Near Cocked Up

Rating: 5/10 (4 July 2008)

Will Smith's latest blockbuster sees him as the title character, John Hancock, an alcoholic superhero who has become public enemy of the residents of LA for causing more collateral damage in the city than the criminals he's 'helping' to apprehend. After a dramatic rescue in which he saved the life of public relations spokesperson, Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) but not without attracting further anger over the way he handled the situation, the grateful Embrey began his best efforts to savage Hancock's reputation and make him a more likable figure to the already outraged public.
The movie opens with a typical gun battle / car chase scene in which Hancock managed to capture the gunmen but ended up impaling their vehicle through a needle-like structure of a building, thus receiving even more furore. All these led to Hancock's imprisonment, only possible after Embrey convinced him that a jail term will confine him from the city, causing crime rates to shoot up without his presence, in turn leaving the authorities and people with no choice but to call him back. When Embrey's plan works after Hancock's well praised efforts in rescuing hostages during a bank heist, Hancock immediately became popular overnight. He was also a regular guest at Embrey's household that he began to attract the attention of his wife, Mary (Chalize Theron).
The story of Hancock plays on the regular theme of redemption and purpose. There's nothing fresh in direction and plot, just your usual dose of action and superhero dilemma. Smith, however, has proved that he's not just a charismatic celebrity who brings in massive earnings at the box office but also a seasoned and skillful thespian who had demonstrate his qualities in movies like Ali and The Pursuit Of Happiness. This is without exception for Hancock, a character he managed to play with much heart and successfully portrayed the weary and troubled personality of the rejected superhero. Bateman and Theron did considerably fine in their supporting roles and for a while as the movie progresses, there seem to be promising signs of a good action film in the coming.
This was not to be. The surprising plot twist in the middle of the story began to flung the plot into a literal storm of strange revelations, an even stranger account of Hancock's origin, the sudden and uncomfortable development between Hancock and Mary that's not getting the chemistry working and more emotional drama, splitting the later half of the film into a mood not quite like the earlier part that comprised of comedy and some light drama.
Granted, while the cast had done their best, director Peter Berg just leave us wondering. If you are in for watching Hancock because of the action, you probably won't be disappointed much though one particular scene is kinda overdone. But take in mind: this might be one of Smith's best performance, still it does not automatically qualify Hancock as one of his best films.