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July 6, 2008
Hancock
I saw the Will Smith movie, Hancock, yesterday. I'll skip to the end and just start out with my four star (out of five) rating. For a Will Smith film, it wasn't my favorite, but the dude could probably get me to watch Gone with the Wind, so there you have it. I do recommend you go and see it.
The movie opens with Hancock (Will Smith) passed out on a bus bench in the middle of L.A. He looks like a bum, apparently smells like a bum, and most people treat him as such. His bench happens to be near a TV store, and the news is covering yet another of L.A.'s famous highway chase scenes.
As the nearly finished bottle of rum falls out of Hancock's fingers and starts rolling down the street, a little boy pokes him and says something to the effect of, "Hancock, there's bad guys out there."
It turns out that Hancock is a depressed super-hero with a PR problem. He tends to inflict more damage on his surroundings than is completely necessary, and for that, the people of L.A. don't particularly like him. In fact, everyone calls him an Asshole throughout the movie.
After Hancock deals with three Mexican drug smugglers (who happen to be listening to techno) in a particularly calamitous method, the viewers are introduced to Jason Bateman's character Ray Embrey. Ray is a PR specialist who is trying to convince companies to donate their life saving products to people who need them, and he's literally laughed out of presentations to these companies.
Dejected, Ray is phoning his wife (Charlize Theron) when he gets pinned between traffic at a train crossing. Hancock eventually saves the day, but not without causing much more damage. While dozens of Los Angelinos are yelling at Hancock for not 'saving him right,' Ray stands up for Hancock and thanks him for saving his life. Ray eventually takes Hancock home with him, gives Hancock a warm meal, introduces Hancock to his family, and pitches him on the need to improve Hancock's PR.
From here, the movie goes through several twists and turns. Some hilarious, some serious, and some that feel slightly manufactured. However, at the end of the film, you'll walk out of the theatre happy that you attended. No, Hancock probably won't win an Oscar, but it did take the top honors at the Box office on opening weekend.
Torben Review Rating: Four of Five stars.