Hancock

Hancock is not your typical superhero movie, but that is what made it so entertaining and charming.  John Hancock (Will Smith), is a dysfunctional superhero who terrorizes Los Angeles as much as he saves its citizens from the bad guys. I liked this film very much, especially as early on I knew there would be some kind of reveal happening midway, but I never predicted what the actual twist was.

Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) is an ambitious public relations executive who wants to help change the world. His audacious suggestions to a pharmaceutical company for a branding campaign with a heart logo seems a bit over done, even to an optimist like me. The pharmaceutical company didn’t like it either. He has a son Aaron (Jae Head) and a wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and they live in a nice neighborhood somewhere in LA.

One typically busy California day, Ray gets stuck in horrible traffic, and making matters worse, on a railroad track. Hancock saves him from certain death from an oncoming train, and in the process causes a lot of damage to virtually everything close to the train and Ray’s car. Ray is now Hancock’s biggest fan, and explains to him how he can improve his reputation as a superhero. Citizens are as angry with Hancock as they are happy to receive his help. He drinks too much, is rude and vulgar, and causes a great deal of destruction to the city during his miraculous rescues. He needs a complete makeover.

Hancock ends up going to prison at Ray’s assurance that it will help in the long run in gaining the public’s confidence again. He actually begins to work on himself in therapy while incarcerated, and when the chief of police calls asking him to help them in a dangerous hostage situation, Hancock responds.

The film is rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language. Even superheroes have flaws is what this film seems to be saying, just like humans, and I knew we’d get to know where Hancock came from before the end of the film. It didn’t disappoint. Will Smith does a great job as always with his charm and the spot on comedic acting skills he’s delivered in so many films. Some of my favorites of his are Men In Black (1, 2 and 3), and Independence Day. He can play a good romantic lead too as in the very funny Hitch, and a more serious role as in The Pursuit of Happyness and Ali, both performances nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. He’s one of the best actors of our day.

Jason Bateman is a good counter to Hancock’s dysfunction as he is one very upbeat person. And the mysterious Charlize Theron plays Mary as the sexy, yet restrained woman that Ray fell in love with, a good mother and wife.

Hancock is pure entertainment. I recommend it highly. I’ll be reviewing another atypical superhero film next time, Unbreakable.