Hancock Review [2]

Posted by Erik Luers on 07.05.2008

If this is what qualifies for an edgy, controversial superhero flick, give me Superman battling crystal meth problems any day of the week.

Never before have I been so accurately able to pinpoint the moment where all potential is lost and flushed down the drain than in director Peter Berg's latest film, Hancock . There is one scene in the film that completely ruined whatever chance this idea's prospects were. Sure, its first forty-five minutes or so aren't that aptly handled to begin with, but there are some laughs and smirks provided by the more than capable Will Smith. I usually try to avoid spoilers within my reviews however, in this particular case, I feel there is no way I can express my disappointment with the film's screenplay without revealing several key moments. Don't think of them as spoilers as much as they are urgent warnings to avoid this flick.

As we are introduced to John Hancock (get it?), hungover and in a deep sleep, a gang unloads fire on a L.A. freeway, shooting at any innocent driver they come across. They all appear to be of Asian descent, perhaps because Berg has found a way to mock foreigners or Asian stereotypes. As the men discuss their plan of attack (in their native tongue), the subtitles on the screen indicate that they are speaking in broken English, implying that their syntax is all wrong. How can this be if they aren't even speaking in an English grammatical standard? They use a four letter word beginning with F that either the MPAA wouldn't allow (though we hear it later on), or that Berg found comical to have the spelling be along the lines of this: f@#k!!!. This is either racist, mean spirited, ethnocentric or all three combined. Also, why do the men mistake Hancock for hip hop star Soulja Boy? Is it because they're both black men? Is that supposed to be funny? A rocky introduction to say the least.

A few scenes later we see Ray Embrey (Jason Batemen of Teen Wolf 2 fame) inside his car, caught on the tracks of a quickly approaching train. Is he trying to commit suicide, fed up with unsuccessful ventures into the public relations market? Oh no, he just happens to have been pushed into the tracks by oncoming traffic. How that's even possible is anyone's guess. Would anybody honestly push his car through when the drivers have already been signaled not to cross due to dangers of getting hit by a locomotive? Of course not. The scene is only here so that Hancock can meet Ray by saving his life. How did Hancock know that Ray was in trouble? Umm, we're just supposed to accept that and move on. I couldn't.

Will Smith makes these early scenes somewhat bearable. He has a certain charm to him that allows his character to get away with being rude and abusive (one scene involves him attacking a young boy and it turns out to be more nihilistic than funny). Odd though that he speaks with a very current, slang-like urban vernacular when he is at the very least, pushing ninety years of age. The actors are not the problem here; they do the best they can given what and whom (Berg) they are working with.

The nail in the coffin arrives midway through the film when we learn that Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron) also possess super powers similar to Hancock's. In fact, hers' are even more powerful as she is able to change the climate and retain knowledge as to the origins of this super human species. When she reveals her powers to Hancock, she does so by throwing him through a wall in her own kitchen, followed by her freaking out about her husband finding out about her secret. I suppose she shouldn't have thrown Hancock through a wall in her own house then, huh? This scene is followed by Hancock, testing out the magnitude of her strength (or his ability to abuse women), smashing Mary in the back of her head with kitchen appliances while Ray hangs out in a nearby room. Surprisingly, she doesn't mind the destruction of her own property and stays calm.

When Mary arrives at Hancock's trailer, she arrives in a quick fashion, not by car mind you, but by flying physically in the air. Wouldn't people had noticed a blond female flying in the air? Doesn't she want to remain inconspicuous? Also, for all female superheros who may be reading this review: don't feel the need to tramp it up when you got out for a trip through the clouds. Mary puts on heavy mascara and a nice, tight suit showing off her ample cleavage. Now, I've heard of being committed to your occupation but talk about overdoing it. Maybe she ran into a representative of Barbarella's at the superhero college job fair. This scene leads to cheap exposition (so they are the only two left of their kind and have been around for thousands of years? Why isn't this in any history books anywhere? Where were these two geniuses when Lincoln was about to be assassinated?) A brawl takes place between the two that occurs in front of, and in one case: in, the building where Ray works. And Mary wanted to keep her superpowers a secret from her husband? Terence Howard should whoop this trick.

Despite a few funny one-liners early on, Hancock is a rather wasted, bloated summer effort. There's no real antagonist in the piece (besides the late appearing Captain Hook), which throws the entire structure of film completely off. Also, isn't Hancock a little too powerful? If bullets and explosives can't harm you, what can? Berg's answer is that to be near the ones you care for, will ultimately prove to be your downfall. I think every American learns that concept during Thanksgiving, Peter, but thanks for the tip. Perhaps Theron, after cashing in her big paycheck (so that's why she worked for peanuts on Monster ) asked the screenwriters to come up with an explanation as to why her character couldn't be in the inevitable sequel. So, if Mary gets too close to Hancock, they can both be killed, and we can't have that. Presto! We have validated Theron's "get out" clause in her contract.

Luckily, it appears though Hancock only has to be a few thousand miles from Mary to survive and prosper, say New York perhaps. One must only wait a few moments to see what kind of stereotypical predicaments Hancock will get himself into in the Big Apple. Mike Epps shows up as a wisecracking criminal, for a "during the credits, leave the audience happy" childish cameo. Sigh. You know what? I would have been much happier to have seen Nick Fury.

The 411: In the spirit of the late film critic Pauline Kael, and her knack for using sexually implied essay titles, Hancock sucks the big one. An M. Night Shyamalan-like twist sinks this film faster than the unfortunate sailboat that encounters a whale early in the film. For a fourth of July tentpole blockbuster, Hancock severely disappoints.

Final Score:  3.0   [ Bad ]