MOVIE REVIEW: HANCOCK

HANCOCK

Four of Seven Cows

Will Smith, I think, is one of our most underrated actors. His claim to artistic cred is hurt, I think, because he comes across as a nice, emotionally healthy guy with no chips on his shoulder, and Hollywood is a town where attitude is prized more than talent. What a shame, because films like Ali and even I Am Legend show what a talented and naturally sympathetic actor can do when given a chance to show his range.

                 

That range is not evident in Hancock, though Will Smith is not to blame. Instead, both Smith and the film are let down by a script that just couldn’t leave well enough alone. Honestly, I still don’t know what kind of movie I just saw. Was it a comedy? Not really. A drama then? No. A work of genius that defies categorization? Yeah, right…

               

If you haven’t seen the trailer, Hancock is the story of a reluctant, drunken slob of a superhero with a severe attitude problem, played by Smith. When he saves the life of a do-gooder public-relations specialist, played by Jason Bateman, everything begins to turn around. Or so you think, because that’s when things begin to go awry, and the movie becomes a schizophrenic mess. Somebody, either director or screenwriter, decided they had a bigger story to tell, and what could have been an entertaining movie with an interesting premise becomes a convoluted disappointment.

                 

The shame of it is that it all starts so well. Will Smith and Jason Bateman are so similar as actors that the pairing seems completely natural. Their interplay is fun to watch, and reminds me of Robert Dinero and Billy Crystal in Analyze This. The first hour or so should have been the first half of a really good and memorable movie, with just one glitch. While I can’t tell you how the relationship plays out, the director sets up a sexual tension between Hancock and the wife of Bateman’s character, played by Charlize Theron. The problem is Bateman’s character is extremely sympathetic, and as the viewer you’re left feeling complicit in a nasty secret. It’s not a nice feeling.

                 

The rest of Hancock degenerates into the aforementioned regrettable mess. Still, I can’t really say I didn’t enjoy the movie. The good stuff is good enough to make up for most of the rest, and one jail scene in particular is worth the two hours spent watching. So, giving the first half six cows and the second half one, Hancock gets four disappointed but smiling cows.