Movie Review: Hancock

Big Willy unzips his flies and unleashes his Hancock onto the big screen. A long in production project of the former Fresh Prince is an enjoyable if not a bit uneven summer blockbuster.

Things start promisingly with Will bucking trend as the foul-mouthed, alcoholic, reluctant superhero Hancock. Jumping straight into an action sequence, the opening is a funny, action-packed start of what seems to be an original take on the currently strong superhero genre.

Although it is obviously naive to think that the million dollar man Smith would star in a film as a character with few redeeming features, so the obvious turn around comes with the help of PR guru Ray who, after being saved by Hancock, insists on helping him turn his image around into a loveable crime fighter. Although the path is never smooth, Hancock’s attitude turns out not to be the only problem as Mary (Charlize Theron) puts a spanner in the works.

Even with the entrance of Ray, Hancock still remains an enjoyable film, focusing more on the comedy than the action until around the mid point when dramatic weight sinks in and it turns into a drama and then finally finishes on what is a strange cliche superhero action sequence.

Will Smith, though, manages to come out unscathed, carrying the film on his muscular shoulders. It’s clear in the earlier scenes of Hancock and his destructive personality that Smith is really enjoying himself and it shines through into his performance.

Jason Bateman plays the straight man role which is a disappointment, as anyone who has ever watched Arrested Development would know that the man is a thoroughbred of comedy acting. Nevertheless he manages to inject some humour into the role and becomes the most consistent element of the movie.

As the film gets into its second half it starts to become more of a drama, with Hancock reflecting about who he is and his place in the world. Affecting as the drama is, it’s a disappointment that the comedy subsides, stopping the film from becoming a funny summer romp that the advertising promised it to be.

The final sequence goes someway to cement this fact; with a lack of central villain, some characters are thrown into the mix just for an uninspiring final action scene to finish the film off in typical comic book movie style.

Hancock serves as a decent but flawed entry into a busy summer of big blockbusters and superhero movies, and ends up as neither a successful satire of the genre nor a strong entry into it. There’s a lot to like, but it’s a shame to see such an original concept run out of steam after just 45 minutes. You could do worse for a night out at the cinema but Hancock unfortunately flies into mediocrity.

[story by David A. Scarborough]