“Hancock”

Rating: 6/10

Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman

Plot:

Ne’er-do-well superhero John Hancock (Smith) enlists the help of a public relations specialist (Bateman) to revitalize his image, and make the city that shunned him come to reevaluate his importance.

The Good:

Will Smith, the king of the 4th of July weekend, is perhaps the biggest movie star in the world right now.

His career choices, mixed with his mainstream appeal, along with an actual likeable persona, has elevated the “Fresh Prince” to immortal movie star status. He’s such a lock for making money that he can even take on a lowbrow, uneven, comedy-action-sci-fi film like “Hancock.”

Most superhero movies contain the same premise of good versus evil. In “Hancock,” Smith personifies both, as he is literally fighting himself to reclaim the glory he once had. It’s refreshing to see a man with a duty to protect his city, who does so lethargically and at a whim.

Smith is a nice fit for the role of Hancock, as even though he’s a generally well-liked character in his films, he can still achieve the immature antics of the drunken superhero. He’s well matched with the wry Jason Bateman, as their banter is well balanced.

The comedy is strategically placed to elevate the jerk-appeal of Hancock, and some of the special effects are jaw-dropping, but it doesn’t save face for the obligatory CGI climax.

It should also be noted that one of the funniest parts of the film comes after the credits when Mike Epps makes a cameo and mispronounces Hancock’s name. Give that guy his own sitcom already.

The Bad:

“Hancock” had such an original concept going for at least the first two-thirds of the film. When have we ever seen a superhero that is an alcoholic vagrant and disliked by the city he has a duty to protect? Smith plays this angle up to par when he picks on little kids, and causes more destruction than help.

However, once Hancock finally begins to basically become a replica of all other superheroes, just with a lamer costume, the allure that was seeing the character study of a down-and-out man, becomes a CGI-induced seizure.

The twist is well placed, and something that was really unexpected, but it is also what killed the movie. It’s not absurd, as the characters take much needed time to nurse an explanation, but it is unnecessary. Sure, it was original, but it totally diverts the audiences’ attention from the interesting narrative at hand, into ridiculous action scenes.

Charlize Theron on the other hand, along with her whole character, is the movies biggest fault. The awkward, and unknown tension at the beginning of the movie is well played, but Theron and Smith are forced into having some sort of platonic chemistry that is disturbing to watch. The side-plot involving the Theron/Bateman/Smith love triangle is unnecessary, and prevents the movie from achieving the heights it could have.

The Low-Down:

“Hancock” is undoubtedly passable, and it’s something that everyone will see, thanks to Will Smith and the franchise he has built. If he continues to make good decisions, he could be the next Tom Hanks, and not the next Tom Cruise.