Superhero Turned Upside-down

Rating: 6/10 (14 July 2008)

What if society's superhero was endowed with superpower yet was on the fringe of society as a marginally functioning person. A street type who bungled his miraculous feats, saving innocent lives but with always with enormous collateral damage. Sounds like a great twist that begged for a real visionary celluloid treatment...I am just guessing here, but I imagine that the producers thought something which resembled this. Reinventing the genre. Brilliant! Right? In order to guarantee a degree of success, regardless of all other factors, they (producer/director) knew they needed something of a chameleon "A-List" actor. They got Will Smith, and when you think about it for ten seconds you have to think, of course, who else? Who besides Will breaches comedy, drama, and science fiction with so much credibility? They got it right here I would say.
So why isn't it an unqualified success? It has to come down to the actual story and not the ideal itself. The aspect they chose to key on was the rehabilitation of Hancock. A sort of "My Fair Lady" theme within the movie itself. With Justin Bateman as his conscience/public relations manager we are dragged into the rehabilitation of Hancock. This, in this reviewer's opinion, is where the story constricts itself. The idea of Hancock wanting to be a complete person in the most moral sense isn't in itself the pitfall. If he did not see his dark side and desire to save himself as well he wouldn't be the different superhero and thus would not be of any interest outside of being a Superman by another name. So it boils down to the actual screenplay and overall writing as the lesser of all the ingredients. While the special effects are, as expected, extreme. I think the story did not live up to the idea. Somewhere at an hour and change we get an interesting twist and that is the fact that Justin Bateman's wife, played by Charlize Theron, is also endowed with superpowers. So, now the story is going to ramp up and get really interesting. Unfortunately not so much. In the end another turn that really does not serve the original idea to the extent it deserves.
This movie is watchable and even enjoyable. It could have been so much more and therein lies that twinge of discontent. I would say great idea, good cast, and lots of possibilities muddled by story that is weak and execution which simply can't save that weakness.