Intro:

Superheroes are the best tool for fighting crime in any major urban area. Batman protects Gotham City, Superman, Metropolis, and Spiderman, Manhattan. For the most part, the heroes listed are on decent terms with the cities and people they serve. Hancock, on the other hand, is a superhero that Los Angeles would be glad to be rid of.  He consistently demolishes various parts of the city whenever crime is afoot, can be found sleeping on the streets, and drinks heavily. In addition, he’s also a huge jerk. It’s no wonder everyone hates him.

Perhaps if he cleaned up his act, the public would start to appreciate him more. It takes a lot of persuasion from an adoring fan and PR man Ray Embrey to help improve his image. Just as things start to turn for the better, an unexpected discovery opens a huge weakness, an Achilles heel, to the mighty Hancock. Will he survive?Dialogue:

Hancock was action packed but also had some pretty decent dialogue. Nothing revolutionary, but it was funny to see the often outrageous and violent reactions he had in his conversations with the citizens of Los Angeles. Hancock’s lines also revealed glimpses of his mysterious past and origins.

Ray and Mary were true friends of Hancock, and the murderous bank robber Kenneth “Red” Parker, Jr, was chock full of classic criminal one-liners.

Acting:

The roles in Hancock were well cast. Will Smith was perfect for the role of Hancock, Jason Bateman as Ray Embrey, Charlize Theron as Mary Embrey, and Eddie Marsan as Kenneth “Red” Parker, Jr.

The various other supporting actors helped make the scenes and situations in downtown Los Angeles seem realistic.

Plot:

John Hancock is a drunkard with superhuman powers, including supersonic flight, invulnerability, immortality, and super-strength. Although he uses his powers to rescue people and stop criminals, his activities inadvertently cause millions of dollars in property damage due to his carelessness.

Hancock runs into PR man Ray Embrey when he rescues Embrey’s car from a train. Hancock derails the train and damages several cars. Instead of berating Hancock like the other people around, Embrey thanks Hancock for saving his life and invites him for dinner at his home.

Ray becomes a friend to Hancock and tries to work with him to improve Hancock’s very poor public image. Hancock voluntarily goes to jail to serve time for all the court subpoenas he skipped, and then successfully resolves a hostage situation without blowing everything to smithereens. The public is elated to see that their rude and drunk super-nuisance is a clean and friendly superhero.

Things take a turn for the worse when Hancock learns the truth about his past from Mary, who also possesses powers identical to Hancock’s. If the two are close to each other, their powers weaken, leaving them as vulnerable to death as a regular human. “Red” Parker attempts to kill Hancock once he learns of his weakness, but the result of that fight won’t be revealed  here! (Spoiler!)

Music:

The music in Hancock was well selected. It fit the action and lulls throughout the film. There’s not much else to say about this aspect of Hancock

Overall:

Hancock was a good performance that will cater to all audiences. If you are looking for a decent superhero movie with lots of action and an appreciated variation in the typical superhero storyline, then Hancock is a great deviation from the ordinary. I recommend you give it a watch!

4/5 Reels
Gold Squid Rating
Pretty decent action!

Trailer:

• Tags: 2008, action, Jason Bateman, superheroes, Will Smith