SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 1 Hour, 40 Min.
The second Incredible Hulk TV reunion film premiered on NBC-TV on May 7, 1989. Co-producing with New World Television (Marvel Comics’ then-owner) is Bill Bixby, who also directed the movie off Gerald DiPego’s script. Per NBC’s expectations, Daredevil’s live-action debut serves as a backdoor TV series pilot; the same previously applied to Thor in 1988’s The Incredible Hulk Returns.
In New York City, posing as farmworker ‘David Belson,’ a bearded Dr. David Banner (Bill Bixby) stumbles into a subway gang attack on enigmatic Ellie Mendez (Marta DuBois). After the Hulk’s (Lou Ferrigno) intervention, Mendez shockingly accuses Banner (her Good Samaritan) of the crime, for which he is then arrested and incarcerated.
Defended by blind attorney Matt Murdock (Streethawk’s Rex Smith), Banner subsequently becomes involved in a mysterious, black-clad vigilante’s crusade against mega-mobster Wilson Fisk (John Rhys-Davies). Attempting to evade revelations of his past, Banner becomes Daredevil’s ally against Fisk. Even with the Hulk watching his back, the masked hero’s super-sensitive, radar-like senses may not be enough to thwart the city’s nefarious ‘Kingpin of Crime.’
Dr. David Banner (aka David Belson): Bill Bixby
The Hulk: Lou Ferrigno
Matt Murdock / Daredevil: Rex Smith
Wilson Fisk: John Rhys-Davies
NYPD Capt. Albert Tendelli: Joseph Mascolo
Al Pettiman: Richard Cummings Jr.
Christa Klein: Nancy Everhard
Ellie Mendez: Marta DuBois
Turk: Mark Acheson
Denny: John Novak
John: Dwight Koss
Farm Supervisor: Meredith Bain Woodward
Judge (dream sequence): Don MacKay
Prosecutor (dream sequence): Doug Abrahams
Baliff (dream sequence): Uncredited
Juror (dream sequence): Stan Lee {cameo}
Note: Double-featured with The Incredible Hulk Returns, this movie has been released to DVD.
REVIEW:
Not even mustering a hung jury, this shoddy Hulk team-up should be found guilty of a wasted opportunity. Instead of finally resolving David Banner’s status quo as a fugitive, Bill Bixby opts for super-hero dreck starring far more Rex Smith than Lou Ferrigno.
Resorting to an unsatisfying plot twist, Bixby has no creative justification excluding Ferrigno from his own movie’s fight scene climax. Perhaps the movie’s production budget saved a few bucks this way, but more of Daredevil’s low-grade, martial art aerobics isn’t what viewers tuned in to see. Exacerbating this dubious segment is Fisk’s laughable escape cop-out, as the movie’s cheapo special effects unconvincingly depict a makeshift helicopter.
Before proceeding further, another awful plot device should be addressed. Trial’s unnecessarily dark vibe extends too far menacing Marta DuBois’ helplessly captive Ellie – i.e. one late scene infers she is likely to endure physical abuse or even potentially sexual violence in a supposedly kid-friendly TV property.
Let’s move on to the dream/nightmare sequence, which is the film’s deceptive attempt at justifying its dramatic title. Specifically, an aggravated Banner’s Hulk-out on the witness stand ignites the Hulk’s unwarranted and exceedingly violent abuse of court personnel. This scene’s continuity is so laughably poor that there’s no logical explanation why a heavily-bearded Banner would then transform into an un-bearded Hulk.
Kudos should go to Ferrigno for performing his iconic role admirably well, no matter how the poorly-scripted Trial wastes his screen presence. By comparison, Bixby’s acting is uninspired (like Returns, it’s far short of his Emmy-caliber work in the TV series); meanwhile, Rhys-Davies treats his villainous cardboard role like the paycheck it is.
Finally, Rex Smith’s ultra-bland, ninja-like Daredevil resembles a bargain-basement Batman (no less than a month before Michael Keaton’s first Batman caper). It’s peculiar watching Bixby & Ferrigno pitch themselves as Smith’s guest stars rather than logically vice-versa. A more capable performer (other than Smith and his stunt double) might have salvaged Daredevil’s potential star power, but Trial’s weakly formulaic plotting would have still made it for naught. As compared to its hokey predecessor co-starring Thor, the blah Trial isn’t nearly half as entertaining, let alone re-watchable.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 4 Stars
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