You're a hero...

Rating: 10/10 (5 July 2008)

During the dramatic arc in "Hancock" Charlize Theron's Mary confesses to Will Smith's Hancock, "You were built to save You're a hero." "Hancock" is an amazing surprise. Charlize Theron is awesome. Her powerful performance elevates "Hancock". Will Smith is the most charismatic movie star today, and is well deserved. His power not only derives from his swagger, but also from his humanity and compassion. With the caliber of Oscar Winner Theron and Nominee Smith in a superhero movie by Director Peter Berg, something compelling and special emerges. Along with Smith and Theron, Jason Bateman is terrific. Bateman is having a deserved resurgence coming off of "Juno" and here in "Hancock". Writers Vy Vincent Ngo and Vincent Gilligan create a new and fresh superhero mythology in "Hancock". Director Berg provokes killer performances, and unexpectedly veers narrative direction as "Hancock" transforms into the poignant homage to hero. Deep down like Bateman's Ray, we all want to "Change the world." Hero resonates to the soul.
Hancock (Smith) has Superman-like powers: amazing strength, flight, great speed, and impervious to bullets. However, Hancock is a loner alcoholic superhero with a very bad attitude, and completely reckless. In the opening sequence Hancock subdues Asian gang members in a highway chase that costs the City of Los Angeles $9 million. Fortunately, Hancock saves Ray's life from a freight train accident. The grateful Ray (Bateman) thanks Hancock and invites him home to meet his family. Ray has a young son Aaron (cute Jae Head), who worships the renegade superhero. His beautiful wife Mary (Theron) strangely seems to recognize Hancock.
Public Relations guy Ray offers his services to Hancock, who is a PR nightmare. Ray tells him, "People don't like you, Hancock." Mary is uneasy with Ray's good intentions. She says, "You always see the good in people when there is none." In guarded introspection Hancock agrees to accept Ray's offer. The Superhero image "makeover" is not easy. Here Ngo and Gilligan hysterically poke fun at recent celebrity jail stints as means of public sympathy. The process where Ray teaches Hancock to say, "Good job." is hilarious.
Predictably the true hero in Hancock emerges. Then the story takes a surprising dramatic twist. In a quiet moment Hancock recalls his past and he says, "I must have been some kind of bastard that no one came back to claim me" Will Smith has cool gravitas that grounds "Hancock". He is a great looking charismatic leading man, with a deceptive poignancy. Charlize Theron is the most strikingly beautiful actress on screen. As an actor she wields such amazing will and power. She can shift from light and whimsical to stark intensity without missing a beat. Watching Smith and Theron together on screen is truly captivating. Their chemistry is electric. Jason Bateman is funny and compelling as Ray. Bateman embodies the soul of a very decent and caring man, who is stronger than he knows.
"Hancock" is about reclaiming one's greatness in the morass of circumstance, and love everlasting. It's about being a hero, and wanting to change the world for good. Director Peter Berg always keeps this theme in the foreground. He balances both a sense of humor and gravity. Berg possesses a great action sense for the dramatic. The bank hostage scene is cool and slick. The final conflict is an epic thrill ride infused with great pathos.
I really enjoyed and cheered for "Hancock". It is a great hero story. "Hancock" is inventive, fresh, and completely entertaining. Will Smith powerfully delivers. Charlize Theron is totally amazing. Definitely, see "Hancock".