7.03.2008

The Hancock Post

I have been excited for this movie for a while now. The concept of a drunken asshole being a superhero offers a humorous chance to do something different in a summer that’s top-heavy with hero flicks. Big budget and different? Sign me up, this is going to be a hit… Unfortunately for the film, its much more befitting of an off-season release, not the 4th of July blockbuster its ad campaign wants to pass it off as. Despite not being what one would originally expect, Hancock has merit to it and is an enjoyable film that will probably not get the credit it deserves. Hancock is to Will Smith what The Matador was for Peirce Brosnan. It’s an off-kilter film with an overly flawed anti-hero at the helm, played by someone who traditionally takes contrasting roles.

However Hancock’s strength is in his character itself, not so much in Will Smith’s portrayal of the boozing ‘hero’. The first half of the movie works really well, and is pretty much a chronicle of a failed superhero destroying more than he saves. His interactions with the angered citizens, constant need to smash anything in his bumbling path, and a mean streak that makes Marty McFly’s ‘don’t call me chic
ken’ pale by comparison; all make the character extremely entertaining. One of my favorite lines is at the beginning where Hancock threatens three uzi-toting badguys: “That’s it, your head is going up his ass. Your head is going up his ass. And you drew the short straw because your head is going up my ass.” I wont ruin any more quotes for you, but sufficed to say Hancock’s back and forth with those he ‘saves’ is absolutely priceless and he more than delivers on his head-to-ass threats. Never before have I seen a movie so constrained by PG-13 rules. They should have taken the hit and gone for the R-rating and delivered the movie they clearly wanted to.

After the first act the film eventually realizes that it needs a conflict on top of its original premise. Unfortunately for us the plot is pretty weak, predictable and a tad blasé. On the plus side they waste no time in getting to the point and resolving the conflict very quickly. While this gets the required elements out of the way, it does cheapen the experience and have you wondering if you’d rather watch a story progress, or just clips of Hancock screwing stuff up. Personally I’d vote for the latter. Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron (you're welcome) provide their support when they can but are both cut short with shallow characters that don’t really accomplish much in a very Smith-centric movie. All said the movie is as flawed as its star, but delivers
a character that is worth seeing. Jack Sparrow is worth seeing ‘Pirates for even if you can’t stand pillaging and plundering, and I feel Hancock is the same way even if his movie doesn’t do him justice.

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