Hancock

Young's Review

When one hears the term superhero, a specific picture comes to mind. A protagonist is called in to save the day and usually does. He or she is a bastion of virtue that has an All-American image.

And then there's 'Hancock'.

John Hancock (Will Smith) always catches the bad guy, but leaves in his wake a trail of property damage and resentment. This tale of a superhero with an image problem certainly does not follow any formula and, while it does not entirely live up to its enormous potential, is a funny and entertaining movie. I am giving it a 'thumbs up'.

The movie opens with a hungover Hancock sleeping on a city bench. A little boy alerts him to the fact that some bad guys are leading the cops on a high speed chase on a Los Angeles freeway. After alienating the kid with a caustic comment, Hancock flies off to remedy the situation. The problem is he also leaves nine million dollars in damage to the city. The police chief publicly denounces Hancock, who doesn't seem to mind.

Shortly thereafter, Hancock saves Ray (Jason Bateman), a public relations specialist whose car is stuck on the train tracks as a train barrels down. Hancock rushes in to save Ray's life, but again causes massive destruction. The crowd that gathers hurls insults rather than praises at Hancock, but Ray comes to his defense. Thus begins Ray's attempt to restore Hancock's public persona. After introducing Hancock to his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and son, Ray tries to convince the surly superhero to turn himself in and go to jail. Ray's logic is that if Hancock goes away for a while, the crime rate will rise and everyone will see just how important he is to the city. While there, the plan is to work on improving Hancock's personality.

The plan seems to work at first, until a twist is thrown into the story regarding the origin of Hancock's superpowers and Mary's true identity. And that is where the recap portion of this review ends (sorry, no spoilers here!).

The three main actors are perfectly cast. Smith again confirms why he is one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. He gives a pitch perfect performance in the lead role, bringing an edge to Hancock the movie going public rarely sees from the normally squeaky clean Smith (the movie is rated PG-13 for language). Smith makes you care about the character even though Hancock is a grade A jerk.

Bateman, who has enjoyed a career renaissance since starring in the woefully underappreciated TV comedy 'Arrested Development', is hilarious. Rarely has an actor been able to draw so many laughs based solely on the manner in which he delivers his lines. Theron is also good as the mysterious Mary. She conitnues to prove that she should be known more for her acting ability than her pretty face.

While the movie bogs down a bit towards the end, director Peter Berg does a nice job of pacing the story overall. It would have been easy for the cast to just mail in its performances because this movie is a guaranteed blockbuster. Much to his credit, Berg refuses to let that happen. All three stars bring their A-game in the movie's more dramatic moments.

The special effects are stunning, as well. Watching the train get derailed and seeing the street get blown apart each time Hancock lands after flying are both awe inspiring tricks.

'Hancock' does have some strange turns and threatens to come apart in the final third, but I still recommend it to anyone looking for some worthwhile summer entertainment. It is funny, action packed and an all-around good time.

Wilsford's Review

Thumb: Up

Notable Characters:
Will Smith – John Hancock
Jason Bateman – Ray Embrey
Charlize Theron – Mary Embrey

Plot (contains spoilers):
See above review.

Reason why I didn’t like it:
• The twist was a little lame and somewhat predictable to me. I mean why would they cast Charlize Theron for the role of wife?

Reasons why I liked it:
• I have said before that my biggest pet peeve concerning movies is when a character goes from one end of the spectrum to the other overnight. I hate that. However when a movie does it right, it is one of my favorite things. This would be an example of that. This is regarded as a superhero movie but to me it was about a man dealing with pain. Outwardly Hancock is rude, careless, and drunk but inwardly he is trying to deal with the fact that people hate him. We see later, in one of the best scenes in the movie, that he has no idea who he is. The story of man seeming all alone trying his best deal with what he is feeling while keeping up the persona of an indestructible man is why this movie was so great.
• Will Smith is a great actor. Played the character beautifully.
• Some people, including myself, thought the twist was lame. However I also thought that it added to the depth of the story and its main character. From my perspective the movie had two parts. The first was about Hancock dealing with feelings and coping with his past. With the help of Ray, Hancock addressed his hurt, turned himself around, and become the loved superhero he wanted to be. At this point the movie could end, Hancock has come full circle and a bad guy was beaten. However, with the aid of the twist, Hancock’s true past is brought to light and now it is one more thing for him to deal with to become at peace. In the end Hancock must make a decision and it is his sacrificial choice that shows the end of his journey.
• Jason Bateman is awesome in this movie. His style of comedy is perfect for this story.

Final Notes: I think I am the only one by saying this but this is, so far, the best movie of the summer. When you look specifically at the story of the character, Will Smith has never done something like this before. Great movie, if you don’t mind coarse language, you need to see it.