Hancock
Hancock is a great concept with a superstar (Will Smith) at the helm in desperate need of a story. The concept is a superhero with a bad attitude. Drunk, and careless with his takeoffs and landings, Hancock manages to make people hate him even as he’s saving their lives. Enter Jason Bateman, an idealistic public relations professional (whose beautiful house seems a mismatch to his lack of professional traction) determined to help Hancock’s image with the public. There is a lot of good fun to be had here, with Smith’s ragged heroics and Bateman’s irrepressible likability. There’s something liberating about seeing a superhero (Hancock’s powers are Superman-like) talk a little trash and throw his muscle around a bit indiscriminately. But that’s just the framework for a movie, and it’s the plot where Hancock underachieves.
On the one hand, give the team credit for not plumping it up with a bunch of empty action. The movie comes in at a slim 92 minutes, which is more typical of an animated movie. On the other hand, I want my 2 hours and 10 minutes of Will Smith action-packed entertainment. The plot of this movie involves a back story that is explained in dialogue, leaving a gaping hole for some very cool (as I imagine them) flashback sequences. The movie it could have been would have been much better than the movie it is, which is entertaining enough (barely).