“The Incredible Hulk” takes green to the extreme, flexing its mutated biceps and managing to… “The Incredible Hulk” takes green to the extreme, flexing its mutated biceps and managing to impress, even in the shadow of its confusing predecessor, 2003’s “Hulk.”

This film is considered both a sequel and a reimagining. There’s a whole new cast and a whole new Hulk – he’s greener, angrier and smashier. He’s even more realistic this time around. Picking up the action a few years after the first film, Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is trying to purge the Hulk from his system like audiences are trying to purge memories of the first movie. Banner has fled the United States, seeking refuge from U.S. Intelligence and his anger through various methods, including an elaborate display of diaphragm control.

He finally slips up, though, and Gen. Thaddeus Ross (William Hurt) and soldier Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) are on him like green on giants. In between the cat-and-mouse moments, Banner confides with Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), asking her to both help and fear him.

The film features dizzying cinematography, dark lighting and enough Marvel Comics references to make the most die-hard fan squeal – one in particular involves the legendary Stan Lee in a cameo that was met with approving chuckles.

The other cameo, a surprise of sorts, is a familiar face from a recent Marvel film, which was met with thunderous applause. Luckily, the movie doesn’t rely on any special guests for its success.

The new “Hulk” cast is impressively solid. Small man Edward Norton gives his best performance in possibly his most complex role since “Fight Club,” showing both a fugitive on the run and also someone trying to find inner calm amid the gamma-fueled madness. Tim Roth might come off unlikable as his foil Blonsky, but he’s an enjoyable villain, especially in his final form as “Abomination,” a mutated superhuman that only the Hulk can smash.

Liv Tyler deserves just as much recognition – superhero movies aren’t exactly renowned for their female supports, but Tyler comes off as strong and vulnerable when working with Norton, and the two are terrific together. Despite pouting for much of the film, she might still be the strongest female character in a hero movie in recent history. She’s a go-getter, not a typical victim of happenstance like audiences are accustomed to.

The special effects are just as big as the actors. The Hulk has never looked better or meatier – this guy is ripped and it shows. His proportions are still realistic, though, so there’s no risk of him exploding from becoming too hulked out. This movie shows what the Hulk would look and act like if he were real, thankfully, because director Louis Leterrier kept this adaptation as close to reality as possible – as much as gamma ray-fueled superhumans can be, anyway.

This Hulk is much more likeable than his predecessor because his abilities seem much more realistic. He’s not jumping for miles like he’s made of air – he typically stays on the ground, where the things that go smashy-smashy tend to be. Lou Ferrigno, the Hulk of the late ’70s TV show, voices the new Hulk in a clever throwback for fans.

The fight scenes are evenly paced throughout the movie, keeping the audience as pumped as the Hulk. The dialogue scenes never drag, with enough humor to balance the drama, all while culminating to possibly the most satisfying climax in superhero movie history.

The movie is far from perfect, though – the dialogue is usually too plain and eventually reeks of monotony.

It also builds a lot on previous knowledge of either the comics or the first movie, which is tricky, because this movie was an attempt to make people forget about the original. If you don’t already know about Bruce Banner’s unique condition, you’re at a loss.

Regardless of its own flaws, in comparison to the first movie, this “Hulk” is a smash.