In my book, there are two types of superhero films. There is the movie that delves deep into the hero's psyche, trying to understand what makes him/her tick. Then, there is the movie that is all about the action and the fun and the superhero kicking the bad guy's butt. One is very heavy in its material, the other is light and easy.
The biggest problem is that Hancock tries to be both.
Hancock stars Will Smith as an alcoholic bum who just happens to have super strength and the ability to fly. With a bottle of booze in hand, he soars through the skies of L.A., trying to do good, but always screwing up. After incidents like throwing a whale into a boat or impaling a car on a spear, the city and it people are sick of their "savior". So, what's a hated superhero to do?
It turns out Hancock needs is a good PR guy. That's where Ray (Jason Bateman) comes in. After Hancock saves his life, he offers to give the embattled superhero a complete public makeover, by proving how important he is to the world. Everyone, including Ray's wife Mary (played by Charlize Theron). I turns out Ray's plan, which includes a stint in prison, actually works, and the city grows to love the man they used to despise.
What really makes this movie great is the comedy. The laughs barely stopped in the first half of the film. Will Smith will have you in stitches, especially when he is drunk or pissed off. The side-splitting scene is when Hancock is confronted by the inmates he put there. What happens next defies anything I have ever seen in my life. Despite playing a jerk, Smith has a charm that makes him very likable (even when he throws a kid 30,000 feet in the air).
The movie looses a bit of momentum when they try to shift the film from a raucous comedy to a serious drama with romantic undertones. What seemed like a simplistic plot actually has much more to it. You see, Hancock is immortal, but he has no memory past 80 years ago. There is no one who can fill the blanks, or so he thinks. It turns out Ray's wife Mary knows more about Hancock than even he knows. I'll leave it at that, but it gets more complicated.
It's actually a fascinating plot that even has some religious undertones. It's just not presented well through this film. The movie tries to stuff so much into the 92 minute running time, which ends up slowing down a movie that ran so fast in the beginning.
The director had a tough choice to make; either make the film an in-depth character study of LA's drunkard superhero, or make it a popcorn movie with cool action effects, a lot of swearing, and side-splitting moments. Ambitiously, he tried to fuse both together with very questionable results.
I suggest going to see the movie, mostly because Will Smith is in it and he is fantastic (as usual). That being said, you might be a tad disappointed, especially if you saw either Iron Man or The Incredible Hulk before.
Rating: B-
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