After all the perfect superheroes we needed a change of
pace. Hancock (Will Smith) is here to save the day by making such a big mess
that everyone is relieved when he stops. The only thing super heroic about him
is his power. The rest of him is ordinary. And yes, one can blame him for
trying..in fact everyone does blame him for trying.
Hancock is not about superheroes, it’s about failure. It’s
about recognizing that even superheroes can screw it up big time. And it’s
funny to see the discordance between intention and result. He is there to save
but he, somehow, manages to make things worse. It’s not hard for a superhero to
actually act like one but it’s hard for Hancock to be a superhero as he has the
attitude of a simple man. No one overlooks the mess he leaves behind and he has
hundreds of lawsuits to deal with. Super powers are a curse, especially when
someone can’t handle them.
The movie is pretty funny and different from all the
superheroes projects. Viewers also have the chance to see the beautiful
Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman. Theron plays Mary, Ray Embrey’s wife (Bateman),
a PR man who is supposed to help Hancock change the way people think of him. But,
as the story goes on, Mary and Hancock develop a strange relationship, making
things a little bit confusing.
While the movie’s beginning is very powerful and catchy, as
the action continues, things get more complicated, not in a good way. The
characters become more serious instead of loosening up. Hancock is sent
to jail, making us think how ungrateful society can be. It expects everything
to be perfect but makes no effort in that sense and when Hancock tries to save
the day but makes some collateral damage, people immediately start rubbing his
nose in it. It’s not fair.
Another broken cliché is represented by the clothes: we have
Spiderman with his Spiderman suit, we have Superman with his skin-tight Lycra
outfit and then there is Hancock who is dressed like a homeless person. It
seems that the clothes indeed do not make the man. His clothes fit perfectly
with his bad attitude and the bench on which he’s sleeping.
It’s interesting that, even if this isn’t “your average superhero,”
Hancock has a sidekick, as Ray Embrey is not just his PR man, he is also the
superhero’s friend. Their personalities are totally different but they get
along just fine.
It’s good to have, once in a while, another point of view.
While Hancock the superhero is not so extraordinary, “Hancock” the movie is not
at all common. It shows how image is very important nowadays, especially for a
superhero. A PR person is the superhero of a superhero’s image.
Will Smith's upcoming projects are "Seven Pounds" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7," set to appear in 2009.
“Hancock”
Directed by Peter Berg
Written by Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman
Running time: 92 minutes
Release Date: July 2 2008
Rated PG-13 (for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and
violence and language)
