About.com Rating
Action dramedy Hancock smashes the superhero mold for the first half of the film, and then spends the last half messily trying to piece it back together. Will Smith's playing a troubled anti-hero with a drinking problem and no compassion for the victims he saves. It's an intriguing premise and one ripe with opportunity. Yet other than one good gotcha twist, Hancock blows its shot at breaking new ground.
It resorts to trying to shove a square peg happy ending into a round hole that should have been filled with something more closely matching the film's nobody's perfect premise.
Will Smith is the king of summer films and chances are Hancock won't cause him to lose his throne, but it's not the quirky, fun summertime romp audiences have come to expect from one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. Smith never lets us down but his director Peter Berg and screenwriters Vince Gilligan & Vy Vincent Ngo definitely do. Berg, Gilligan & Ngo create half of a good movie and then lose their way. The first hour or so is everything you want out of a superhero movie with dark humor and some terrific action scenes that play out in a most unusual way. The set-up is there, but the big payoff is a huge letdown.
The Story
John Hancock (Smith) wakes up on a park bench, empty liquor bottle close at hand, and with a small boy begging for his attention. There's a shootout happening on the freeway and the police need help.
But Hancock, hung-over and looking like he hasn't washed in weeks, doesn't care. All he wants is for this kid, who calls him an a-hole (a recurring gag throughout the film so get used to it), to go away. Still, it's his job to save the day and so he streaks into the sky, crashes through freeway signs and sends cop cars flying before landing in the backseat of the bad guy's car. Now, subtly isn't in Hancock's vocabulary and neither are the words 'delicate landing'. $9 million worth of damage later, Hancock's latest 'good deed' is yet another in a long string of rescues that have left the citizens of Los Angeles, the police department, and prosecutors ready to lock Hancock in jail and throw away the key.
And, actually, Hancock does wind up in the slammer. PR guy Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), a well-meaning family man Hancock saved from being turned into mush by a train, takes on the job of reworking Hancock's image. It's a daunting task as Hancock has pretty much alienated all Los Angelinos, even the ones who owe their lives to the obnoxious superhero. Anyway, after introducing Hancock to his wife, (Charlize Theron), and young son, Aaron (Jae Head), Ray convinces him to issue a public apology, surrender to the authorities, and pledge to turn over a new leaf.
Gone are the days of boozing it up. Ray has worked miracles and now Hancock's complimenting the cops and even trying to learn how to smile. He's the good guy everyone wants to root for, but there's a big problem. Ray's pretty, perky wife has a secret – and it involves Hancock's past.
The Cast
Hancock's problems aren't the result of poor acting. Will Smith's always charming, even as a superhero who's done playing nice with ordinary people, and it's impossible not to like the guy. Jason Bateman's equally as appealing playing a warm-hearted public relations professional who sees the good in everybody. And Charlize Theron, underutilized for the first half of the movie, is the reason to stick around for the movie's second half.
The Bottom Line
When and why did directors decide audiences love shaky cam shots? This trick has become popular amongst various filmmakers, which leads me to believe these directors haven't plopped their butts down in a theater, watched a movie alongside paid ticketholders, and listened to their reaction to these unnecessarily jarring scenes. You know, if you can't get the message and the emotional overtones of a scene through to the audience via the script and acting, shaking the camera isn't the answer. What's the point of shaky cam around a boardroom or dinner table? It's like the director's yelling in my ear, 'I know this scene isn't engaging you, so I'll liven it up by shooting it handheld. It's cool – you know you love it!' If there's a problem with the scene, fix it. Don't settle for using a handheld camera moving around the room as a means of pumping up the sequence.
And don't use the shaky cam technique during an action scene unless it's 100% necessary and makes sense for the story. A TV cameraman running for cover during a war? Yes, by all means use the shaky cam. A heated exchange of words that leads to someone being hit or thrown? No, just shoot the damn thing so we can tell what's actually going on. And while I've got your attention, there's no need to circle around your subject over and over again unless you're trying to either give your audience a headache or you have money invested in motion sickness medicine. Stop being cute with the camera and show us the action. Rant over – for now.
The wow factor is missing from Hancock. In a summer that's seen the rebirth of The Hulk and the emergence of Iron Man as a superhero to be reckoned with, Hancock needed to be much more than a series of explosive action sequences. Unfortunately, Hancock falls flat and doesn't deliver on its initial promise. This was supposed to be something totally unique, totally inventive – something that not only entertained but turned the superhero concept on its head. Instead, Hancock is actually one of the more forgettable and disappointing big budget productions of 2008.
GRADE: C
Hancock was directed by Peter Berg and is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence and language.