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Hancock (2008)

Time Out rating

Average user rating

151 reviews

Synopsis

Will Smith stars in this action comedy as a Superman-like hero who, due to a series of high-profile blunders, has fallen out of favour with the public (and not, alas, a biopic of one of Britain’s best loved comedy curmudgeons). Add to all of this the storming rows he has with his wife Charlize Theron and an awkward relationship with wisecracking PR guy, Jason Bateman.

Movie review

From Time Out London

If you can remember the seismic upheaval in the superhero order that was ‘Superman III’, during which the square-jawed one grew stubble, hit the whisky bottle and flicked peanuts at barmen, you may get flashbacks when watching Will Smith’s Hancock. But the big difference between Christopher Reeve’s trad hero and this latest lazy, drunken member of the caped fraternity is that Hancock was never a Samaritan in the first place. He looks like a tramp, he kips on benches, and he leaves behind him a trail of destruction wherever he tries to lend a hand. He doesn’t even
own a cape.

He’s a selfish layabout in need of some old-fashioned movie redemption. Which is exactly what we get. Oddly, it takes a suburban PR executive called Ray – played with charm by Jason Bateman – to correct Hancock’s behaviour, even if Ray’s wife Mary (Charlize Theron) is strangely wary of their friendship. As Ray gets to work on Hancock’s image, the film offers some humour and Smith, as ever, is fairly charismatic.

For the first half, there’s a laidback, knowing vibe to the script and Smith has some fun with the whole bizarre idea while director Peter Berg swings his camera about as he did for ‘The Kingdom’. It’s a very modern conceit: that behind every successful man lies an even better publicist. And it’s no coincidence that Hollywood, with its reliance on a well-oiled PR machine, has come up with a fictional publicist who’s more angel than svengali. But then the rest of the film – after an hour – flops spectacularly.

The big problem is that the script tries to have its cake and eat it, first ribbing us with nods and winks emanating from this sideways view of a superhero and then abandoning this detachment in favour of a traditional comic-book showdown that feels out of place, rushed and squeezed into the film’s remaining minutes. Put simply, the filmmakers bottle it.

Hancock’s reinvention as a good guy coincides with the emergence of a super-criminal played by Brit actor Eddie Marsan, who in the facial hair department looks like he’s stepped off the set of ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’. He’s a lame villain. There’s an unexpected twist that throws some weird, distracting logic into the mix, followed by a crisis, a fight, a spurt of apocalyptic digital larks – and it’s over. The film bows out not as a wink-wink pastiche but as a straightforward superhero movie – and a bad one at that.

Author: Dave Calhoun

Time Out London Issue 1976, July 3 - 9 2008

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User reviews of this film

me said...

Posted on Jan 25 2012 09:21 average

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shannon said...

Posted on Dec 16 2011 22:40 i have to wite a review of Hancock for homework, thought it was a good film, bit confusing in parts but understood it in the end

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abby said...

Posted on Jul 06 2011 21:45 He's fast, He's strong. He's brave. He's certainly bad tempered. He is Hancock! If you watch this film, you will be hooked from start to finish. You will sit on edge, wondering what is going to happen next. My first impression of Hancock (Will Smith) was that he is an evil person, however, I start to notice that he only wants to save the world. This film is packed with exitement, entertainment and extaordinary action!
Hancock is alone and has got nobody, until he meets a man name Rey (Jason Bateman). He understands what Hancock wants and knows that he only wants to save the world. They come up with a plan to get everybody to like him...
The village people think that Hancock is an evil man because of his bad temper and unusual powers. It turns out that Hancock is actually made to save everyone from evil. He's not just loving, he is also brave! For example, when he helps an old man who's shop is getting robbed. Hancock chases the two robbers. The special effects they use are fantastic! Especially when Hancock flies through the night sky at the very end.
My favourite character would have to be Mary (Charlize Theron). She seems like a normal human being, however, there might be a twist in store! Hancock, Rey and Aaron (Jae Head) find out a really big secret about Mary. So does the world...
I think the moral of the story is to show people that not all superheroes are the same and not all superheroes wear costumes! Even though Hancock has got superpowers, is a superhero and everybody hates him, I like the fact that Rey stays by his side and sticks up for him. You might think you know what's going to happen next... But you actually don't!
I think the best part of the film would have to be the romantic ending, with the heart on the moon. This is because, the film is all action, then it turns to romance. This film is much better than any other superhero film I've watched, by far! I would have to give it a star rating of 4. I don't think that I am the only one who thinks this film is great. For example, Holly Braque from Liverpool says, "I can't stop watching, for the first time, a superhero has heart, soul and realism!".
This film is truly amazing and I advise you to watch it!

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Courtney said...

Posted on Apr 04 2011 12:06 THIS MOVIE IS BAREEEE MINT !!!!!
You gotta watch it babycakes
its a nice:) film
if u wanna call me 077 me

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yash said...

Posted on Mar 28 2011 05:39 this movie is fucking fabolous .just cant stop watching it.will smith cool acting man

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MKeyes said...

Posted on Nov 04 2010 16:53 I can't stop watching, for the first time, a Superhero, has heart, soul and realism! The story for the first time, has a hmmm, could be explanation for everything. The fact that Hancock and Mary had at once been husband and wife, built as a pair, made it ALL THAT MORE incredible, I loved them together - I loved her eventual explanation to him, that they were Gods, Angels and now, in this culture, Superhero's - fantastic! The ending, has the be the best of all - the hospital scene - simply purely first rate! The bad reviews are haters - and wrong as they can be, shallow as they are! Hancock is MY favorite Will Smith movie - and I hope, they do another one! Please!

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Hollie said...

Posted on Jul 27 2010 12:29 I was persuaded into watching this film and it was a big mistake. I'm not one for superhero films but this was the worst one i've ever seen. The beginning was very long and the end was very short and the overall storyline was terrible. Learn from my mistakes and don't give in to this rubbish.

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Harry said...

Posted on Jul 14 2010 22:41 Thought it was a good movie and finally a movie in which a superhero has real life problems. Did get a bit weary in the middle but thought it ended well.

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Rachh x said...

Posted on Feb 17 2010 12:52 This film has both it's up and down moments. Will Smith is good as the lead, but it all just seems a bit strained. There are a few genuinly funny moments in the movie though i wouldn't really call it a comedy.

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bob said...

Posted on Oct 16 2009 14:16 brilliant

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Sophia said...

Posted on Jun 09 2009 19:15 i think everyone thought this movie would be amazing and then they went to the cinema and it was a big let down. that is certainly what happened to me, but now i ma growing on it and i am writing a review on this as a piece of coursework

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ben said...

Posted on May 17 2009 16:49 it has great effects i would give it 7 and a half out of 10 it has some sad and happy bits its about two superpeople who meet each other and when they do they lose there powers and they get shoot because when they had powers they didnt get killed or didnt age in the end it was a good ending and good film.

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ben said...

Posted on Mar 17 2009 18:07 this is a great film with a unexpected twist. Ignor the negative comment cuz this movie is well acted by smith and bateman

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Keith M Warwick said...

Posted on Mar 06 2009 05:13 Hancock, with it's subtextual gay love interest between Smith and Bateman, along with a few homophobic comments (pointing to the closseted to hell Smith, and that homoerotic frission going on in the bedroom with Smith tempted to strip his love interest naked (think about this!). Yea, they fell in love!
Apart from that interesting plot issue, Hancock remains a self-indulgent, confused, gratuitously violent cyphre and just one heap of pretty boring pointless mayhem.
The plot has more holes than a strainer and the actors are woefully wasted in this plethora of cinematic sludge.
How they can throw so many actors about, witht the ade of such bad TGI, as well as copious millions of wasted dollars, is extravagantly unclear, undefinable and undeniably crazy.
I thought this movie was mostly a dud. Bateman and Smith's attractiveness along with Thuron's elctric screen presence save it from being a nil out of ten production.

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laura xxx said...

Posted on Feb 26 2009 14:08 people who say that the movie is a waste of time are a waste of time their selfs. dont listen to any of them. the movie is FAB and i enjoyed it... watch it if you want its your choice... honestly its funny lol ha

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