(andPOP) - There are heroes ... there are superheroes ... and then there's Hancock - a depressed, foul-mouthed, seemingly immortal superhero who causes more trouble than he's worth when rescuing civilians.
In the opening scenes of the movie, I was already entertained by Will Smith's portrayal of the atypical superhero. He's homeless, dirty (literally), and constantly intoxicated. He's deemed to be more of an A-hole than a hero and, in many cases, understandably so. Yet it's these superhero "flaws" that make Hancock interesting. With the protagonist's cheeky and funny one-liners, the audience is easily captivated and entertained — all within the first minutes of the film.
However, Hancock is not so loved by his people. The public has shunned their local hero due his constant disruptive behaviour. When Hancock means well, he does damage. When repatriating a beached whale, he angers Greenpeace. When trying to intervene and stop a police chase, he causes the city of Los Angeles millions in damages. For Hancock, no good deed goes unpunished.
But all changes when Hancock saves PR executive Ray (Jason Bateman) from getting killed. Ray is determined to change Hancock into the superhero everyone wants. When Ray brings Hancock home to taste his wife's weekly meatball madness dinner, Mary (Charlize Theron) thinks Hancock is a lost cause. Besides Ray, the only other individual who seems to appreciate Hancock's rescuing tactics is Ray's son Aaron (Jae Head), who views Hancock as a true superhero.
Ray convinces Hancock that he needs to improve his image with the public - which is dealt with in the second part of the film. This superhero movie is not entirely unconventional and a villain does exist, although his purpose is not quite convincing.
Director Peter Berg and screenwriters Vy Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan do their best to provide a movie that captivates both drama and comedy and they succeed. Although Hancock appears he couldn't care less about the people he saves, the audience learns that Hancock just wants to be accepted — like any average normal human.
One of the movie's major flaws is a not very surprising plot twist that reveals the details of Hancock's past. As Hancock transforms into a regular superhero, the writers have failed to keep Hancock interesting and he somewhat loses his edge.
Besides the movie's setbacks, this feature will undoubtedly win over audience members due to its quirkiness, simplicity and relatively cool special effects. Will Smith has proven he is one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. All of the actor's previous Fourth of July movies ("Independence Day," "Men in Black II") have made big bucks, even though they were not great films. Although Hancock is a refreshing change from the typical superhero flicks we have been bombarded with lately, this film may indeed disappoint viewers who are expecting a genuine superhero film.
