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Hancock (2008)

Director: Peter Berg

Time Out rating

Average user rating

143 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 2008-07-01 12:52:18

Time Out London Issue 1976, July 3 - 9 2008

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User reviews of this film

kayyy said...

Posted on Jul 24 2008 16:00 The film was amazing!

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Shala said...

Posted on Jul 23 2008 21:12 Hilarious, heart-warming and exciting, Will Smith was his usual talented self.

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ace1 said...

Posted on Jul 23 2008 21:08 This film is boring, Will smith is boring,the story is rubbish, the only good thing in the film is Charlize Thearon and some good special effects

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Tashaaa said...

Posted on Jul 23 2008 16:36 The Film Was Excellant, I Was Laughing All The Way Thru, Deffo A Dvd Ill B Buying Wen Its Realised. I Was Talking Bwt It For Days... Its Got Sum Catchy Lines That R Soo Funny U Ended Up Saying Them To People Lol!
Who Ever Goes To See This Film Wont B Disappointed!

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Matt said...

Posted on Jul 23 2008 10:19 What can i say! didnt expect much but i was wrong.... it was very funny and the storyline was easy to understand..... I defo recommend it!

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xoxc said...

Posted on Jul 22 2008 13:29 was shocked when i came on to look at listings and saw only 2 stars for this film. i found it hilarious, it quickly became one of my favourite films & i even went to see it again!

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Richy said...

Posted on Jul 21 2008 18:26 I didn't know what to expect from this film and lets get this clear I like Will Smith in most films he is in - he is an excellent actor. The trailer pointed towards a comedy angle on the film - a super hero film of sorts. Iiked the idea of the Super hero with a bad pr. But that's it - the film was only semi funny and it doesn't matter how much talent Will Smith has it was only okay for the first 30 mins or so - maybe 40 mins and I kept thinking it will get better - it didn't - It then reverted to a poorly done super hero film lacking laughs and going into action mode - the critic here is spot on the film makers bottled it big time - they probably couldn;t keep the laughs going (the few that there were - the whale bit was funny) - and then it really had a bad script - and the villain was average - aIf you are pleased with this film (I'm not inc kids who may like wil smith etc) then you are very easily pleased- this film is even worse than The Happening - which I know is a supposid scary film - but evern that is funnier (not intentinally) - If you want to see a super heor film done right - go and see the excellenrt Iron Man - It's okay as a thowaway film and will no dount go to no1 in the dvd chart - people are easily pleased - this is a very poor film and even the brilliant Will Smith cannot save it - hype over good film.

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GC said...

Posted on Jul 21 2008 17:50 Took my 2 boys to see this ( 12 & 14) and wasnt looking forward to it very much.... Was i mistaken. I laughed out loud many times and i had a lump in my throat at one point. The boys loved it and so did i. I love Will Smith anyway but this was a great feel good film and well worth watching. Id watch it again and i couldnt say that of some films that i have seen that had rave reviews ..... Give it a try. Laugh out loud n smile......

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i said...

Posted on Jul 20 2008 15:33 love it

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Ross said...

Posted on Jul 19 2008 21:18 I don't understand, you say it doesn't work cause it's all rushed. It's supposed to be like that, he's not supposed to fit comfortably into the super hero theme. I generally thought it was a fantastic movie (as all Will Smith films are) and even though the story behind the husband/wife thing wasn't amazing it still made for a perfectly reasonable movie.

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CG said...

Posted on Jul 18 2008 12:08 Was boring. didnt really like it that much but it depends what movies you like.

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sallie said...

Posted on Jul 18 2008 12:02 heyya this film looks good im going to see it soon :]
me (sallie),mi bro (curtis), and mi dad (kevin)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
:]:]:P:P:D:D

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Kelly said...

Posted on Jul 17 2008 17:34 the film is mega! its funny and sad at some points but its one of the best films i have ever seen. i love will smiths films he is the greatest and is gawjus n all :P anyone who thinks this film is poo its NOT!

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Ben said...

Posted on Jul 17 2008 14:56 why is everyone sayin the ending is rubbish?? the reason u think it was rubbish is because u wanted more. That was what the directors wanted u 2 do, so they can bring out a sequel to the film. u people who slate the ending of this film know nuthing about superhero films, spiderman left u wanting more after the first film and look how successful that is now!, some of these critics are just pesimistic!!

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coco kiki said...

Posted on Jul 17 2008 11:42 i think the film was good but the endingwas really bad

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