Title: Hancock; Cast: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Jae Head; Director: Peter Berg; Producers: Akiva Goldsman, James Lassiter, Michael Mann, Will Smith; Screenwriters: Vincent Ngo, Vince Gilligan; Music: John Powell; Editors: Colby Parker Jr., Paul Rubell; Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Drama/ Fantasy; Cinematography: Tobias A. Schliessler; Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment; Location: Los Angeles , California , USA; Running Time: 92 min.;
Technical Assessment: 3
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 14 up
John Hancock (Will Smith) sleeps at park benches, swears, is rude, drinks heavily, and is in the words of a little boy an “asshole”. But he is also a superhero of sorts. He’s arrogant but he saves lives; he’s a bum but he can’t tolerate baddies. When on call he doesn’t hide and slip into a signature costume, he simply skyrockets himself, crashing through windows, making a mess of the traffic, leaving downtown Los Angeles like it’s been rocked by a mega hurricane. Half the people adore him; the other half has filed over 600 lawsuits against him for damaged property and injured bodies. One day he saves from sure death a dreamer of a PR man Ray (Jason Bateman) who is stupid enough to get himself stuck on the railroad track with a train zooming up. Grateful for his life, Ray brings Hancock home for a spaghetti dinner, and introduces the superhero to his son (who idolizes Hancock) his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) who can’t seem to stand the sight of the boorish superhuman around the house. What Ray really wants to do is give Hancock an image makeover—to make him look good to the public.
The movie’s trailer and poster claim there are heroes and superheroes (and more superheroes) and then there is Hancock. Or something like that. Which leads the viewer to expect a different kind of superhero—but a superhero nonetheless. So the story brings us this superhero with an issue—or rather with unresolved issues good enough to keep ten psychiatrists employed for life. This movie which is billed as an “action comedy” flick seems two movies in one, but it confuses its own plot, thus it won’t fit in a decent genre. So there are action comedies and action comedies, and then there is Hancock, a hybrid that doesn’t know how to categorize itself. Even the hero doesn’t understand his powers, much less wield them as a hero is expected to. Okay, okay, they said this was not your ordinary superhero movie—but at least give us something superior, so we don’t regret buying a ticket and having nothing left for popcorn. Don’t give us an unidentifiable species that’s half-hearted comedy turning into a half-baked Shakespearean tragedy with no rationale to engage our brains. The CGI is passable, but worthless against all the questions directed at the ethics of the hero.
Is there a race somewhere? A supercontest of sorts where superheroes out to save the world leave in their wake bigger and bigger collateral damage? Who gets to pay for all that mess this sloppy superhero creates? Just count the potholes caused by his landings. Where is this superhuman coming from? Aren’t superheroes supposed to be, at least, respectful of the citizens of this planet? Is it correct for a superhero to traumatize a kid who’s just being a kid? Is it moral to save one and let a hundred others die? Did Hancock’s makers mean to say anyone can be a superhero simply because he happens to be superhuman? What do they want our children to be? Will Smith the actor became famous for being a family-friendly rapper, a good kid in a very popular TV series. Why are they now shaking off his clean image? Do they want our kids to follow this likeable actor to perdition? Many are the ways by which the evil one will try to lure our children into decadence. Beware. If you must allow your 14-year olds to see this movie, tell them Hancock is fictitious, not to be emulated, idolized, or taken seriously.
