Hancock (2008) **½

I was looking forward to Hancock. It was right in the middle of the summer of superheroes. We've already had Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk and still to come (actually over the next two consecutive weeks) will be Hellboy II: The Golden Army and The Dark Knight. Hancock was in the perfect place to provide both a satire and commentary on the current flood of superhero films on the market. It holds an intriguing premise, that of how a superhero would be viewed by the public in the modern age of lawsuits and YouTube, however it fails to build and expand upon the themes it promises in the beginning and unfortunately most of the commentary lies in scenes that audiences have already seen in countless trailers.

John Hancock (Will Smith) is a drunk vagabond of a superhero whose property destruction costs generally outweigh the cost of the crimes perpetrated by the people he captures for the police. He has a short temper and less than sunny disposition in complete contrast with other superheroes of comic and movie lore. He is under appreciated and in fact hated by most of the general population. The chief of police makes a plea that he go trouble New York for awhile and leave Los Angeles before he makes things any worse. It's a continuous feedback loop. The people of the city continue to badger and berate him which drives him further into his solitary and anti-social stance with regards to how he views humans which leads to him making more mistakes and therefore drawing more criticism. Will Smith is a bright spot in the film in that he brings a warmth and sensitivity to a character that can easily be despicable. He thinks he is doing the right thing by helping people but his methods leave much to be desired. Smith keeps the role grounded in reality and makes sure that Hancock is sympathetic enough to be viewed as a real person. He also plays well with Jason Bateman who plays Ray Embrey, his new PR agent. The two develop a quick rapport and their conversations regarding Hancock's new look and style provide much of the humor of the film.

Unfortunately after setting up these promising themes the film takes a completely different angle and the second half focuses on Hancock's origins and his relationship with Mary (Charlize Theron), Ray's wife and apparently also Hancock's. The quick change of pace is unsettling as it moves away from the originating premise set up in the first half. Hancock is quickly loved by the public and we move into the love triangle that had been hinted at previously. The second premise in and of itself is also interesting in that people like Hancock and Mary were built in pairs and then once they come together they become human so they can live normal lives. Their history is a sad one and they have been attacked and hounded whenever they have tried to settle down. The emotional edge of the characters is mainly played out in this second half as we realize Mary has left Hancock so that he will not be killed because of her and now she has fallen in love with Ray. A harrowing and thrilling attack on Hancock at the hospital where he is wounded caps off the film where once again Hancock and Mary are separated for the good and safety of both.

This film really plays as two different films crammed into one. Even the running time of 92 minutes is short by most summer blockbuster standards. I think the film would have benefited more from developing the two halves into their own respective films. Both stories warrant full development in order to be best fulfill the potential that both obviously have but by sticking them together in a shortened running time it detracts from both and makes an uneven whole. The film does has its bright spots. The action is well executed and directed, the characters bring a sincerity to their roles, particularly Smith and Bateman, that most summer films tend to overshadow with action and special effects and the story has true heart and captures the attention and sympathy of the audience. Hancock had enormous potential but in the end the delivery and execution left much to be desired.

Favorite moment: The press conference before Hancock is carted off to prison for his numerous offenses shows the first true glimmer of the tragic overtones of the character. While trying to apologize and atone for the troubles he has caused the city of Los Angeles he is continually berated and insulted by the crowds. There is a moment when discussing how he will undertake anger management and alcoholic treatment programs in prison and when he is laughed at, Hancock looks back at Ray with a sadness we have yet to see in his character. Smith is wonderful in this scene and proves that he can handle the sentimental with equal proficiency as he does the action sequences.