Hancock (2008)

Perhaps I'm being generous, but I think this movie deserves some credit. It's a serious take on a dysfunctional superhero that isn't based upon a Marvel Comics or DC Comics character. The special effects aren't as good as a movie like Transformers, but at least you aren't getting an animated CGI character hopping around like you do in Hulk and Spiderman. It appears that several elements of this movie may be inspired by the now defunct Broadway Comics. The classic scene of a car being skewered on a spire was depicted in the "Powers That Be" comic and the dysfunctional marriage relationship in the movie is not unlike the "Shadow State" comic by Broadway. Perhaps seeing similar depictions hit the big screen made me appreciate the movie more.

Will Smith and Charlize Theron do a great job. The hero is flawed, but he's not a wimp. The movie's biggest weakness is the pacing. Some of the special effects go by so fast that you don't get to appreciate them. Some of the drama plays out so slowly that you might be wondering why they don't rush it along. The movie is faithful to the trailer. It's tough writing a spoiler-free review of this since there are some great twists in the plot.

Fmovies: I caught a preview showing of Hancock tonight. I enjoyed it for what it was which is a fun, mostly fast-paced popcorn flick. The writers of the film also tossed in a nice plot twist that I didn't see coming but it turned out to work just fine. This isn't Shakespeare so I don't demand a lot of deep thought just some escapist fun. Will Smith does an excellent job of playing the disinterested superhero with an existential crisis. It was good to see Jason Bateman again but a bummer as well seeing how he has aged. This means I am not so young myself anymore. Jae Head didn't overact nor did the script writers push the "cute" button to the point of being saccharine. It will be interesting to see how this movie performs to see if Smith wants to do a sequel. So I am more than happy to recommend Hancock to fans of the "Summer Blockbuster" and those who enjoy Will Smith.

A very good idea sadly undercooked. Rushed and thoughtless but with hints at what it might have been. All of that makes the experience a rather frustrating one. Will Smith is, without question, one of the best actors around and as Hancock, he uses every tiny opportunity to make the whole ludicrous thing almost palatable. When the camera is on him we feel the potential. There is a human being there in an impossible situation. Peter Berg, the director, lets his eye move around as if under the effect of a very powerful drug. Massive, nervous close ups in a story that tries to be missing the point at almost every corner. The actors are photographed harshly showing every skin imperfection even on the wonderful Charlize Theron. I wonder if that was on purpose. In fact that's what I wonder about the whole enterprise. Was it on purpose? Was the thoughtlessness part of the plan? If so, I don't get it.

Hancock fmovies. I also was at the test screening in Peoria AZ. The film was spot on for the first hour. Jokes were hitting left and right, Smith and Bateman displayed good chemistry, and the special effects, though not always finished, were eye popping nonetheless.

Without giving it away, the final half hour was flat, straying from the comical nature that had preceded it and instead tried to get philosophical and introduce a week paint'by'numbers villain. I spoke with director Peter Berg after the film and he seemed fully aware of the issues relating to the final act. Hopefully the recent "re shoot" will polish up that last act, making Hancock one of the must see blockbusters of the summer. In the form I saw it; it still has a ways to go.

The latest Will Smith effort is much different from the average big budget flashy superhero movies that have dominated the box office the last few years. Don't go to Hancock thinking you are seeing another Superman, Fantastic 4, Ironman or Hulk. The superhero angle is treated much differently here. I think part of the perception problem with this film is from the silly trailers we have seen for the last 6 months. Those trailers represent a small part a movie that is so much more to than a drunken superhero throwing a whale at a boat, swearing at a kid or wrecking the city. Sure, there are laughs in this movie, but it's Will Smith! He's FUNNY! Go see Hancock because it's DIFFERENT from the mega-budget movies that come straight from the comic book pages complete with a witty Stan Lee cameo. Don't get me wrong, I loved Ironman and The Hulk. But Hancock is not a movie that will have comic book geeks arguing on message boards about how the movie left so much out and the character was nothing like the comic. It is a film with a story that happens to be about a guy with super powers. Besides, it's got Will Smith and Charlize Theron in it! How can you go wrong?

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILER ***

I NEVER write on these opinion boards but I might start with this one. I felt as though I needed to stick up for the movie after reading all the horrible reviews. I went to see it on the 4th, mainly because the trailers looked entertaining and because I enjoy Will Smith. This movie is not at all what I expected. There is a surprising turn of events that I did not see coming. Will Smith, in his usual style, is quick, funny, witty, and charming and I thought the timing between he and Jason Bateman was perfect. If you are expecting to see a movie along the lines of Hulk, Iron Man, Batman, etc, don't go because you won't enjoy it. If you are going because you like the cast and are ready to be entertained for 1 hour and 20 minutes out of your life, then it is definitely worth the price of admission.