Hancock

Jul 4 2008 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

(1hr 32mins) Starring: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron. Director: Peter Berg

WITH great power comes great responsibility … not that bona fide superhero Hancock (Will Smith) cares.

The eponymous protagonist of Peter Berg’s all-action adventure is another victim of our celebrity-obsessed times, relying on whisky to cope with pressures of fame.

For the opening hour, this delivers everything you expect from a Will Smith blockbuster, including spectacular set pieces and wisecracks.

Then without warning, it abruptly morphs into something else entirely.

The mood turns increasingly serious as we’re thrown a succession of narrative curveballs that hastily introduce a pivotal character to explain Hancock’s back-story and propel the film to its sombre resolution.

As the saviour of Los Angeles, Hancock begrudgingly helps maintain peace on the streets, except his exploits always result in millions of dollars of damage.

Drunk, foul-mouthed and deaf to public dissatisfaction, he rescues publicist Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) from a collision on a level crossing.

As a thank you, Ray vows to restore faith in the superhero. But he faces an uphill battle, ignoring his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) who warns, “You see the good in everybody, Ray, even when it’s not there”.

Hancock potentially offers great value for money – two screenplays (one a comedy, the other a doomed romance) welded together for the price of one.

But while the second half is more interesting, it rests on a twist that can’t be revealed here and could determine your enjoyment of the overall movie.

Smith’s natural likeability smoothes some of his character’s rough edges, but he delivers his best work when Berg’s film cuts the comical asides and forces the superhero to take a long, hard look at himself.