Directed by:
Peter BergCinematography:
Tobias A. SchliesslerComposer:
John PowellCast:
Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Jae Head, Daeg Faerch, Darrell Foster, Thomas Lennon, Eddie Marsan, Johnny Galecki, Martin Klebba, Mike Epps (more)VOD (1)
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Will Smith stars in this action-packed comedy as Hancock, a sarcastic, hard-living and misunderstood superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public. When Hancock grudgingly agrees to an extreme makeover from idealistic publicist Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), his life and reputation rise from the ashes and all seems right again - until he meets a woman (Charlize Theron) with similar powers to his and the key to his secret past. (Sony Pictures Releasing)
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Reviews (9)
A somewhat shaky ride that doesn't really know what it wants to be, and Berg's obvious “I want to entertain the masses” direction bothered me a lot. Hancock is a classic flat blockbuster with Will Smith playing an atypical hero who initially emerges as a pleasant surprise, but eventually, due to a boring script, turns 180 degrees into the biggest flop under the sun. As a result the whole concept falls flat on its face and loses everything that was built in the beginning. It’s technically sophisticated, and impresses with wonderfully portrayed destruction of all possible buildings and means of transport, as well as very demanding composed shots that smoothly combe visual effects and reality. I must not forget the theme of love, which is unhealthily strong here and surprisingly sometimes rather detrimental.
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I gave Hancock four stars without any issues. After all, it has almost everything that a proper comic book film should have, and thanks to the fact that the script is "glued" together from two parts, not even David Copperfield can predict the plot! As for the ending, one of the last scenes, during which the top-notch “Death and Transfiguration" song plays, made my eyes pleasantly moist....
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At the moment Peter Berg's fans have started to curse their idol for what he presents to them, I finally understand him for the first time. A classic and at the same time anti-comic spectacle, from which enthusiasm can be felt from miles away, Will Smith enjoys unlimited space and humor and action surpass my boldest expectations. The surprise of 2008 and my favorite Will Smith movie.
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Judging by the trailers, I expected an action flick full of foul-mouthed wisecracks and instead got the story of an alienated hero undergoing rehabilitation. Hancock reminds me of Smith's I Am Legend — both have incredible potential, but instead of using it, they take a different track. Not completely bad, just not as good. Fortunately, Will Smith is such an experienced actor that a lot of people will enjoy the film thanks to him, but the connoisseur will always find something lacking in the drunkard next door. Maybe this is the result of a rewrite of the script or retakes, but it doesn’t quite work. As for the rest of the acting ensemble, Charlize Theron is breathtaking and Jason Bateman is endearingly obsessed with the desire to save the world (I think he pulled off an even better performance than the great Will) and Michael Mann has an incredible funny cameo. A low four stars.
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Peter Berg is the second director this year who hasn't received much help from Will Smith. Smith is clearly a magnet for stupid screenwriters and overzealous scissors-wielding producers, as Francis Lawrence could certainly tell us. Even Jumper should envy Hancock's genre-hopping, but unlike Doug Liman, Berg was drowned by the seriousness of the subject matter, which changed its image at the last minute into a summer blockbuster. Michael Mann wasn’t helpful either, although Berg handles the action brilliantly (my late wish that he would have made the third X-Men) and Jason Bateman ramps up his comedic talents even more. The twist in the middle was a bit expected, and unfortunately, so was the ending with the spilled syrup effect. I’d give the film about 50%. It gets bonus points for the briskness and the fact (spoiler!) that Charlize is the absolute sexiest superhero in recent years, but that's actually to be expected after Aeon Flux. Actually, we could have expected quite a lot from this...
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