John Hancock (Smith) is a crass, drunk, inconsiderate superhero who, despite some efforts, does more damage than good when trying to save the day.
When rescuing conscientious ad exec, Ray Embrey (Bateman) from being smooshed by a speeding train, Hancock, once again, leaves a costly trail of destruction behind. This is the last straw in the public eye and the country turns against him and his destructive antics.
Grateful for saving his life, Embrey convinces Hancock to enlist his advertising expertise to improve his PR. After a stint in jail, the police and public are desperate to get Hancock back fighting the escalating crime rate since being incarcerated, and his new-improved persona moulded by Embrey's non-stop niceness is thoroughly welcomed.
Hancock is soon faced with an unexpected turn of events that reveal much about his past, leaving him vulnerable to a menacing villain who's teamed up with some unfriendly characters from prison.
A partially surprising yet still somewhat Hollywood ending is satisfying enough but leaves open sequel possibilities (but seriously, let's hope not).
What I found particularly entertaining about this film, aside from some pretty cool action sequences injected with well-timed humour, were the gripping and surprising twists the film takes (which I won't spoil for you) and the genuine drama that these twists elicit.
Effective on-screen chemistry and a script that seamlessly interweaves action, humour and romance makes this a perfect popcorn night at the movies. The decent soundtrack doesn't go astray either.
On the downside, for a superhero flick, the villain isn't a strongly built character and is introduced far too late, leaving an imbalance of what the genre generally demands. But then again, this isn't your typical superhero film, so an engaging sub-plot compensates, to some degree, for the weaker villain.
Basically, this isn't something you'll want to try to analyse to death, but for on-the-surface entertainment value, this is a good, fun, all-rounder.
If you're stuck for a film to watch at the cinema, you really can't go wrong with Hancock.
- Colette Smith (no relation to Will!)
By Colette Smith (Contributor) Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colette_Smith |
No comments:
Post a Comment