Movie Review : Hancock

Hancock officially released in Singapore today :) Will Smith is in this movie, should be a blast wacthing him. Usually he’s performance is really good so read on… Warning spoilers!

Flashy and funny, but extremely uneven, this superhero action comedy lets its gifted cast stroll through a series of ill-defined characters. But it still keeps the audience entertained.

Hancock (Smith) is a lowlife drunk and Los Angeles’ resident superhero, causing extraordinary collateral damage as he catches criminals and rescues people in danger. No one likes him, so when he saves PR guy Ray (Bateman) from an oncoming train, Ray thanks Hancock by giving him some image-improvement advice. But there’s a long way to go, starting with Hancock facing up to the laws he’s broken. Meanwhile, Hancock gets to know Ray’s wife (Theron) and son (Head), and as he comes out of his alcoholic blur, he might even learn something about his mysterious past.

The film gets off to a raucous start, with a series of goofy action sequences that are hilarious (and also, frankly, extremely irresponsible). Smith bulldozes his way into the film as a seriously obnoxious jerk; it’s unlikely that Hancock will ever be a hero to the general public as he treats everyone he meets with careless disdain. But these are actually the best scenes in the film, and Smith plays them perfectly, never trying to make us like him for a change, and bouncing superbly off the always engaging Bateman and the usually underused Theron.

Movie Review : Hancock

The trouble starts as the story develops. Once Bateman’s job is done, he steps into the background, allowing Theron to become more central to the plot. She’s always watchable, even when her character is as underwritten as this one. And while the sparks between the three characters are sometimes quite strong, they veer from wacky farce to emotive drama and finally to full-on action blockbuster with the arrival of a vicious villain (Marsan).

For the most part, Berg gets the balance between comedy and action about right. And the effects work is superb, as things look intriguingly realistic for the most part without allowing animation to take over the movie.

What lets the film down is the plot, which lurches all over the place and never quite settles down with any pace or force. Not that this will remotely bother filmgoers looking for a bit of starry, action-packed silliness. Remember this is a fun action movie so treat it that way :) Don’t miss it!

credits: Shadows on the Wall


Official Movie Poster
Movie Review : Hancock
Singapore Date: 3rd July 2008
Language: English
Running Time: 93 mins
Rating: PG
Genre: Action
Tagline: There are heroes. There are superheroes. And then there’s…
Starring: Will Smith, Adam Brooks, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman
Directed by: Peter Bergman
Company: Blue Light
Singapore Distributor: Columbia Tristar Films

iZone Rating:

7.5/10
Official Website : Hancock


Movie Trailer


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