Hancock (2008)
Hancock is a down-and-out superhero who's forced to employ a PR expert to help repair his image when the public grows weary of all the damage he's inflicted during his lifesaving heroics. The agent's idea of imprisoning the antihero to make the world miss him proves successful, but will Hancock stick to his new sense of purpose or slip back into old habits?
the first half of the film is really good and when you expect the film to end it turns out its still got another 45 minutes to go, that 45 minutes wasn't needed at all if they left it as it was it would of been a good film but because they had that 45 minutes extra it ruined the film for me, that bit wasnt needed they dragged the film on a bit too long with a brand new story which just sucked.
Will Smith stars in what promises to be his most disappointing flick ever to hit the tube. The story Hancock follows the superhero by the same name who has an addiction to liquor and shirks off his duty to protect the citizens of the city of Los Angelis. Not only that but when a crime comes to town he manages to make the situation worse by destroying millions of dollars worth of property in his drunken attempts to stop it, so by now the whole city hates him and wishes he could go off and “save†someone else’s place. Just to add insult to injury he has been branded with the term “a _ _hole†by pretty much everyone he comes across.
Everyone that is except Ray Embrey a well to do idealist that has a dream to make the world a better place by having people display his read heart logo on their product and then give them out for free. Needless to say the manufacturers he has presented his ideas to are not catching the vision. But he has a plan to catch their eye. If he can correct Hancock’s ways and help him become the presentable hero the city longs for perhaps they will catch on that his ideas can change the world for the better.
Seems like an easy enough plot, but half way into it I found myself wondering what type of stupidity I had sat down to. The language in it is not just inappropriate but it is taken to the next level where you find yourself tired of hearing everyone cuss and swear with little or no reason. I am not against an occasional swear word but it can be over done. I don’t think even in LA you would hear so much language. First scean of the movie a young elementary kid calls Hancock an a _ _hole and from then on he is called that countless times by countless people, once in another scene by another kid who says it at least five times. (You’ll find nothing more irritating that the sound of a kid with a thick French accent saying that again and again and again and again.....)
The story line is weak, the characters dull, and in the end you are left wondering if the rental store might be compassionate and give a refund just this once. This makes me mad cause I have learned to expect MUCH more out of Will Smith. Take my word, save your money, DON’T WATCH THIS!!
Movie Mind Says: Add to Online Rental List
If You Like This You Should Watch: Jumper
Better Than: My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Worse Than: Iron Man
Starring: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron
Hancock is a tale of two-halves, starting out as light-hearted, funny, and entertaining, only to cross over into more of a sci-fi thriller focusing on more than just a flawed superhero. I personally preferred the latter, where for the first time since The Man of Steel turned evil in Superman III, we saw inside a much conflicted hero and what life in our world is like. I feel that the story took a turn into the realm of what is typically produced from the genre instead of keeping to this in-depth character portrait it began as. Will Smith is somewhat handcuffed in the role but still manages to be someone I can’t stop watching. He kept the film from completely derailing, since this film could have been the “only one of its kind†instead of your run of the mill superhero flick.
Will Smith is a crass, drunken, obnoxious superhero who may have the “super†part down pat (he can fly and lift cars & buildings and all that schwag) but he has a long way to go in order to learn how to play the part of a “heroâ€Â. He is so detached from society that even when he saves lives, people still wish he would go away. Whether it is his poor attitude or the tremendous wake of destruction he leaves behind, he can’t catch a break in the eyes of his fellow Los Angelinos. So when he happens to save the life of Ray Embrey (Bateman), a PR expert with a heart of gold, things may finally start to turn around for Hancock. Although when Ray’s wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), fails to warm up to Hancock, we learn that it may take a lot more to fix him than Ray is prepared for.
Hancock’s first memory is waking up in a hospital some 80 years ago with no idea of who he was or how he got there. The hospital needed his “John Hancockâ€Â, and the legend had a name. He was told his head was shattered yet he baffled the doctors with his skull’s otherworldly healing. Since he doesn’t age, and can pretty much save the world while nursing a bad hangover, he hasn’t really had to work at making people like him. But by following Ray’s PR advice, Hancock’s new image and polish is starting to win over some former detractors. Although before you get excited about seeing a feature on this unique character, be prepared to get thrust back into something you’ve seen a hundred times. We all know Will Smith wasn’t going to play a part where he is an a-hole for the whole film, but the manner in which he converts is a letdown. Let’s just say there is a twist in the script whose unwrapping is much more of a spectacle than a present itself.
Halfway through the film, we stop seeing Hancock as a flawed superhero struggling to adjust, and instead see him as the sympathetic figure. Like I mentioned, there had to be a reason Will Smith was willing to “slum†in this role for a little while. The problem is, he could have made this memorable if the script stopped focusing on creating a half-baked history to the character. You see, Hollywood always feels there has to be more to a story than just a good story. This is even more true when they dump a zillion dollars into a holiday blockbuster and feel an overwhelming need to add dumb special effects and idiotic back-stories. The Movie Mind hates to see a wasted opportunity like this in whatcould have been a unique take on the classic genre.
This film just ended up all over the place. It struggled to find a true identity and came off very studio-heavy. We all know Will Smith is the king of the July 4th blockbuster, but I rank this one below all of his others (Men in Black, MIB II, Independence Day, Wild Wild West). If you treat it as a superhero flick, then there are no real bad-guys to make for interesting confrontations. On the flip side, if you treat it as a deep look into a unique character, there are too many cartoonish effects and cheesy plotlines to take it seriously. Hancock attempted to give us both sides of the coin, but ended up failing in both. While the formula may be Will Smith + July 4th = Blockbuster…it does not necessarily equate to a good film.
Submitted 7-22-08
Interesting Cameo Appearance: Michael Mann (Writer/Director/Producer of many high-strung action hits such as Ali, Heat, and Miami Vice) as a random business executive listening to Jason Bateman’s interesting sales pitch.
Memorable Quotes:
Rail Crossing Crowd #2: Your breath smells like alcohol!
Hancock: That’s cause I’ve been drinking bitch!
Hancock: Call me an asshole one more time.
Pissed Fat Guy: You know? Somebody should sue you!
Hancock: You know what? You should sue McDonalds, cuz they f*cked you up!
Hancock: Good job.
Hancock: Life here can be difficult for me. I am the only one of my kind.
Hancock: Aah the whole turn the other cheek thing huh? Just never turn this cheek. Don’t let them punk you.
Hancock: Well what you gotta do is take your foot and jam it real hard into his piss pump. And do it real good, so for the next week he can’t use it for anything other than a flap to keep the dust out of his ass crack.
Hancock: Do I have permission to touch your body?
Female Cop: Yes!
Hancock: Alright…this is not sexual. Not that you’re not an attractive woman. You’re actually a very attractive woman-
Female Cop: Get me the hell out of here!
Hancock: I gotta wonder what a bastard I have been. That nobody was there to claim me. I mean I am not the most charming guy on the world so I’ve been told… but… nobody?
Hancock is said to be this summer’s blockbuster. Starring Will Smith and Charlize Theron, this superhero action movie is definetly quite different from others in the same genre. Even though I think it’s an overall good movie, I still feel that it could have delivered much more. So, let’s detail a bit on this.
The plot is quite simple. Hancock (Will Smith) is not a “normal†superhero as you might call him, because he has a drinking problem, he doesn’t seem to care about anyone else, and is consumed by the fact that he is the only one of his kind. One day Hancock saves Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), who is a Public Relations executive and who is going to change Hancock’s life. Soon after, Hancock will discover that he is not the only one of his kind, as Mary (Charlize Theron), Ray’s wife, has the same powers as him.
First of all, the pro’s: I think that the first part of the movie was absolutely hilarious, and the accent was put more on the comedy side. At certain scenes I almost laughed my heart out, and this is a big plus for the movie. The fighting scenes were also good, even though there were quite little throughout the movie. Hancock’s character was quite well developed, especially when his story is told in the second part of the movie.
The con’s: I have to say that I expected more from this movie. First of all, the fact that there was no actual villain kind of pulled the movie back a little. It was just Hancock and hist story, and nothing more to keep up the suspense. Then, I noticed a shift towards a drama in the second part of the movie, where Hancock’s story is developed, when he finds out that Mary has the same abilities as him. To my mind, this shift from action and comedy towards drama was quite abrupt, and if you aren’t prepared for it, you might get bored during the second part. Overall, a few more action scenes, fights and some more special effects would have improved the movie.
To sum up, I think that Hancock is a good movie, but there are certain improvements in key areas which could have been made.
My rating: 8/10
