Gotta say it... not that impressive. If black people were going to latch on to this character as the first big "black hero", they should look elsewhere.
I enjoyed watching this movie, Will Smith was convincing as an atypical superhero. A bum of a hero. Jason Bateman was also good at portraying a nice guy in spite of the "situation" he was in.
I find Will Smith to be charismatic and engaging in just about anything he does. How Peter Berg managed to make a nearly unwatchable film with him in it I'll never understand.
I remember the uproarious hatred that Ang Lee's "Hulk" received upon it's release. Many demanded for a remake, and claimed that Lee completely missed the point and took the story in a wrong direction. When it was eventually reenvisioned into "The Incredible Hulk", however, it felt counterproductive - there was so much more Hulk smash with so much less Hulk heart. But the issue was as simple as this - Bruce Banner is not a compelling character. He's a nerdy white guy who goes green and big when he's mad. Whoopi-dee-doo. "Hancock", however, is perhaps a superhero film in the most need of a remake. Hancock IS an interesting character, and this material is incredibly promising... but there's a little too much Hancock smash, and not enough Hancock heart. Had this been the equivalent of Ang Lee's "Hulk" as opposed to "The Incredible Hulk", this could have been a legitimately great drama. What we have now is a slightly above average superhero movie that simply can't find it's voice.
John Hancock (Will Smith) is foul-mouthed, unpleasant, and a drunk. He's also a superhero. His superpowers are never fully explained, however he does the sorts of things that Superman would do with his own little drunken pizazz. The difference here, however, is that "Hancock" is set in a real world in which he must pay consequences. Sure, he might have saved that beached whale, but how about that yacht he destroyed? Hancock's latest stunt has caused $9 million dollars of collateral damage, and he's universally hated by the public and the media. They want Hancock in prison, and they'd sure as hell put him in there if a prison could contain him.
One day, Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) is saved by Hancock from an oncoming train. However, in the process, he wrecks a few cars and ends up completely derailing the train from it's tracks. Ray's repayment for saving his life is simple - he will serve as a P.R. representative for Hancock. With a little makeover, Ray believes, Hancock could be the type of superhero that the country needs. Ray welcomes Hancock home to his wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), who never fails to give Hancock a conspicuous look in the first half of the film. And thus, the partnership begins, and the city starts to see that maybe a guy like Hancock is useful afterall.
The most common criticism of this film is it's "twist" about halfway through. Prior to seeing the film, i'd been bombarded by friends spreading their displeasure of said twist, and therefore I was expecting the worst. However, I didn't think it was bad at all. In fact - it would have made a very compelling story on it's own. The problem is that although the story is essentially Shakespearean tragedy, it only has about 45 minutes to develop and a whole bunch of explosions in the way. There's two films here - the origins of Hancock and his relationship with a former accomplice, and Hancock the superhero. Both films sound like they'd be worth seeing, and it was a shame they were put together into such a short time frame.
One of the things I admired about Hancock was how it wasn't obsessed with a villain. Every superhero needs an archnemesis nowadays, and the studios job is to make them look as cool as possible to sell a whole bunch of action figures. Now, i'm not saying "Hancock" couldn't use a memorable character like the Joker, but there was something so satisfying about a random "lead" thug. The thug, played by Eddie Marsan (who should be in the running for Best Supporting Actor for his work in "Happy-Go-Lucky"), wasn't exactly menacing, but it wasn't conventional. This was one of the only superhero films i've never seen where the hero didn't ever really meet a villain that was his equal.
Obviously, the strength of the film relies solely on the strength of it's performances. It's a star vehicle for Will Smith, and he continues to light up the screen with enough charisma to make you feel like you're watching something special. Will's good here, but perhaps too handsome and recognizable to be playing such a bum. Jason Bateman is likable in everything he does, and he's also enormously charming. He's certainly someone i'd like to see around even more than he already is. Charlize Theron is wonderful, and this film really illustrates what an underrated performer she is (lets forgive "Aeon Flux" for now).
While the majority opinion was that "Hancock" was a huge disappointment, I found myself pleasantly surprised. This material is so innovative and interesting that it would take a heck of a lot to make a film that isn't even remotely compelling. I'll fully admit that this is more brainless than it should be, but for what it is I was certainly more than entertained. It's biggest problem is simply what it could have been.
Most of the fun you might expect from a summer blockbuster is here, but the latest offering from the crowd drawing Will Smith is a very flawed venture. A clever idea for the superhero genre is sadly let down by a dissapointing second half. Very much a disjointed movie, but the action is great, the comedy is well paced and the direction is top notch. It's nice to see a superhero have to face consequences, but I really wish the finale wasn't so silly. Good fun for the most part!
This movie didn't do much for me. It was sloppy and kind of boring at times. It felt like something was missing from the story. Other than a few comedic moments here and there, the movie sunked big time.
Better than I thought it would be, and the twist in the middle did alot. The thing I missed the most though was an ending where you saw a happy Hancock. For me, it was hard to tell how he was feeling.
Hmmm.. seemed like it went slight a bit out of the actual plot.
the girl with the same powers were quite a surprise but over done in the end where they come up with strange sort of connection in between them. which i couldn't really understand.
mood divertion from comedy to emotional acts was rather a turn off.
rest was fun, good parody on super heros.
Even with a movie title that lack this much appeal and plot of a superhero that lacks super qualities and a cast with actors I find overrated I still thought I would have been better of watching yestedays news.
Great... A new icon, a drunk ass superhero with his destructive helping... Will Smith shows a great performance as Hancock, the superhero that everybody will love... Charlize Theron wants to show us that she isn't a sweetener in this movie, but the story told different... Jason Bateman at least shows a better performance than the one he does in Juno... Overall, love this new superhero icon that more humanity.. Just disappointed with a ridiculous ending for me... Two thumbs up for Will Smith!
''I gotta wonder what kind of a bastard I must have been, that nobody was there to claim me. I mean, I am not the most charming guy in the world, so I've been told, but...nobody?''
A hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who's trying to repair his image.
Will Smith: John Hancock
''Call me an asshole one more time.''
The only reason I did not award this Hancock one star is that the underlying theme of redemption is a commendable goal. I can even honestly say the first third of Hancock was quite entertaining, but it begins to spiral downwards fast. For lack of a better word, the movie became just predictable and flat. And it's hard to imagine Will Smith in a sub standard flick. John Hancock is far from your average superhero, but the trailer tells you this in itself. What the trailer doesn't tell you, is that after the rogue anti-hero drunkenly parades about as advertised, he has to develop a backbone plot and make the film go from a clever spin on a hot- ticket genre to an emotional action drama. There are entertaining and unique elements that make Hancock shine in ways I guess, but they end up secondary to a emotional occurrence and a two-faced plot concept. It's easy to be deceived these days by the shear unruly star-power that is Will Smith, especially when he's attached to a project dealing with superheroes, a genre that has been a cash blockbuster vehicle. He's talented no matter what he does, and in that regard, Hancock is stupidly enjoyable. While I personally felt his character was too much of an a**hole as the script so frequently and unoriginally puts it, that doesn't mean Smith isn't good at it. He's just a great hero no matter the story or pile of rubbish he stars in.
To quickly summarize, Smith plays Hancock, a lonely, drunken jerk with Superman powers and a public approval rating of zero. When he saves Ray's (Jason Bateman) life, Ray offers his services as a P.R. consultant and the two work to change his image. Eventually, you get to Hancock's back story and some strange but obvious twists take the film down a different path that to explain would be a major spoiler. So from the perspective of a producer that has a decent script with a highly marketable concept written by some nobodies and with a director (Peter Berg) attached whose best action credit is 2007's The Kingdom I would definitely want to sign someone to play Hancock who is going to guarantee me top spot at the box office. Well, result. Smith is such a proved commodity with an amazing streak of top first weekend box office spots that he could get any contract he wants and he should do that.
''People should love you. They really should, okay? And I want to deliver that for you. It's the least that I can do. You're a superhero. Kids should be running up to you, asking for your autograph, people should be cheering you on the streets...''
After Smith, the marks for Hancock are pretty much in the middle lane. The CGI and Berg's directing style is too sloppy for what should be a clean-cut summer blockbuster. His refusal to use any camera stabilizing device works for a few scenes, but most of the time it's just dizzying and the close-ups become dizzyingly obnoxious. The plot concept, which paints a picture of Hancock as a hero and then fills it in with the origin story later instead of the other way around, makes for an interesting affect, but instead of enlightening what we know about Hancock, it ends up taking the film in another direction entirely. While you might think this movie would leave you with themes about turning one's life around and becoming the best you can be, that gets glossed over and you're left stupefied.
Altogether it just feels that something is missing, the plot requires more action. It turns out that PR man's wife happens also to be a demigod, who used to be married to our hero, but had to distance herself from him because it was lethal for both of them. You see, they both lose their respective powers in each others presence, they are fatal catalysts to each other, an Achilles heel, a weakness. So, the she-hero stays with the PR man, while Hancock will continue saving the world. In the mean time, we, in the comfort of our entertainment facilities, experience the sublime, squalid form of so called entertainment. Let me answer the big questions in the following way. Suppose we view Hancock as a symbol, for example, as a symbol of America. The US saves the world by acting as world protector, unilaterally exercising its power, flying hither and dither (think Afghanistan, Iraq). US sticks bad guy's heads into bad guy's butts (think Abu Ghraib). The damage US inflicts onto 'rogue' nations, lost human lives are weighed against the potential good. Meanwhile, we experience the sublime on TV projected by CNN, comfortably resting on sofas and lazy-boy chairs with popcorn and beer.
''Your head is going up his ass, his head is going up his ass, and you get the short end of the straw, cause your head is going up my ass!''
I think, Vincent and Vince Gilligan could do much better with their plot by simply following major event of the latest US wars, using US = Hancock symbolism. And Will Smith? - yes, camera loves him it seems. But for me, it is a memory of Six Degrees of Separation that attracts me like a moth to the flame, to the cinema. It is regrettable, that after amassing such personal success, wealth and authority, he produces such low grade output.
Now, to answer the big question ? Do I regret seeing this film? The answer is yes and no; and not because of the film itself, not because its entertainment value, nor because it made me better or relaxed me and helped me to get through the day. It made me realize yet again that star power and big budgets do not necessarily equal a film of any consequence, of quality and indeed depth and originality.
a great movie~! loved this it was action packed from start to finish will smith charlize theron jason bateman daed faerch valerie azlynn and lauren hill all did outstanding perfomances it was all i expected and more...most definitely recommend this one know i will be watching it again!!!
Im not sure what to really make of this movie. I like it but then again I didn't like it. At times it was absolutely hilarious (eg the jail at the start!!) i don't know how it's a pg-13 and other movies not half as full of bad language gets higher! at the start i was thinking god this is going to be good (although the special effects where a bit dodgey!) we are going to see the movie of him cleaning up then hopefully a big fight against something that challenges him at the end. i was wrong. don't get me wrong it made me jump finding out about her seriously. but.. i found the end although endearing quite a let down. it was a great movie (which to be honest after he cleaned up within about 40 minutes had me thinking, was that it?) at times and a brilliant comedy at others but all in all i think the story itself was a bit of a let down. no challenging fights as a superpower - no evil. just alot of humans and some laws of physics that makes them turn into people and it goes crazy with some water and fake blood. i honestly have no idea what to think about this
I usually don't comment on the actors in movies, but I felt that Will Smith does a great job as an invincible superhero who is struggling with the point of his life.
The story is entertaining as well, although the second half of the movie wasn't as good as the first.
MCT:November 21, 2008
MCT:November 21, 2008
MCT:November 21, 2008
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