Oh pleeeez....now you're really reaching. It's not that complex. Word-of-mouth kills movies. The word of mouth among most fans was disappointment! Yeah...."some" love it. They dug all the psychological crap that didn't fit. They liked the silly comic book panels. They like Sam Elliot's lifeless performance. They even like The Absorbing Dad at the end.
But obviously those that disliked it, out-numbered the Ang Lee fan club.
There were very little fans going back to see it again (me being one of them). That's the bottom line. TIH hit every note....even had the right guy that looked like Banner (Ed Norton). Was it everything I wished for? No. But it was still better written and better paced. And connecting it with the Marvel Movie Universe was a keeper!
I think TIH would have made evn more money, if Ang's movie hadn't left such a bad taste in fans' mouths.
Inflation.....good grief.