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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Only One of its Kind, November 17, 2008
Hancock (Will Smith) is not your garden variety superhero. He's more like your garden variety bum. He spends most of his day sleeping on benches and drinking booze. When duty calls, he awakens from his drunken coma, bottle in hand to stop the wrong-doers. If there's a lesson to be learned here, it's not to fight crime drunk because it costs millions in property damage and public outrage. Luckily for Hancock, somebody wants to help the poor guy. Cue Ray (Jason Batemen) a publicist who vows to change the superhero's image in exchange for Hancock's saving his life.
The first half of "Hancock" is chock full of crude humor and the superhero doing his worst at being the best. It's thoroughly entertaining and will provide plenty of laughs. The second half of "Hancock" is about the superhero in the spotlight, but this time he is depicted as a "true" superhero and the public begins to recognize him as a positive figure. The second half is what makes or breaks the movie for viewers. Why? Because of the unexpected twist in the plot.
While I won't reveal the plot twist, I will say that it will leave people feeling divided. Some will probably think it is incredibly clever and others will believe it's sheer silliness. In my opinion, it's both clever and silly at the same time. Either way you look at it, "Hancock" is an original movie...the only one of its kind. The only superhero movie that does not have to be strict to a source, i.e. a comic book, to appease fans. It is also extremely entertaining. Everything from the CGI to the performances make this movie interesting and above all, unique. "Hancock" is definitely a movie worth watching.
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Will Smith Can Not Be Stopped, November 30, 2008
I read some reviews when Hancock came out in theatres. Most of them gave it mixed ratings but there were some 3 star ratings like I saw here on Amazon.com. I can't tell you enough how much I disagree. There have been so many to take a comedic shot at superhero films but they are usually either Ok or just plain bad but not this one. Anywho, Hancock is definitely a great film, so great that I could not wait to stamp a 5 star rating on it and tell ya why but first I'll tell you what it's about.
Will Smith stars as John Hancock, a loaner, alcoholic,and depressed superhero. Of course those are definitely not characteristics you want to see in the man that has superman like powers like Hancock. The story goes that Hancock woke up one morning in a hospital, he didn't know his name, birth date, or if he had any family or friends. By now you can imagine how he got that name of his, a nurse asked him for it and he thought it was his name. He only knew what the doctors told him, that he was hit on the head trying to stop a mugging. Through the years he hasn't really tried to become a perfect hero or even a good one at that but he does the minimum.
Hancock wants to be loved but acts as if he doesn't care and this is when Ray (Jason Bateman)comes in. After being saved by Hancock Ray thinks of a way to recreate Hancock to give him what he wants, to be loved by the people. The both of them set out on a mission to do this but this movie is no doubt deeper than the surface. Things get more dangerous and the plot twists just enough to become one of the best dramatic comedies about a superhero I have ever seen.
First of all I think that Will Smith is one of the few actors that could take a film like this and make it so good. Good job by the writers as well for giving it a good comedic feel but keeping it a little realistic and never going over the edge. Smith did a great job, he made you think that Hancock could actually be real and he was hilarious doing it but still did great with the dramatic scenes. The rest of the cast was also good, I really liked Jason Bateman in "The Kingdom" and he did well here but Charlize Theron definitely shined the most out of the supporting cast. She and Will Smith had some great scenes together and made it believable.
The action scenes were very cool, great special effects and seeing Hancock flying like a new baby bird with arms and legs flinging all over was hilarious. One thing I thought that could have been improved were the fight scenes. There were definitely a few but it was just a lot of flying around and crashing into buildings. Had they added a bit of choreography it would have been on point for sure. Because the films acting was executed so well I can't really take a star for this cause it wasn't significant but was still noticeable.
The story was great and I have to admit that I had the film thought out all wrong. I loved the way they make it look like this sort of cool comedy but it starts to run a little bit deeper towards the end. It is not a huge jaw dropper but the twist is still cool, at least to me it was. Overall, I loved the movie, I think Will Smith is no doubt one of the greatest actors to do it. The films concept was definitely awesome and thought out and executed well. The story was written well also and the cast was picked nicely, not too much action, not too much comedy, and not too much drama. It was just right and it definitely showed. I wouldn't recommend this as a family film unless your all over 15 but it is definitely a must see. The empty Blockbuster stores definitely showed this.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A unique take on the superhero genre, but missing something., November 26, 2008
Hancock is a superhero. He's also a raging alcoholic, a complete jerk, and an unkempt recluse. When he saves the life of a failing public relations expert, he gets the change to reinvent his image. If only he can surive the humiliation of the leather suit...
"Hancock" is a unique, interesting take on the superhero genre. What would it be like to be a superhero? You would be different from everyone around you; you would be alien, the unknown...basically, not exactly the stereotypical image of a superhero. Perhaps it's a moot point, but it's certainly something worth exploring within the realm of Hollywood. Thus, "Hancock." Will Smith is the perfect choice to play this character: He's got the charisma to play the loveable hero (oh dear, I hope I didn't give anything away); the surly "I don't give a damn ain't I so cool" attitude to play a drunkard; and the dramatic chops to portray a character conflicted with himself. Add to this the wonderfully talented Jason Bateman, a great comedic actor whose dramatical nuance is often overlooked (check out "Juno" to see how great he can really be). Bateman's Ray is loveable, pitiable, and admirable, all at the same time. As for the film's other lead, Charlize Theron...she's a great actress, but she isn't given a whole lot to work with here, especially in the film's first half. After the twist (which you can see coming a mile away; still, they play it up well enough), she gets to let loose a little more, but we still don't get to see her in all her glory (stop snickering).
The reason I only gave this film three stars...its potential is wasted. The actors are all talented enough to go there, but the script (or at least the final version of the script, as seen here) holds them back. Being alone in the world, the only one of your kind, is a dark and haunting concept; the idea of alienated superheroes, forced to face their own hated immortality, is better explored in the graphic novel "Watchmen," which (should) be coming to theaters in 2009. That is a dark and twisted tale, one that leaves a bitter tase in your mouth. "Hancock," even with all the talent going into it, winds up being little more than a popcorn flick with a few philosophical ideas that are tossed in there for good measure. Like I said, it's a shame, because the actors (especially Smith and Bateman) are perfectly capable of going the distance. If only Hollywood would've taken more of a risk. They really need to start gambling on Smith; he's a steady draw, and a great actor to boot. Maybe one day, he'll get the chance to show that an action movie can be more than a mere action movie. Until then..."Hancock" is all good fun, and a few good laughs, but it's not what could have been, and that is a shame.
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