‘Hancock’ or “Drunk superhero-madness with a sprinkling of Jason Bateman” (Review)
The new Will Smith summer movie vehicle ‘Hancock’s is by far the best value the movie-going consumer can go to this summer. Now why is that? Because it’s actually three movies wrapped up in the packaging of one. The first, second and third acts of ‘Hancock’ are all different in tone and pace. While traditionally that would be bad thing, here it’s not. It actually works to the advantage of the movie.
As a movie ‘Hancock’ works…most of it anyway. There are some parts that are absolutely unforeseen, and not in the sense it was a plotted out twist, but in the sense that there were multiple scripts they were working with and things got slightly jumbled. ‘Hancock’ takes what the movie ‘My Super Ex-Girlfriend’ tried to do a few years ago and improves upon it. Not vastly, but enough that it makes the “superhero comedy” work. Well, parts of ‘Hancock’ are a superhero comedy and the rest fits into the whole of the movie well enough although, even if some things are a bit forced.
Hancock is exactly as he’s been seen in the previews: a drunk and belligerent vagrant. He fights crime instead of urinating in public or shouting at people on the street. [Quick side note: For the sake of comedy, Will Smith makes a fairly entertaining hobo.] The exception here is that Hancock has the powers of someone on the level of Superman. He’s got super-speed, flight, invincibility and a love for hard liquor.
Hancock is the unofficial protector of Los Angeles. He stops crime when it springs up. He causes millions and millions of dollars in damages doing even the slightest heroic act. He does what he knows is right and doesn’t give a crap about the consequences. The thing is…he’s kind of an asshole about everything else.
The strongest point of ‘Hancock’ isn’t the special effects or Will Smith’s mass-appeal, but rather Jason Bateman. He is what saves this movie from completely faltering and actually adds a wonderful comedic element to the movie that would surely be lacking if he were absent from this cast. Jason Bateman sticks to playing the typical Jason Bateman archetype character that he’s become so famous for since his career resurgence n ‘Arrested Development.’ And it works, once again. He’s found a formula that looks like it can’t fail.
Bateman plays Ray Embrey a man who is saved by Hancock and, in hopes to repay him, Ray seeks to help Hancock clean up his public image. Ray invites Hancock into his life and the story grows from there.
A strong element that really helps ‘Hancock’ succeed is its direction. Director Peter Berg is known for his love of shooting movies and TV with digital handheld cameras and he brings that style to ‘Hancock’. I love the style Berg brought to ‘Friday Night Lights’ the movie and especially the TV show. It’s a modern directing choice that works for this fast paced action-comedy. There is not a problem with ‘Hancock’ in its direction, only in the script.
There is no central villain, no deep origin story of why and how Hancock has his super powers (alright, there is a loose explanation but it’s laughable). Typically in a superhero based story these would be crucial problems to the core story. Not so much here. I never was too concerned with a deeper story in ‘Hancock’. What unfolds on screen is fully entertaining and there is a very high laughs-per-minute ratio. Besides a few moments of seriousness, I don’t remember a moment during this movie when I wasn’t laughing.
‘Hancock’ isn’t a great movie and I would hope no one goes into it expecting it to be. Continuing the trend of this summer’s big releases, if you don’t think too much about the barley-there story it’s actually a decent movie which functions as a comedy more than an action movie, but the action is fast and intense. Look past the few moments that change the tone of the film and just let your brain relax with shallow summer-movie-goodness and you’ll be much happier once the credits role. I find Will Smith to be one of the most universally entertaining actors in Hollywood, and Jason Bateman is a joy in everything he does. ‘Hancock’ is a summer movie that you’ll get your money’s worth out of while passing the time between now and when something better comes along.
Dan Hacker
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Trevor
