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Movie Review - Hancock (2008)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Peter Berg |
| Starring: |
Will Smith, Charlize Theron, and Jason Bateman |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language) |
| Length: |
92 minutes |
| Genre: |
Action/Comedy/Drama |
| Tagline: |
There are heroes. There are superheroes. And then there's... |
| Studio: |
Sony Pictures |
| Website: |
Hancock |
| Release: |
July 1, 2008 |
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PLOT
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Will Smith stars as Hancock - a careless, alcoholic superhero with anger issues. Though he still performs the minimal amount of superhero good deeds, his drunken state and
haphazard attitude lead to major amounts of damage - topping off at approximately $9 million. The public finally gets fed up with his antics, and one particular incident
leads to a warrant issued for his arrest.
After Hancock saves him from being flattened by a train, Jason Bateman, public relations guru that he is, wants to return the favor by repairing Hancock's infamous image.
Will Hancock get his act together and become a true role model for all the kids who desire to have a hero like him? Will he ever learn the truth behind his identity? Or
will he continue to be a pariah, despite his other-worldly powers? A snapshot of how a drunken Superman might act ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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"I know what we can call the film if it isn't any good," Side-Hug Sam gleefully commented as we entered the theater. The smile on his face, and the twinkle in his eyes,
indicated that I better humor him.
"What's that?" I asked, fully prepared for the zinger that was sure to come.
"HanCROCK!" Sam delivered the punchline with enough intensity to make Clubber Lang proud.
With a shake of my head, and a smirk of my mouth, I said what I felt to be the most appropriate comment in that moment: "With puns like that you should write for the
Commercial Appeal."
So, 90 minutes after sitting through another Will Smith movie that will likely deliver huge box office numbers, can I accurately use the deliciously cheesy pun? Well,
not exactly.
Hancock is not a film that will one day grace my $10 Wal-Mart special of a DVD shelf. If I never see it again then don't worry; the remainder of my life will
glide along like a raft on the metaphorically tranquil rivers of joy and happiness. But hey, I enjoyed the film for what it was - a silly, sometimes goofy, action-packed
film that pokes fun at formulaic superhero conventions all while discreetly embracing them. That doesn't get my big toe a' bouncin' in my boot, but it makes for
solid filler during a lazy afternoon.
The film starts off with a bang. Hancock's less-than-heroic attempts at doing the right thing are quite funny, and the special effects deliver the goods. The first
hour is an even mix of laughs and thrills. Then, as the third act arrives on its white horse, the mood and flow take a drastic turn. As more of Hancock's back-story is
revealed, events get a little more dramatic, and some impatient viewers might be left wondering if they're now watching a different movie.
While the transition in tone isn't exactly as smooth as my dance moves or The Movie Babe's new summertime hair, I didn't mind it all that much. I'll give it credit for
actually giving us a story - mind-blowing though it may not be - and attempting to explain the mythology. Will you be so forgiving for the quick jump from rollercoaster
ride to Shakespearian tragedy? If I could read your mind then I would tell you ... after being a little disturbed and freaked out, I'm sure.
Allow me to sum up my feelings for Hancock with a little thing I like to call "Johnny's short hand."
"Is that like a pimp hand?"
No. Quit being ridiculous. To put it succinctly: "Hancock - entertaining movie; missed opportunity." Did I laugh? Yes. Did I enjoy the action
sequences? Sure. Did I regret staying at work until 6:40 so I could save gas by going straight to the theater rather than going home first and then going to the
theater? No. But where Hancock drops the ball is in its content.
From what I've read, the PG-13 rating was "hard fought," and it's easy to see why it bordered on an R. One "f" bomb is dropped, the "S" bomb is thrown around like
Tina Turner at an Ike Turner family reunion, Hancock eats ice cream while half naked, he shoves a dude's head up another dude's rear-end, and the list goes on. With
a little editing this could have been a fine family flick. There are several moments that kids would love more than the adults. But there's no way I'd dare
suggest you take the children.
Plus, Hancock's image transition could be a good story of redemption that parents and children could afterward. Unfortunately, there's the risk of your child
imitating other children in the movie and calling you an ***hole the entire ride home. He'd laugh; but you and I both know there wouldn't be a single thing funny about
it.
The best you can hope for is a popcorn munchin' entertaining afternoon (make it a matinee) at the theater, and the worst that'll happen is you won't buy into the concept
and you'll find the whole thing incredibly stupid. Well, unless you get mugged as you're leaving the theater. Admittedly, that trumps your opinion of a silly little
summer blockbuster.
My advice? Watch the trailers, ponder my comments, and leave the kids at home. Don't expect to be blown away; just be willing to hat-check your brain for an hour and
a half and there's a better than 50/50 chance you'll have a moderately good time. This might not be a movie to get overly excited about, but at least it's solid enough
that I don't have to bust out the bad puns! Now ain't that a HanSHOCK! Oh man, I sincerely apologize.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- The script has floated around Hollywood for approximately a decade.
- Warner Brothers turned the film down.
- The film was originally set to star 50 Cent as a trigger happy superhero known as Hanglock. The studio cooled on this idea and pursued Christopher
Walken, on the basis that he'll star in ANYTHING, to play a superhero watchmaker known as Hanclock. After they couldn't find a director willing to do the film in
that incarnation, the idea to bring in Michael Moore as an overweight, pork-eating superhero named Hamhock was tossed around. They soon determined that the 12 people
in the world who can actually bear to look at or listen to Moore for more than 10 minutes would not exactly bring in acceptable box office numbers.
It was only after Leonard Nimoy refused to do Hanspock that Sony decided to play it safe and cast Will Smith in what would become the final version of the film.
- Everything in the above paragraph could be entirely fabricated.
- Charlize Theron was in In the Valley of Elah with Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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No. A couple of kids cuss (a big pet peeve of mine), an "f" bomb is dropped, "s" bombs are volleyed back and forth, and Hancock is involved in all sorts of non-heroic behavior.
It's a shame because this could have been a good family movie. Instead, I wouldn't recommend it for any kids who can't drive themselves to the theater.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailers I've seen don't give away too many spoilers, but they do show most of the film's best jokes. If you've watched every commercial for this movie then you may walk
out of the theater exclaiming, "All the best stuff was already shown in the trailers!"
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THE GIST
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There simply aren't many moviegoers who'll refer to this movie as "great." You'll either be entertained or you'll find it stupid. How do you feel about the trailers? Well,
that'll probably reflect your opinion of the film. If you're sitting on the fence then just make it a matinee and call it a day. If you decide it can wait for a rental then
rest easy in that choice as well.
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