Hancock
Cast: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron, Eddie Marsan
Dir: Peter Berg
Rating: 2/5
There are heroes... there are superheroes... and then there's Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility, everyone knows that, everyone, that is, but Hancock.
Edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock's well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake.
The public has finally had enough as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they ever did to deserve this guy.
Hancock isn't the kind of man who cares what other people think until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), and the sardonic superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all.
Facing that will be Hancock's greatest challenge yet and a task that may prove impossible as Ray's wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), insists that he's a lost cause but she may hold the key to his past.
Hancock joined the legions of movies that battled it out this summer for supremacy at the box office all wanting to be the holiday period's top film, unfortunately Hancock did not win the title or come anywhere near.
It's hard to understand where this film went wrong as director Peter berg assembled a great cast of Smith, Bateman and Theron for this all action comedy but for some reason it just doesn't work partner this with some truly awful CGI and it's difficult to believe that this film topped the box office.
For the opening half hour or so it looks promising an anti comic book movie where it's leading man is an alcoholic superhero living like a hobo and you are more likely to see him watching daytime telly than saving the world.
But then the whole story just implodes as Hancock's past is revealed as well as who Mary really is and you are just left thinking what? The superhero movie was taken to new heights this summer with the likes of Iron Man and, in particular, Batman and I'm afraid Hancock is lagging way behind that not even Will Smith cannot save this film from dying a painful death.
Peter Berg tries to be clever by looking at a superhero from another angle, which does work at the beginning, but he can't sustain this for the whole film reverting back to the traditional comic book show down, but all this happens to late in the day cramming the climax of the film into very little time making it appear cramped and rushed.
It's a shame that what started out as quite an original idea should crumble under what it was trying to do leaving it's high caliber cast clutching at straws, a major disappointment!
Hancock is released 1st December on DVD
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw