Opinion » Movie Reviews

Great stars, weak plotline in ‘Hancock'

Print this story | Email this story

We are use to movie superheroes spawned from comic books. Spider-Man, Superman, the Hulk, and so on and so on, but Will Smith's latest movie, “Hancock,” introduces us to a newly created and completely original superhero. I am all about new and fresh - and as far as unique goes, “Hancock” is just that, but a weak plotline and far-reaching premise made me pause. Still, while I can see where some critics might hate it, I found many aspects of “Hancock” good fun, particularly its stars.

Talented Smith plays John Hancock, an anti-superhero, superhero. He swigs booze like water, wears dark sunglasses and an American Eagle stocking cap and snarls at small children. Making matters worse, he is no smooth operator. When going after bad guys, he leaves a trail of destruction in his wake, making the public hate him, not love him for his deeds. Like many drunks, Hancock wakes up mad and feeling bad and he takes this mood and wreaks havoc on the city of Los Angeles. As he thwarts bad guys, he destroys buildings, tears up highways, crashes cars and generally makes a mess. And when he is not bedded down in his trashy trailer, he is passed out on city bus benches like an ordinary bum.

Enter Ray Embrey (played by Jason Bateman), a good hearted PR guy whom Hancock saves when Ray's car stalls on a train track. In the rescue process, Hancock destroys Embrey's car and several others, totals the train, derails its cars and gives the citizens of LA even more reason to despise him. An eternal optimist, Embrey sees an opportunity the turn things around for his savior and offers to repair Hancock's reputation. Embrey offers to polish Hancock's image and bring him into the city's good graces. Hancock agrees to follow Embrey's advice, but not without some persistence. It is possible that Hancock is more interest in Embrey's beautiful wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), than he is in cleaning up his act. Regardless, he agrees to spend time in prison for his misdeeds, and Ray gives him a few etiquette lessons and gives him a fancy superhero suit and things begin to turn around.

“Hancock” has holes - a great many of them - and when it veers, it veers badly. Still, Smith is a gifted actor and while he has been better, he does play Hancock with flare and an oddly endearing gruffness. He is also known for pulling out Fourth of July release blockbusters. This one won't go down in any favorites books, but I did find some aspects quite entertaining. There is a freshness in the overall concept, but director Peter Berg and screenwriters Vincent Ngo and Vincent Gilligan fail to deliver on the promise of an everyman (actually an every-drunk) superhero and a bang-up, intriguing tale. The story never establishes remote believability, especially with insanely implausible scene focusing on a battle between Hancock and another being similar to him - and he just thought he was alone. Prior to that, the story becomes really bizarre when we find out more about Hancock's past, which he had all but forgotten due to a bout of amnesia. His name incidentally came when a nurse asked him to “sign his John Hancock” on his hospital release form.

The characters are good and I bought into their lives and stories some. And, thankfully, the special effects and action scenes really do impress, but there is no bona fide villain for Hancock to fight until near the end of the film and he comes out of nowhere really. I found him somewhat comical and only vaguely menacing anyway. Oh, there is a connection, but none well enough established to make us care. Instead, the film is more about Hancock's search for himself and for some sense of meaning and truth, and there is little truly compelling in that. It is the cast and the special effects that keep “Hancock” from being a wash.

In fact I feel certain the cast is what kept me engrossed. I adore Bateman and love the characters he chooses to play and Ray is no exception. He is honest to a fault, deeply in love with his wife and out to save the world in his own little way. The ever-talented and beautiful Theron makes for some great scenes between Mary and Hancock and when things heat up between them, they literally H-E-A-T up. It is a great cast!

The PG-13 rated “Hancock” may appeal best to a younger teenage audience, but not so much to others. I think the stars will bring audiences in and if word-of-mouth doesn't kill it, “Hancock” will do well at the box office. I am placing a C+ in my grade book. I think others are being too hard on it. There are far worse offerings out there at the moment.

Reader Comments