster71 · 7/10 · 28 November 2005]

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.

Surprisingly earnest comic book fare

[Chiron1987 · 15 October 1999]

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk was the second in a trilogy of made-for-television films continuing the agonizing journey of scientist David Banner and his quest to cure him of the inner monster called the Hulk. The Trial of the Incredible Hulk stands as the best of the bunch, and remains a fairly well-written and superbly acted telepic.

Banner is arrested and charged for a crime he doesn't commit while travelling through a city. His court-appointed attorney is the blind Matt Murdock, who strives to free Banner, who feels he must be locked up. Murdock is also fighting against the corruption of Wilson Fisk, the city's resident crime lord, in the guise of the oddly black-suited Daredevil. We find that like Banner, Murdock had an accident with radioactive materials, but while taking his sight, the atomic trauma left Matt with enhanced senses of smell, hearing, taste, touch, and radar-like sensory perception.

The late, great Bill Bixby is in top form as the strained David Banner, and his brutish counterpart, the Hulk, is again portrayed intensely by the legendary Lou Ferrigno. Rex Smith, veteran of a variety of television shows and soap operas, is excellent as Matt Murdock, and his athletic alter ego, Daredevil. Smith delivers most of the best lines in this film, and might have been a good lead in a spin-off Daredevil series. Character actor John Rhys-Davies is Wilson Fisk, the cool and calculated crime boss, known by the moniker, the Kingpin, in the comics.

The film's effects and action sequences are standard television fare -- done quickly and cheaply -- but still, it is a very promising and uplifting film, right down to its exciting climax and positive ending.

Recommended.

The Hulk meets Daredevil

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 5 November 2017]

David Banner (Bill Bixby) has been drifting and avoiding confrontations after faking his own death. He fears his anger could turn him into The Hulk (Lou Ferrigno) after the gamma radiation experiment. Blind lawyer Matt Murdock is secretly superhero Daredevil. His nemesis is wealthy criminal Wilson Fisk (John Rhys-Davies) who directs a diamond store heist from the comforts of his tower. In the subway, two of Fisk's men harass Ellie Mendez. Banner gets in the middle and turns into the Hulk. He ends up getting arrested after Mendez is threatened and she turns witness against Banner. Murdock takes on his case. Christa Klein is his assistant. Albert G. Tendelli is an incorruptible police captain.

I watched The Incredible Hulk sporadically when I was a child. The sad tone probably put me off. Watching this as an adult, I'm appreciating the characterization of Banner. The Hulk makes a few appearances including a dream sequence of the trial with a Stan Lee cameo. It's missing a final big Hulk battle with Fisk's organization. That could have been epic. This is sort of a backdoor pilot for a Daredevil series that never happened. The cast is good and there is some possibilities. Filming in Vancouver does hold it back. This is an interesting attempt at comic book adaptation back in the old days.

The 80s were a fun time for superhero flicks...

[johnplocar · 7/10 · 14 March 2016]

I grew up watching the Bill Bixby/Lou Ferrigno "The Incredible Hulk" television series as well as the made-for-TV movies, so in going back to watching this I am tempted to bring in a bit of nostalgia but I will do my best in suppressing that as much as possible to give a relatively objective review. However, I still found this to be entertaining.

To this day I can appreciate the sense optimism in the writing and film making that came from the 1980s. Even though "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk" was 1989, I can still feel that optimism and go along with the fun that it brings; even with all its faults and missed opportunities I can still sit and enjoy it for what it is. A care free, fun comic book television film. Even with the fun I had, I do want to bring up the aspects I have against the movie first before ending on its strengths. For instance, a film called "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk"...there's no trial. Unless you count one dream sequence that runs a little too long, then that's it. This felt like a completely missed opportunity to put David Banner and the Hulk on trial. This could have been a very interesting commentary on the people who commit crimes that have been diagnosed with split or multiple personality disorders. I believe there could have been a lot of material to work off of in those regards and gave the audience something with much more depth to it in a time where comic book movies hadn't gone far down before. But to be fair, that's not necessarily what the original series was all about. It had heart of course, but it wasn't known for its social commentary. The show, as well as the TV movies are a campy good time; albeit with a grounded and internally tormented lead character.

And another thing that I have a small gripe about is *SPOILER ALERT* how the villain, Wilson Fisk, gets away. He flies off in an aircraft that I would have seen the Fantastic Four riding around in, which is a little too silly for how relatively grounded the film was being prior. Yes, it did have plenty of its campy moments but it never felt like a cartoon...for the most part...until the end. Other than that this was still enjoyable for what it is. As long as you're not trying to take it too seriously then it shouldn't be hard to get into.

Bill Bixby does yet another great job in the role of David Banner and shows that he did have some talent behind the camera as a director. It's always fun to see Lou Ferrigno pummeling some bad guys. Rex Smith as Matt Murdock/DareDevil is actually pretty fun and charismatic. And the Kingpin, played by John Rhys-Davies is obviously chewing some scenery. In terms of villains, he isn't a very well developed character but at that point the Kingpin was known best for just being a big bald guy that runs crime from atop his tower so the actor did what he could to at least make him a little fun to watch. So if this sounds like you could sit and have some mindless fun then here you go.

Not good

[ODDBear · 4/10 · 2 January 2007]

David is charged with murder and Matt Murdock (aka The Daredevil) is the lawyer who's handling his case. Then the big green dude and the blind justice seeker join forces to fight The Kingpin.

Ahhhhh, if you thought The Incredible Hulk Returns was a bit on the silly side, you won't think that so much after watching this. The Daredevil scenes are just painful to watch. Rex Smith isn't bad as Murdock/Daredevil but he's just too damn silly when he's fighting the good fight. John Rhys Davies is horrible as The Kingpin who here comes off even worse than Daredevil.

What's worst here is that The Hulk plays second fiddle to the blind lawyer, not even appearing in the (overly silly) climax. This was originally an attempt to launch a series for Daredevil and it's obvious why it didn't take off.

Bill Bixby for the first and only time looks disinterested in the proceedings. This movie has "half hearted" written all over it. The Hulk action is unspectacular (apart from one dream sequence) but Ferrigno nevertheless looks great.

I just hope this was something Bixby had to do before venturing into the last installment which ended the Hulk saga on a high note.

7/10!

[AnnaPagrati · 7/10 · 25 September 2021]

Not my favorite addition to the franchise, but still a good movie!

Could've Been Better, But Still I Have It In My Collection

[daltonml-1 · 5/10 · 11 June 2007]

After a terrific comeback in 1988's "Incredible Hulk Returns", which guest starred Thor, Dr. David Banner and The Hulk return again in 1989 for "Trial Of The Incredible Hulk", this time guest starring Daredevil.

However, in this second TV Hulk reunion, Dr. Banner is accused of assaulting a woman on a subway, which was mainly the faults of these two punks who just escaped a jewel heist. Banner must stand trial for this crime, for which he didn't commit, and has Matt Murdock as his lawyer, played by Rex Smith. And Murdock, as all comic book fans should know, is secretly Daredevil.

However, Banner tries so hard to convince Murdock he can't stand trial due to the fact he changes into something, while trying also to protect his secret of The Hulk while convincing Murdock.

The "trial" turns out to be nothing more than just a dream of Dr. Banner's, where The Hulk shows up in this dream and crashes the courtroom. Shades Of "Dallas" and Pam Ewing! Look closely during this dream scene and you'll Stan Lee in the jury box.

Smith's Daredevil is nothing what Ben Affleck would make look more realistic to the comic book in the 2003 "Daredevil" motion picture. Instead, we have this cheap black ninja-like costume that is so bad, you'd think this more of a karate movie than a "Hulk" reunion movie. And did we get an origin scene of Smith's Daredevil? Nope. Just a little explanation spoken by Matt Murdock, which goes to show him, actions are better than words.

Jack McGee, (Jack Colvin) the nosy tabloid reporter from the classic 70's TV Hulk series, is nowhere in this movie, which could've made this more interesting to watch. His character was desperately missed and needed.

The movie wasn't all bad, it just needed to be a bit more interesting.

Surprisingly Good!

[pepjrp-93102 · 7/10 · 21 August 2021]

It's a slow developing story, but overall pretty enjoyable. Adding Daredevil to the mix was great, and unexpected. The bad guys were mostly wimps and not much of a fight from them. So the action was lacking quite a bit.

It's worth a look for Hulk fans, unless you are a CGI junkie, then you won't like it.

Another Disappointing Reunion Film.

[AaronCapenBanner · 3/10 · 23 August 2013]

Bill Bixby is back again, not only acting(very well as usual) but directing as well, and the opening is quite promising, and captures the feel of the TV series nicely, but once David Banner enters the city, and gets involved with a blind lawyer who turns out to be...Daredevil, the whole thing falls apart. Fine actor John Rhys Davies plays sinister gangster the Kingpin, and it makes you sad to think that New York is still plagued by these powerful criminals, even after the Hulk cleaned up the city back on the TV series! Daredevil is presented in a bland, uninspired way, and this film, like it's immediate predecessor, lacks soul, since Kenneth Johnson was once again not involved. Daredevil is at least plausible(unlike Thor) but film is lifeless, despite the fine performances of Bill Bixby & Lou Ferrigno.

Sadly underrated superhero flick

[untamedrootvegetable · 8/10 · 16 September 2006]

This is essentially a daredevil movie, but I really liked it. It's low budget , but gets the spirit of the comics. I always liked the guy who played Banner (sorry can't remember his name)in the TV series, he was easy to sympathize with. Haven't been able to bring myself to watch the recent daredevil or hulk films. Stan Lee criticized the movie because of daredevils costume and a few other things, but frankly for the budget (and all the early marvel movies were low budget with an oddly 1970's feel),the director and cast have managed very well. As for Fisk/Kingpin being bald, frankly no one could actually look like the giant bald guy portrayed in the comics, also don't remember anyone commenting about gene hackman playing Lex Luther in the superman movies (he is revealed to be wearing a toupee at the end of one movie)

Trial of The Incredible Hulk - Starring...Daredevil?!?!

[Sidnei_Novais · 3/10 · 9 October 1999]

Ok...Ok....this movie don't be compared with the great series of 60's and 70's (one the best series based in super-heroes), but it was could better...the plot is confused, in 20 minutes the movie wins a new protagonist...the Daredevil, a Black Daredevil??? where's the red uniform??? Really...nothing in this don't make justice to the original series...nor the presence of Stan Lee in cast.

Fairly Enjoyable

[Big Movie Fan · 7 June 2002]

Trial of the Incredible Hulk was a fairly enjoyable movie. It had a few minor faults but overall, it was great.

(SPOILERS AHEAD)In the film David Banner was in New York and after encountering trouble he ended up in jail believed to be responsible for the attack of a woman on a train. In fact, he had tried to help the woman but the woman was under pressure from the Kingpin to lie. Along the way, the Hulk/Banner was aided by Matt Murdock also known as Daredevil.

Rex Smith from the TV series Street Hawk played Daredevil who was blind but had heightened senses to help him fight crime. Unlike the comic book Daredevil, this Daredevil wore a black suit (the comic book one wore red). Daredevil was a great character in this film and Rex Smith did a good job.

We also got to see Wilson Fisk AKA The Kingpin of Crime. John Rhys Davies did a good job as the powerful Kingpin.

There were great scenes throughout particularly one scene in the courtroom where David Banner becomes the Hulk in front of a whole jury and a judge-I won't spoil what happens next.

Trial was a great movie. My only complaint was the fact that there was no Jack McGee. McGee was an important character in the Hulk's universe and if he'd have been in this film he could have added a real twist to it. I do think the writers made a mistake not having McGee in this movie.

Worst Hulk movie ever

[hfqureshi · 3/10 · 30 November 2022]

The reason I would count this as the worst Hulk movie ever is because of the climax. Daredevil takeovers completely Hulk doesn't even participate. Most of the movie was good and I loved the scenes that do feature Banner in his Hulk form but there just weren't enough. Hulk may be the title character and he may be the one in all the posters but this was not his movie, it's Daredevil's it is 100% Daredevil's. Daredevil doesn't even accomplish anything all he did was save one women at the beginning of the movie. I kept expecting all of the events to lead up to an amazing climax where Hulk and Daredevil stop Fisk together but it doesn't.

If you are a Hulk fan this movie is not for you, don't let the title fool you. Daredevil fans might like it a bit more but still might be disappointed.

not what it says on the tin...

[mufdivtwo · 1/10 · 31 December 2015]

I first watched this several years ago and I couldn't help laughing cause I have to be honest and say that it cannot be taken seriously of course and would have been better if it had been written as a "comic book comedy" because I think it is impossible to sit and watch the entire movie without laughing and cringing...it really is that bad. the first thing is it called "The Trial of the Incredible Hulk" and yet the "trial" plays a minor part in the movie and the main focus is upon Wilson Fisk and Matt "daredevil" Murdoch while David 'the hulk' Bellson is barely noticeable and frankly looks tired and depressed in my opinion. in fact its possible that during the time the movie was made Bill bixby's prostrate cancer was starting to spread which would explain why he looked Tired...in fact its sad that his career and life would end four years after this awful movie was made. I say that if you want to laugh and cringe for 1 hour 40 minutes...watch this cause it cannot be taken seriously. in fact it is possible to sense Linda Darlow who plays the fake nurse cringing as she fights Matt "daredevil" Murdoch in the hospital. its so predictable cause its obvious that she would lose and then the great build up to the "fight scene" between Daredevil and Fisk's henchmen which is likewise poorly arranged. in fact there is is no fighting except the predictable punch here and there which ends with Fisk flying away in a spaceship with his disloyal sidekick who helps Daredevil free Ellie Mendez. and the movie ends with David Bellson hitch hiking to pastures new. what lets this movie down is the direction...you don't call a film "the trial of the incredible hulk" when the actual trial plays a small part in the actual plot.

Lousy back door pilot for Daredevil

[whatch-17931 · 4/10 · 4 May 2021]

Just like the first reunion movie, it's a failed back door pilot, this time for Daredevil.

An enjoyable TV movie

[Rautus · 10/10 · 21 August 2007]

I watched The Trial of the Incredible Hulk on TV a while ago and I actually liked it, I've seen it three times now. The film focuses a little more on Matt Murdock and his alter ego Daredevil then David Banner and the Hulk manly because this film was going to start the Daredevil TV show. The film sees David Banner moving from another place again and heads to New York for a place to stay while trying to find a way to stop the transformations, meanwhile a diamond heist is done and two of the thieves go on a train with Banner on, one of them decides to rape the young women on the train and after attacking Daivd he changes and attacks them both then runs off and changes to Banner but the police find him and arrest him thinking he did it. In prison he meets blind lawyer Matt Murdock who tells him that the women Ellie claimed he tried to rape her, David explains that he wants to stay in prison. Matt then goes to Ellie and talks to her and she lies to him then he leaves. One of nurses working for Wilson Fisk also know as the Kingpin is told to kill her and that night when she goes to Daredevil shows up and stops her.

Wilson Fisk then comes up with a plan to kidnap Ellie to lure Daredevil then ambush him and defeat him. He also wants David Banner killed so in prison a sharp object is passed to his cell where the prisoner has to kill him but suddenly he's told that he needs to see someone. David Banner meets the Captain who tells him what's going on then he goes into his cell again. Ellie is soon kidnapped by one of the Kingpin's men, Matt then tells David that he needs to go to trial but after a nightmare of what could happen David changes into the Hulk and escapes. Daredevil then finds David's apartment and asks him to come with him at first he doesn't want to but Daredevil shows him who he really is and they go to his house where he explains to him how he became blind and how he can see sound like a radar. He then asks David to help him find Elley and stop Wilsom Fisk, he's given a possible location by the Captain and goes their where he finds Ellie but also gets ambushed by Kingpin's men and gets beaten up buy suddenly David changes into the Hulk and beats them, then Daredevil sees what happens to David. AFter recovering from his injuries Daredevil and David go to Wilson Fisks tower to rescue Ellie and stop the Kingpin.

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk is a pretty good TV movie that fans of the Hulk, Daredevil and the TV show should enjoy. 10/10

I absolutely loved Rex Smith as Daredevil.

[dayton-w-price · 10/10 · 27 June 2020]

This film is the second TV movie in the Incredible Hulk TV movie trilogy, along with the others is simply perfect, I'm what you call a die hard or over obsessive fan of the Incredible Hulk, and I have these movies and the tv series to thank for that. The joy I have with these movies are due to that fact that I watched them with my Father, my hero. And that gives me a massive nostalgia for them, I can't praise Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno enough, I feel like a broken record. Rex Smith was very enjoyable as Matt Murdock the blind lawyer from Hell's Kitchen, the masked crime fighter Daredevil. I freakin love his black on black outfit, it's so badass. I love these movies and always will. 10/10 across the board.

The Hulk Stays Strong...

[moviefanesc · 3 September 2003]

Second TV movie after the cancellation of the Incredible Hulk series holds well. In this film Bruce Banner heads to New York still trying to find a cure for his transformation spells into the Hulk. In the process he is arrested for the attempted rape of a young woman in a subway (in fact he actually helped her). He is given Matt Murdock as his lawyer and with the help of his alter-ego Daredevil he sets out to prove his innocence and rescue the woman who has been kidnapped. As part of a plan to release a Daredevil TV show Universal thought it would be good to see if audiences will enjoy Daredevil. Oh well the show never went further than this, but it still is a pretty good original appearance for Daredevil. Followed by The Death of the Incredible Hulk. 3 1/2 OUT OF 5 STARS.

Marvels first outing with The Man Without Fear

[srepolt · 10/10 · 21 April 2015]

Since the release of Marvels new Netflix Daredevil series, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit this TV movie. I have always been a fan of The 1970's Incredible Hulk TV show. I thought Bill Bixby played the human side of the Hulk very well and quite honestly, I don't think any of the newer actors have come close to his portrayal. What makes the three TV Hulk movies interesting is that Bixby intended to finish the Hulk saga since the television series ended abruptly without giving the show or story a proper farewell. The first Incredible Hulk TV movie featured Thor and the story of Donald Blake while the second film featured Matt Murdock aka Daredevil. You can clearly tell that this film intended to be back door pilot for a future Daredevil TV series because the story mostly focuses on Matt Murdock and his war on crime against the Kingpin. This movie is by no means great but it does do something's right and for me it was fun seeing Bixby reprise the role of David Banner. As I understand, Frank Miller used the look of Daredevil in this film when he wrote his retailing of Daredevils origins in his Man Without Fear mini series. It appears that Marvel, Netflix and co were also heavily influenced by Daredevils look in this film when they were designing Daredevils urban ninja costume in the current Netflix series. If you are a fan of the 70's Hulk show you will definitely find some entertainment in this. If your curious about where Daredevils black ninja outfit came from then this movie is worth a watch. This movie is cheese but in a good 1980's way and if you love superheroes as much as I do, then give this a watch.

For a low budget 80s TV movie brilliant, just a couple of flaws

[dbcra · 9/10 · 11 April 2020]

I loved this interpretation of the Hulk and adding kingpin. The acting by bill bixby as well as by Rex Smith is amazing. Even though the kingpin is not bald or strong fighter like in the comics, they got the message across how powerful a crime lord he was. The only thing was the attack in the subway car. If I was a crime lord and two of my guys pulled a stunt like they did on Ellie Mendez, and it goes double if not triple after committing the jewelry robbery, I would have had those two dismissed, mafia style because they brought too much attention to Wilson Fisk. Also, the guy with the black hair seemed more professional of the two guys yet he never tried to restrain his partner during the attack on Ellie Mendez? That part I didn't understand. Of course, if this didn't happen there would be no movie.

Enjoyable made-for-TV movie

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 19 February 2012]

Dr. David Banner (superbly played by Bill Bixby, who also directed) gets jailed for assault after stopping two men from terrorizing a woman on the subway. Banner's shrewd blind lawyer Matt Murdock (a fine performance by Rex Smith) turns out to be vigilante superhero Daredevil, who enlists Banner's assistance in taking out arch criminal Wilson Fisk (John Rhys-Davis in top-rate smoothly villainous form). Bixby, working from an earnest and engrossing script by Gerald Dipego, relates the compelling story at a steady pace, maintains a serious tone throughout, and stages the action set pieces with a reasonable amount of flair and competence (a nightmare sequence with the Hulk trashing a courtroom rates as the definite exciting highlight). Moreover, the teaming up of two classic Marvel superheroes is both interesting and inspired, plus the Hulk (intensely portrayed with growly menace by Lou Ferrigno) seems more fearsome and dangerous than ever. Bixby and Smith display a natural and engaging chemistry in the leads, with sturdy support from Nancy Everhard as Murdock's smitten partner Christa Klein, Marta DuBois as the frightened Ellie Mendez, Nicholas Hormann as Fisk's cowed henchman Edgar, and Joseph Mascolo as hard-nosed police chief Albert G. Tendelli. Both Chuck Colwell's sharp cinematography and Lance Rubin's melodic and melancholy score are up to speed. Worth a watch for fans of the series.

He's back...with a friend. ;)

[Phil-King-1967 · 8/10 · 24 May 2013]

I want to start by saying unlike a lot of reviews for this movie i think this one is better than The Incredible Hulk Returns movie but it still has the odd looking Hulk make-up and not quite as bad music but still could have been better, especially when David is transforming into The Hulk. I loved the sound they used in the series.

Here was have another Marvel star in the guise of The Daredevil with a couple more Marvel characters thrown in for good measure, and once again this felt like another pilot to a TV series. The movies worked really well but could have been more of The Hulk in it and the Daredevil fight scenes could have been more convincing. That aside it was still good to see The Hulk back and if they decide to bring more Marvel friends then more the merrier i say.

I love how they are not playing it safe with these Hulk movies, there was still nothing in TV like this and will always be my favorite TV drama franchise.

Keep them coming i remember thinking when i 1st saw this many years ago and they did.

This movie was followed by The Death of The Incredible Hulk.

A fair shot of the trilogy!

[GOWBTW · 8/10 · 31 January 2006]

"The Trial of The Incredible Hulk" was not bad at all. Although, like the TV show, there were a few flaws in it. For instance, David Banner(Bill Bixby) has a beard at the beginning. When he "hulks" out, The Hulk(Louis Ferrigno) is clean shaven. At one point on "TIH" cartoon I saw the Hulk with a beard and mustache. Sounds strange from what I saw, but that's how things go in the made for TV movie. At least they got one superhero right. Daredevil(Rex Smith), the blind lawyer/vigilante crime-fighter who stops evil in its tracks. Then there's Wilson Fisk(John Rhys-Davies)AKA "The Kingpin". Of course they can't use that name because this man has hair, The real Kingpin of crime is BALD! He's battled Daredevil in the past, as well as Spiderman, The Hulk will smash him up, easily. Not a worth fiend for the Green Goliath. I liked the part where Daredevil went into the trap that Fisk has sent for him, and The Hulk smashed the little window and took out all the assailants. That was great. This movie is exciting all the way, it could have added more action to it, especially with the jail break scene. And the courtroom scene was great as well, if the sandals Ferrigno wore didn't give him away. Other than that, I enjoyed it very well. Rating 3 out of 5 stars.