Planet Hulk

Based on a recent storyline from the Incredible Hulk comic book series, this direct-to-video animated superhero feature directed by Sam Liu attempts to tell an epic tale on a limited budget and falls short. Here, the Hulk (voiced by Rick D. Wasserman) finds himself rocketed to a planet on the other side of the universe that is supposed to be an uninhabited paradise but is more like an alien sci-fi version of the Roman Empire ruled by someone known as the Red King (Mark Hildreth), a brutal despot who enslaves the big green superhero and sends him into the gladiator ring. Yes, this is the Hulk as Spartacus, the prophetic once and future hero who will free the enslaved populace in this otherwise typically simplified adventure. Hampered by TV-style cel animation that combines limited detail with awkward motion, dialogue more proclaimed than naturally spoken, and character dynamics and story complications reduced to the lowest common denominator, Planet Hulk will find some interest in comic book fans and followers of superhero movies, but it's definitely a second-tier entry. Not a necessary purchase. (S. Axmaker)