Lazy, confounding, irritating, and quite boring

Rating: 2/10 (28 January 2009)

As others have noted, I knew the basic premise going in, and thought it at least a decent hook, though hardly all that original. Anyone who has read comic books knows that one frequently used plot line involves the superhero losing their powers, or going through dark periods of self-doubt. Batman's entire character is based on dark self-doubt.
Regardless, the movie violates a basic film school 101 rule: create an arc that carries the film start to finish. Twisting the plot does not mean throw it against the wall half way through the movie and pick up the pieces. To me, this script screams that somebody knew how to get in, with zero idea how to cogently get out. I'm also convinced that there may have been a different final 40 minutes of the movie, and some executive changed it based on focus groups, but since there is a tie-in to Hancock's mental state, it probably was conceived from the start, unfortunately.
The main shift in the plot line, that Hancock would run into his female double (Theron), is highly implausible. Why, of all the people that he ran into, would it be the wife of a man he rescued who pursued him, not vice versa. Jason Bateman becomes the sidekick and almost mentor in the first part of the movie, and then he becomes the vehicle for the (romantic) rise of Theron's character in the second half. This is a very unstable progression in the plot.
Out of the millions of people he ran into, I SUPPOSE eventually he would run into her. However, it basically tosses the Bateman/Smith dynamic, and turns into Smith/Theron, with a lot of seriously ridiculous melodrama that completely changes the tone of the movie from comedy to drama. After this jarring derailment, it was impossible for me to care about the characters or the film.
Its not like the film was going that well earlier. Smith's character reforming from alcoholism in MANY drawn-out pitifil reform scenes fundamentally betrayed the movie's original light-hearted romp feel. The movie was summer fare, right? We don't need to see 15 minutes of Smith talking in an AA meeting, and then Bateman discussing with him at length Hancock's depressed superhero past. I got it already. This also made the movie feel like it was done on the cheap. The action scenes were well-done, but considering this is a Will Smith tent-pole, they were few, and they had absolutely none of the dramatic tension found in the heavy emotional scenes.
I also did not understand the prison scene where the criminals try to block his way, having already been jailed by him. He has superhero powers, remember? It was as if the writer, director and producer got together and thought of the most cliché thing they could in that situation.
Later, somebody in the production says to themselves, 'lets make his take-offs and landings break the concrete.' These effects shots were a major part of the movie. It was used over and over and over again, the REAL physics at work, right? Nevermind the cops not all dying on the freeway, or everyone not dying in the train stopped cold, or the whale not being torn apart when it was thrown. Hancock is realistic and human, but nothing he does is. Simply more incongruence in the film.
There was nothing in this movie that surprised me, other than Smith's wisecracks, which were about the only thing that were enjoyable. He's a good dramatic and comedy actor, but if his hands were in this script and production, then he really should not stick to producin'.
The entire end-plot about Smith and Theron being together for millenia was thoroughly ludicrous, and distaste was slyly evident on Bateman's face, a star of one of the most dryly absurd shows on TV, Arrested Development. It's clear he was working not to smirk, or just getting no direction, but just enjoying the fat check. The legitimacy and straight-man interest he brought to Smith's outrageous character was abandoned, and he just turned into a mannequin. This gave the movie a real odor of being fundamentally changed while shooting, but the deciders won't be telling us.
Theron gives a heroic performance, but her dramatic scenes with Smith seemed totally out of place towards the end. Suddenly, a PG comedy went close to a dramatic R. I wouldn't want a kid to see all this violence.
Finally, once the superheros are apart, they both revive, but all the others of their kind died because they stayed together? HUH? Only these two gods can figure out the secret trick...don't be in close proximity? So love makes you mortal? OK, NOT an interesting premise, but tenable. At the end I was wondering where did the comedy go? I guess I see how it can all tie together, but there's zero concern for any real emotional integrity. They resist each other, they have their superhero spat in public (that was a major loose end they never addressed - Theron being exposed) yadda yadda yadda. This movie was thrown together, and not taken seriously. I would've felt deeply ripped off had I paid full fare.
Talking about all this kind of makes me ill. The money this movie made is sad, but the sequel will be the real abomination and hopefully justice will rain down on this possible 'franchise', although I'm sure someone in the studio will demand a better script...I hope.