Film

The Incredible Hulk Returns

Name: The Incredible Hulk Returns
Genre: Action, Drama, Adventure, TV Movie
Released: 1988
Cast: Bill Bixby, Lou Ferrigno, Jack Colvin, Lee Purcell, Charles Napier

A 1988 TV movie reuniting Bill Bixby's wandering Bruce Banner with Thor, via a mystical colleague. It's earnest action-adventure with practical effects and '80s TV production values—the Hulk rampages, Banner suffers, and Thor shows up to swing a hammer. Made for viewers nostalgic for the original series who don't mind that the seams show.

TMDb rating

3.2

If you liked this

The Death of the Incredible Hulk1990

The final TV movie in this continuity, with higher stakes and a willingness to actually *end* things. Bill Bixby's performance carries real weight; the series had earned its emotional payoff by then.

But Also a creature of 1980s TV movie production. If the format itself dated you away from Returns, this won't convert you. Requires having watched the series first.

The Trial of the Incredible Hulk1989

The middle TV movie, and arguably the best: Daredevil shows up, the legal drama actually matters, Bill Bixby gets real scenes to play. It understands the series was always about Banner's guilt and desperation, not just the green guy.

But Same production limitations as Returns. Television movie lighting and scope. The fight choreography feels constrained by the budget and era.

Superman III1983

Richard Pryor's chaotic energy crashes into a Superman film, creating something tonally weird but genuinely weird—not polished. If you appreciate the awkward sincerity of Returns' Thor team-up, this has similar DNA: franchise heroes in '80s excess.

But It's Superman, not the Hulk, and the film doesn't quite know what it is. Some find it incoherent rather than entertaining. The humor can feel forced.

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The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Omega Man1971

Both wrestle with a protagonist altered by science into something other. But Omega Man uses that transformation as existential loneliness, while Hulk uses it as shame and danger. Same engine, completely different emotional journey.

Charlton Heston alone in Los Angeles after a plague, gradually learning he's not alone. Sci-fi body-horror premise (he's mutating) paired with genuine isolation and philosophical weight. Practical, committed, unafraid to sit with dread. Returns' thematic DNA but in a completely different register.

But Slow, contemplative, and bleak. Very 1970s in its aesthetic. If you want action or comfort, this offers neither. Some find it pretentious; others find it genuinely moving.

The Rocketeer1991

A love letter to practical effects and earnest adventure filmmaking. Not cynical, not ironic—just a good man with a jet pack fighting bad guys. That same *why not?* energy that made Returns swing for Thor.

But Period piece set in the 1930s, not contemporary. Slower-paced than you might expect for an action movie. The romance subplot will test your patience if you're not in the mood for it.

Werewolf1996

A Jean-Claude Van Damme action-horror with genuine ugliness and practical creature design. Grounded, sweaty, committed to the premise. Like Returns but meaner, and less concerned with making you like the hero.

But Much darker and more violent. Van Damme's acting is... Van Damme. If you want the optimistic sincerity of Bill Bixby, you won't find it here.

Freaked1993

Alex Winter and Tom Stern's surreal carnival of body horror and rubber monsters. Uses practical effects to go genuinely strange. Mad energy, committed performances, and zero concern for whether audiences 'get it.' Pure invention.

But Deliberately weird and unsettling—some find it repellent rather than charming. The humor is very '90s and fractured. Not a comfort watch.

King Kong Lives1986

A creature feature sequel that doesn't apologize for being exactly what it is: big ape, romance subplot, military vs. nature standoff. Practical suit work, genuine stakes, and a willingness to be goofy without winking at the camera.

But The romance plot feels dated and drags the film. Kong's suit has visible limitations. For viewers without patience for '80s action-adventure kitsch, this will feel like a slog.