Review of the 2008 film ‘Hancock’

There have been a lot of superhero movies recently and Hancock manages to be something more or less dissimilar from all of them. It is no mean feat to bring something fresh and original to the superhero concept. So many of these movies have the stalwart protagonist and the evil super-villain it is their duty to thwart.

From the start, Hancock sets itself up as something else. Will Smith plays the almost apathetic superhero ‘Hancock,’ a layabout bum who ‘saves the day’ but wreaks all kinds of havoc in the process, causing billions of dollars of damage to Los Angeles. Strangely enough, his alcoholism and generally abhorrent behaviour leave the people rather angry. The turning point comes when he saves the life of failing PR man, Ray (Jason Bateman). In return, Ray offers to improve the superhero’s image, make him liked and appreciated and above all, less alone.

For a while after Hancock’s montage of redemption, it looks like the film is going to turn into a run-of-the-mill superhero flick… he is the only superhero in the world, the bullet-proof strong man flies in to save the day - and he even has the shiny superhero suit. But then another plot-twist arrives, which stirs things up and makes the second half of the film a little more interesting.

The superhero protagonist in this film is different from the square-jawed superman image in outlook, if not ability. Hancock’s life has shaped him into someone that feels alone, rejected by the people he tries to help, and therefore he doesn’t much care about what he damages along the way. The superhero’s battle to understand himself has been used to varying effect in many such movies, and Hancock’s has a lot in common with many such struggles. However, the excellent acting and some poignant moments mean that the story is very well handled.

Unfortunately, the film is let down somewhat by its villains. While the parts of the movie that focus on Hancock are superb, the super-villain, if he can be called that, is a rather weak character, and his lackeys show less flare than a damp squib. This is redeemable only by the limited screen-time these characters are afforded, and as the plot isn’t a straightforward superhero-pits-his-wits-against-the-villain story, it is more or less whitewashed by the more important struggles.

Some of the camera work is annoyingly shaky, and the more critical members of the audience may find some of the story a little hollow, or not fully explained. Parts of the second half of the movie try too hard to increase suspense, while not explaining events or characters properly. Unfortunately, there is a fine line between too much suspense, and too much exposition, and the script fell just shy of it.

However, for most viewers, out to see an exciting movie with a lot of action and engaging plot, this film is entertaining and witty, if very, very silly.