Released years before the MCU began with Iron Man , took a drastic departure from standard blockbuster tropes. Instead of prioritizing "Hulk Smash" action, director Ang Lee delivered a contemplative Greek tragedy centered on repressed family trauma and the psychology of anger.

The VFX, handled by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), were groundbreaking for 2003. While the Hulk has been criticized for looking "cartoonish" by modern standards, the CGI allowed for a highly emotive, large Hulk that was capable of acting, not just rampaging. Finding "Hulk 2003" on the Internet Archive

Genre Hybridity and Tonal Risks Hulk blends elements of science fiction, melodrama, psychodrama, and action blockbuster. This hybridity yields tonal shifts that some critics and viewers found uneven: introspective family scenes abruptly segue into large-scale military confrontations or comic-book set-pieces. These shifts can feel jarring, but they also reflect the film’s thematic commitment to the coexistence of ordinary human pain and monstrous consequence.

You're referring to the 2003 film "Hulk" directed by Ang Lee!