Trailer:
“People hate you Hancock—and they should love you, but your main problem is that you’re an asshole.”
After Will Smith took his name out of the running for Superman back in the day, it was only really a matter of time before some producer said, “Well why don’t we give him his own superhero!” Thus Hancock was born, one of the few original Superheroes out of the 2000’s.
Now I have to say that I have respect for the production team that put their money behind this. The reason we don’t get many non-comic book characters under a large blockbuster is that taking properties from existing properties like Marvel and DC is less risky due to the built in fan base. Yet when one does pop up, it tends to be something of a breath of fresh air.
Hancock actually has a good premise at the core to complement the good actor. The idea of a washed up, drunken, bum of a superhero teaming up with a PR man to improve his public image is kind of fun and clever. The movie itself is actually pretty good 2/3 of the way through. Unfortunately it reaches a point where the film throws in a twist that can only be described as….dumb.
The film is best when it is within the parameters of its central idea. Will Smith and Jason Bateman play off each other well. Hancock himself is kind of this only semi-likable character at the beginning who can’t get anything right. Jason Bateman as Ray Embry is also a likable character that wants to change the world but no one will give him the time of day.
When he meets Hancock he is given the chance to shape him into a better person. Starting with sending him to prison and rehab for all his crimes and misdeeds. This is the part of the film that works well and it’s both funny, with a unique direction, and has it’s fair share of convincing drama.
Where it falls apart is where it attempts to bring Hancock’s old lover into the mix while exploring his back-story. This where the clichés start to spring up and the overall stupid scenes that feel so over the top that they’re eye roll worthy. This includes a clumsy fight in the city, which is little more than an exaggerated lovers spat.
The two main problems with the film are that #1) it needed a better villain and #2) it needed better motivation for Hancock’s shift into a better person. I read an earlier draft of this film that I have to say was vastly superior because it worked a little more to develop in this direction.
The villain in the film is so tiny and obscure he is almost forgotten. He appears in two scenes and never feels like much of a threat. With a strong villain the film would have benefited by having Hancock have to overcome a large threat and win over the city. Unfortunately Hancock already accomplishes this halfway through the movie, leaving little reason to stay in the theater or keep the movie on.
To the second point, Hancock never really has that turning point where he realizes what a douchebag he is and becomes a better person for it. He just kind of goes along with Bateman’s plan and then wakes up the next morning a better person. It lacks the natural transition even though a lot of the prison montage (which was supposed to depict this) worked fairly well and Smith adds a lot of good comedy and emotion to the scenes.
Hancock really is sort of a disappointment, even if it isn’t even a bad movie. It had so much potential to be something unique and even great. A movie about a superhero reforming and a PR man tossed into extreme circumstances sounds like a great mix. Their relationship is the interesting one but it is lost in a sloppy, forced love story. The film loses focus halfway through and falls prey to a bad twist, a lackluster villain, and general superhero film cliché.
FINAL RATING: 5/10- (50%)
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