Getting your superhero tights in a twist
I think this year is becoming a good year for superhero movies. Although Hancock is neither from Marvel nor DC (but a completely new creation), it's as super-heroic as it gets, and it also used a "realistic" approach, which is currently a popular superhero movie trend (Batman Begins, Iron Man, etc.) Hancock is a strange hero, because although he means well, he's not a very likeable person at all. He drinks, he swears and he causes millions of dollars in property damage trying to catch bank robbers whose loot could barely justify for it. Fate brought him together with a PR consultant who is adamant in repairing the public image of his saviour.
Like Unbreakable, Hancock actually has a twist that made a lot of critics unhappy and gotten it a 36% rating on Rottentomatoes.com, which is bulls***. If these "critics" paid any attention, they would have seen some obvious hints at the beginning of the movie, so it's not really a desperate use of a plot gimmick like they said it was. Anyway, they're the same people who gave two thumbs up to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, so I just can't take them seriously anymore.
Hancock does have some really funny jokes, but like I Am Legend it's not "Bad Boys 3: Super Boy". I think it's more similar to Unbreakable in style and story. It's not really perfect, but in the way The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man weren't perfect either, but still better than a LOT of other movies. Recommended! - BMF
Directed by Peter Berg (The Kingdom, Friday Night Lights) and written by Vincent Ngo (Beat the Devil, Hostage) and Vince Gilligan (Home Fries, Wilder Napalm). Stars Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron.
Also, check out my minute review on the Golden Village site!
My response to Will2k’s negative review (Warning! Spoilers!):
Sad you were shocked by the twist - I wasn't. Firstly, if you paid attention, you'll see how Ray’s wife behaves strangely around Hancock, especially her facial expressions as if she knows something. There's also a feeling that they're attracted to each other. If they only hinted this once, I would have agreed with you and say that the twist was too sudden and stupid. But there are quite a few clues being laid out throughout the movie, like the aforementioned reactions from the wife. Secondly, it's Academy Award winner Charlize Theron playing the wife. She's no Angelina Jolie, but she isn’t far behind either. And Angelina Jolie doesn't play a housewife for no good reason. This is not as valid as the first reason, but it's a bigger clue to her actual role.
And if you paid attention to the conversations, you’ll find out that Hancock and Mary (Ray’s wife) are actually gods who are destined for each other, so much that they'll always miraculously bump into each other no matter how far apart. But the price of love is a loss of their superpowers, and mortality – meaning they'll grow old and die, which is why the others of their "kind" have already died. And guess why these two are the unique couple that can never be together, and thus have lived for thousands and thousands of years? Well, just look at the colours of their skin!
Apparently, these two have been kept separated by prejudices and racism! That's why Hancock gets beaten up every time he's with his girl! The scar on his leg in the first hobo scene, the wounds on his shoulders, even the cause of his amnesia. The only way they both don't get hurt is if he stays away from Mary, which is when they will regain their superpowers and immortality. But that is what the racists wanted, and probably have succeeded, judging from the movie’s conclusion.
(By the way, I didn’t figure this one out until I read about it online. Even though I wasn’t aware of the latent racism issue during the movie, I still enjoyed Hancock for its Ladyhawke “torn-lovers” take on the superhero genre.)
If that isn't a sad, romantic, issue-driven story (a.k.a. a good story), I don't know what is. And the scar on his leg in the very first scene proves that they did not half-heartedly make that twist shit up midway. Throughout the movie, I was actually wondering why this super man has a scar when nothing could put a dent on him, so when Mary finally explained it in the hospital, I was like... ahh!
Still two thumbs up from me. And dude, this is still way, way, way better than Indiana Jones and the Suckass Skull, so I'm just really thankful.
Read Will2k's review here. |
