At least it tried . . .

Rating: 5/10 (6 September 2008)

Let me get this out of the way before I bash this movie: the first 2/3ds of Hancock was done flawlessly for what it was trying to accomplish. A nihilistic superhero that cares more about himself than other people. A lot of jokes and events that were slapstick and crude, Pulp Fiction-style. A plot that didn't take itself too seriously, but wasn't so ridicules that the audience couldn't take it seriously at all.
Yes, the first 2/3ds of the movie were fun and near flawless, if even a bit, dare I say it, borderline original. Nothing that's going to blow your brain, but still fun and anti-cliché enough to be a fun summer movie.
The last 1/3rd of the movie turns into a family-friendly episode of The Twilight Zone as the twists are revealed. All the amazing nihilism disappears, as does the ability to take Hancock seriously as he puts on one of the cheesiest superhero costumes in history. When you see this in the theater it's a lot like a slap in the face, but over time I've grown to understand and like it a little more than I did.
The action scenes aren't all that well-done, and neither is the film itself. It seems a lot like a prototype for what could really be a superhero movie, and I think that is what it was going for, and I also think I liked that aspect. It's not as well-done as Spider-Man, and it's not as ridiculously dull as all the other Marvel adaptations lately.
I praise Hancock for being a fun, anti-cliché movie with some crude elements to make people like me smile every now and then. Don't judge it as a masterpiece, because it never tried to be one in the first place.
5/10