Cast: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman

Director: Peter Berg

Screenplay: Vy Vincent Ngo

Genre: Action/Superhero

Running time: 1 hr 40 mins



CRITIQUE:


The only best element in Will Smith’s new parade of summer chartbuster called HANCOCK is its daringly original concept – an antithesis of all superhero movies, an existential antihero that almost satirically flips over a big, fat middle finger to all comic book heroes. For the first half of the film, it feels like an indie film is hidden beneath the gargantuan marketing and commercial cloak and marquee names: a swaggering, unsympathetic, boozy character which happens to possess superhuman abilities. And unlike any other superhero films, the public knows John Hancock. The problem is he doesn’t give a damn. One major question in the premise though, if Hancock don’t give a flying fart about the citizens, then why the efforts of Hancock helping around, albeit stoned, saving lives?


That film with a premise and potential, however, strangely gets lost inbetweeny. As soon as Hancock employs the helping hand of a PR expert Ray Embrey (a modest addition from Jason Bateman) to tweak his public image, he stumbles into his PR’s wife Mary (Charlize Theron), and along with it, the film stumbles, too. Or perhaps, more appropriately, it started to lose its style and cinematic cajones. By the time Hancock starts to rehabilitate and thrusts a message of self-redemption, it becomes more forced than effortless. The humour is present and well, as one would expect from a Will Smith film, aside from occasional misfires of a bland script, but it suddenly goes bonkers in its penultimate climax, a showdown in Los Angeles between Hancock himself and an old flame, heavy in CGI and over-the-top, and even more bonkers when it sacrifices sensibility for schmaltz, opting for pushing the envelope further with emotional content than satisfying the summer audience its intended for. Its failure lies in the fact that it feels forced. A finale that touches the elements of death, sacrifice and a love-that-cannot-be seem to oddly exist in a film that wasn’t with any trace from the beginning, and cue sweeping music to ensue supposed heartbreak, it’s a proof that HANCOCK is so uneven like someone’s spiky hair.


Thankfully, it’s partly saved by Jason Bateman who looks as though he hasn’t got a clue he’s actually working on a superhero flick and the sweet Charlize Theron who pulls out some unexpected depth to her character. Will Smith remains the likeable protagonist like he does in his other films. One can call this “another Will Smith” film, but largely, his acting capability is undermined by his own films. But sadly, his character never soars.



VERDICT:

What disappointment it is when a good concept staggers due to its big ambitions. HANCOCK is funny at times, but when it tries to be profound, it’s strangely shallow and unaffecting.



RATING: C