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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

tomster C said...

Posted on Jul 16 2008 16:00 i thought this film was realy good and funny all the the people who thought it was rubbish need to go to a doctor !

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ttboi said...

Posted on Jul 16 2008 14:08 yeah yeah this is a good film i have to say that......but and yes there is a but the story cappers of in to a strange one! maybe it was just me but i dint like the end of it but still worth watching and will smith pulls of yet another masterful peice of acting so im giving it a 4 stars coz i liked the idea of the film so well but a 3 for the way it played out. ttboi

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Viix said...

Posted on Jul 16 2008 11:47 aw com on stop slating this movie...it was a slice of kidoligy...nothing more...po-faced smith all way through was great, considering he is a very good comedy actor. this movie must be seen for yourselves..its brill, superb unexpected twist...very enjoyable for all the family...laughed my flipping head off and shed a tear also...good job Will ;)

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Jai dave india said...

Posted on Jul 16 2008 08:41 First part is awesome and u wouldnt stop enjoying but the second part aint worth it

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Sim said...

Posted on Jul 15 2008 21:54 me and my best friend are going to see hancock tomoz at lunch ive read the comments tht people have wrote n i think tht the movie looks amazing i think tht people who think that the movie is rubbish are blind and need there eyes and brains testin

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james said...

Posted on Jul 15 2008 18:05 excellent

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JOE90 said...

Posted on Jul 15 2008 15:57 This film was a big disappointment to me and many others as around 25% of the audience left during the performance. This was a weak story that was just silly. I'm sure this was fine for an American audience but not for Europeans who have the ability to think.

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jonno said...

Posted on Jul 15 2008 14:37 this is the worst film ive seen for ages its absolutly cack

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patricia mbata said...

Posted on Jul 15 2008 14:13 i thought it was ausom i couldnt even get out of my seat to get a drink then later no go to the loo!!!!!!!!! lol hugs and kisses to all my m8s.♥♥♥

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drvicks said...

Posted on Jul 14 2008 10:35 it sucks BIGTIME...n if ne1enjoys it then..Daredevil must b masterpiece for them...

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chris said...

Posted on Jul 13 2008 22:17 amazing first half of the film but kinda goes abit soft wish he had stayed abit stupid for abit longer seen some more action still worth a look in the cinema

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Priya said...

Posted on Jul 13 2008 18:18 Outstanding film people! Me and my friend found it hilarious, if you did not find it funny then I'm sorry but you need to get your brains sorted :)

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sim said...

Posted on Jul 13 2008 16:09 i think tht this film is realllyy baddddd!!!! like well awful and badd....

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Isaac said...

Posted on Jul 13 2008 11:36 I'm a big film fan, so i know a good film when i see one. I'm also the type of person who does not generally laugh out loud at movies, but this really did. The people who say this film is rubbish are idiots. You won't regret watching it, i promise!

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loziie said...

Posted on Jul 12 2008 18:07 the fim was amazing i loved every second of it. people that say its rubbish need there eyes testing i even criend in it near the end. will smith had a great character and the twist was very unexpected but was very good. so i would go and watch it as soon as possible..

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