There are heroes...there are superheroes...and then there's Hancock.

Rating: 8/10 (5 July 2008)

With great power comes great responsibility -- everyone knows that -- everyone, that is, but Hancock. Edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock's well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had enough -- as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they ever did to deserve this guy. Hancock isn't the kind of man who cares what other people think -- until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey, and the sardonic superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all. Facing that will be Hancock's greatest challenge yet -- and a task that may prove impossible as Ray's wife, Mary, insists that he's a lost cause.
After seeing the theatrical trailer for this movie, I didn't really want to see it as much as most summer movies. I didn't want to see Will Smith acting like an a-hole is his movies. I don't think anyone does but I saw this film anyway. And you know what? This has got to be one of the biggest surprises this summer! I loved it! Hancock is a movie where it answers the question, "What happens if a superhero just doesn't care?" And it does it great! Will Smith plays well as the misunderstood superhero. He does a great job. Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron are good supporting roles. What I didn't like about the film is that it was marketed in a wrong way. What you see in the trailers for this film is basically the first thirty minutes of the entire movie. It's marketed as a superhero comedy. Well, the jokes are funny but there are also dramatic scenes in here. It adds a surprising sense of sweetness in the film.
Unlike other superhero movies, "Hancock" isn't based on a comic book so no one really has an idea of what's going to happen in this film and that's what makes the movie so great! Finally, a superhero movie that isn't predictable (in most cases). The film does a great job giving us the information that we would need to know, although it doesn't answer all the questions we want to know, like how Hancock obtained his powers and so on and so forth. The movie also has some surprising twists and turns to keep audiences interested. When you think this is going to happen, a twist comes to keep you off guard which makes the film quite refreshing and original than most superhero movies. The action scenes are good, although maybe not as big and great as you expect it to be.
And I must say, John Powell does an EXCELLENT job with the score for the film. I also think this is one of Peter Berg's better films. Now don't go expecting what the TV spots and trailers show you. The film is quite sweet and has a good moral message in the end and doesn't really have as many jokes as you would expect. Will Smith does a great job playing the character and the film is quite fresh and original. Like I said, this has got to be the biggest surprise of this summer so far! And yes, this movie is quite entertaining! Go see it!