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Friday, June 20, 2003

By Scott Mervis, Weekend Magazine Editor

There's no easy answer to that question, and even the staff here can't agree. Obviously, it depends on the child and whether he or she has already seen movies like "Spider-Man" or the "Men in Black" films.

The PG review states firmly that "The Hulk" is not for "young children." I was accompanied by my 7 1/2-year-old sons, whose first question after the movie was when is it coming out on DVD (best guess: six months). He didn't seem freaked at all, but there are some things for parents to consider:

Violence/disturbing images: The most disturbing part of "The Hulk" is what occurs between the parents when Bruce Banner is a boy. It's unraveled in dreamy flashbacks throughout the movie and, ultimately, director Ang Lee deals with a horrifying situation in a graceful and mercifully non-graphic manner (personally, I think the carjacking scene in "Spider-Man," while not as tragic, is more brutally real). The action scenes, of course, are loud and intense, and mostly fantastical. There's a scary one with a mutant dog attack. There are some not-so-bright uses of electricity. The only appearance of blood in the movie is in test tubes, and in a scene where Banner's father (Nick Nolte) cuts his hand. The scraggly Nolte, by the way, might be scarier than the dogs.

Language/nudity: Not much here. No four-letter words starting with "f" or "s." There's a quick Banner butt scene (let's see you blow up to 15 feet and keep your pants on). At some point, he realizes that loose boxers are the way to go.

Pacing: It is slow moving and mature in plot, but the action scenes will make it worth the wait for kids.

Bottom line: The movie is rated PG-13. Ron Weiskind says to take that rating at face value. Barbara Vancheri, another PG critic, says a mature 9 or 10. Tony Norman says a mature 7 or 8. That's how I went, and Hunter didn't wake me up in the middle of the night screaming. People brought babies and toddlers to the screening, but that's a whole other issue. When in doubt, check it out yourself before you take the kids.