The Marvel Cinematic Universe is already in its eighth year of existence, with the feature films now in their third phase that kicked off with "Captain America: Civil War" back in May. In just a couple of weeks, the next installment titled "Doctor Strange" will release. 2017 will also have a big year with the releases of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Thor: Ragnorak".

The amazing part about this film universe is that most of the productions have garnered positive critical reviews, especially the film that started it all, "Iron Man", and 2012's "The Avengers". Yet, with so many installments, it might be easy to forget what films are actually worth the critical praise despite maybe not being the best and most financially successful piece. One notable example would be what is just the second installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 2008's "The Incredible Hulk".

Sure, it may only have a 67% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It might also have a somewhat choppy plot with the story of how Dr. Bruce Banner turned into the big, muscular and green humanoid being simulated in the opening credits. But no, I'm not saying it is a bad movie by any means. In fact, I find that is one of the most underrated Marvel Cinematic Universe films.

What actually is a more mediocre film is Ang Lee's 2003 film, "Hulk", which has a 61% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I understand that a 6% difference is not much, but this small percentage is what really sets the two adaptations apart. "Hulk" has a plot that mainly dives into the origins of Bruce Banner. With that said, it is difficult to see the 2003 version as a superhero who saves the day. The Hulk of Ang Lee's motion picture doesn't seem to have a whole lot of crime fighting in him; he is pretty much just figuring out who he is and how to cure himself as well as the issues he faces with his father, David Banner.

Following the iffy reception of "Hulk", Marvel Studios acquired the rights to showcase the popular comic book character, and it became "The Incredible Hulk" director Louis Leterrier's job to make a great movie. He did a lot more than that.

For one thing, this film dives into much more than just how Bruce Banner gained his powers and dealt with the aftermath. This version of Bruce Banner finds himself as someone with a superhuman ability that he may not find useful for the next years of his life, but he actually has a better purpose for it. In the beginning of the film, he is so conflicted and desperately seeking a cure. When an opportunity to give him said cure appears from Samuel Sterns, he returns to the United States. Yet, the thing that keeps him conflicted is the military under General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, the father of his lover, Betty; Ross wants to capture Banner so that he can dissect the gamma radiation inside of him and use it as a military weapon, and he uses superhuman serum on a loaned Royal Marines officer, Emil Blonsky, to help with this task.

He does find Sterns and he attempts to cure Banner. Yet, they seem to be unsure of what resulted after the experiment. When Blonsky loses his sanity as a result of so many doses of serum and becomes the Abomination, Banner is put to the ultimate test of using his powers to stop the creature - despite being unsure if he can even change into the Hulk anymore.

Sure enough, he can - in fact, he is now able to control his transformations. In a sense, this means he himself has enough sanity in his superhuman ego to stop evil forces such as the Abomination. When he defeats him, he is able to start a fresh life as an ordinary human being.

The plot is important and interesting for reasons beyond Bruce Banner and the Hulk. Little does Bruce Banner know at the end that in only a few years time, he will be needed when the Avengers initiative it to be launched - even if it means he will only be needed for his expertise in his scientific fields. "The Incredible Hulk" is one of the films that helps to introduce the Marvel Cinematic Universe and bring all of the characters together for the greatest battles of their lives. Take a look at the scene just before the credits, in which Robert Downey Jr. cameos as plays Tony Stark/Iron Man of the same film universe. He asks General Ross what he would say if he told him a team was being "put together." Also, the final battle in Harlem, New York is considered one of the events of collateral damage that make people question the Avengers roles in fighting evil forces - leading to the ratification of the Sokovia Accords eight years later in "Captain America: Civil War".

What else is great about the film besides the plot and the fact that it fits in with a major film universe, you ask? Well, how about the cast? How could you watch "The Incredible Hulk" without noting the exceptional cast and how well everyone fits into their roles? It's unfortunate that this is the only Marvel Cinematic Universe film featuring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk, but it is clear he did not disappoint. He delivers a spot on and powerful performance of both the human character and his alter ago; he plays a man just trying to remain calm and do right with the world, but you certainly won't like him when he's angry. Liv Tyler was an excellent choice for the role of Betty Rose because she resembles her very well and she shows her genuine concern for Bruce, despite the fact that they were separated from each other for a while. William Hurt, with his white mustache and excellent acting of an intimidating temper, deserves praise for his role as Betty's father. Lastly, Tim Roth, as an English person with acting skills in combat, nailed Emil Blonsky.

Hence the title of the movie, the Hulk himself was absolutely incredible. The CGI effects to make him the big green humanoid that he is were outstanding. In my personal opinion, this edition of the Hulk is the best in terms of appearance. Oh, and how about when he says "HULK SMASH!"? That may have been the best moment of the movie.

The Abomination was an intimidating looking villain as well, especially with the horns on his back. But before Blonsky even became the Abomination, the effects to make him a quick superhuman were so easy to notice and praise as well.

For a film that actually is one of the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is disappointing that there have been no sequels nor other standalone Hulk movies. Mark Ruffalo has taken on the mantle of playing the comic book character in the Avengers movies, and he too is a good fit for the role. But considering how he is the only original Avenger not to have a sequel, it's another reason to see why "The Incredible Hulk" is underrated. In the 2008 film, the villain known as The Leader makes a cameo as his human identity, Samuel Sterns, begins to change into the superhuman. Having The Leader as an antagonist for a sequel would have been an excellent plot developer, but it's too bad there hasn't been anything. On the plus side, we will see some edition of the Hulk from "Planet Hulk" when he appears in "Thor: Ragnorak" next year, which is exciting.

What do you think of "The Incredible Hulk"? What else is notable in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Let me know any of your thoughts in the comments!