A 'kick-ass' film and the film "Kick-Ass" should have been...

Rating: 8/10 (30 September 2019)

Peter Berg's "Hancock" really took me off-guard, I avoided it for many years expecting some spoof of the superhero movie genre, which I'm not even a fan to begin with. And the beginning almost fooled me, a spectacular car chase intercut with a hung-over Hancock (Will Smith) sleeping on a bench and awaken by that kid from "The Middle". It takes him a while to get up, which is plausible for someone who still got the bottle in his hand, and when he took off, it just reminded me of Woody's comment about Buzz: he doesn't fly, he falls in style. And for some strange reason, despite all the obvious CGI, the flying stunts looked realistic and that's one of the delights of "Hancock".
Indeed, there's no reason to have a superhero flying like some torpedo, missile or rocket, Hancock's flying consist of high jumping and trying to fall on the right spot, which doesn't go without costing a few bucks to the community. And when he stops the criminals by impaling their car over a tower after a ride that had its share of collateral damages, Hancock's not exactly acclaimed like a hero but booed and insulted. It's so fun and refreshing to see movies questioning the consequences of a superhero's action, "The Incredibles" did that in 2004 but "Hancock" takes that element seriously and it's the right tone. If it wasn't serious, it would have made his character a major goofball we would have instantly liked, but the point isn't to like Hancock.
Precisely, he's a bitter, ill-mannered man who couldn't care less but for some reason, still cares. So when PR executive Ray (Jason Bateman) is stuck on the railroad Hancock saves him from the train collision by throwing his car backwards (instead of taking it away) and causes a train wreck by blocking it. After that, Ray sees the man who's just saved his life being insulted by an angry crowd, and naturally, decides to help him back by restoring his heroic public image. He invites Hancock to his house where he meets his son Aaron and his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) who obviously looks at him just like Jean Arthur looked at Alan Ladd in "Shane". We haven't seen enough movies if we don't guess there's history between them, but whatever expectation we have, it'll be a big surprise.
Another surprise is in the interesting shift of genres, from comedy to drama, with an intermediary section set in a jail. The sequence shows all the efforts to rehabilitate Hancock, we see him handling the prisoners, sometimes it contributes to hilarious sight gags that remind us not to take the material too seriously, and sometimes we see the 'Will Smith' of "Happyness" and "Seven Pounds" trying to change, to be a better man. His presence in the jail is vital to the development of his character since he can go out at any time but he's ready to play the game, to accept the rules, except maybe when it comes to "shooting some b-ball" outside the court. After serving part of his sentence, learning a few lessons about how to congratulate the police force, how to fly and land without causing major damages and learning to be nice, the test comes.
Hancock's called for an emergency, he shaves his beard, puts on a tight uniform with an eagle logo and go meet his destiny. He stops the robbery in all professionalism and efficiency, earning him finally the cheers of the by-standers, the police and the journalists. This is where the choice to have a serious action picture instead of a comedy pays off, if Hancock was comical, his ovation at the bank would have been a triumphant and happy moment, instead, it's a moving and emotional epiphany for him, and a fine transition to the third act that finally reveals the deal between Mary and Hancock. And it's such a particular story that it could have been handled in a sequel but the Mary storyline with a revenge from a few villains tie up the plot together in a heart-pounding finale.
And I was surprised Roger Ebert didn't mention it in his review, because the climax reminded me totally of the bond between Elliott and E.T the Extra-Terrestrial and it might even reveal what the film is ultimately about: energy. There is a positive energy and a negative one, Hancock had the same forces and skills but before he turned into a decent guy, he was full of negative vibrations that impacted his actions. He couldn't stand people calling him a certain name maybe because he used that same insult against himself. By interiorizing his doubts, his wounds, his questions about his past for years and years, he turned himself into that bitter jerk. Ray could finally unveil the good side of him and allow him to ope to people, it's an interesting metamorphosis from one energy to another.
And naturally there's the energetic connection between Hancock and Mary whose respective backstories are finally revealed and make the final confrontations not just spectacular but incredibly poignant. "Hancock" is a good movie because it's about a superhero who's a good man surrounded by good persons and learn how to be even better not just by being brave or polite but also selfless. And in the way Berg mixes between genres, from action-packed comedy to emotional drama, I will say that "Hancock" kicks ass and is the film "Kick-Ass" should have been.