Hancock

Albeit rather clichéd and horribly over-pitched in it's marketing campaign, 'Hancock' is not your average superhero movie. It has its darker elements, it has its more comedic moments, it focuses on character far more than most and forgoes the lengthy final fight sequence that ordinarily typifies the genre. Will Smith is John Hancock, a down-and-out drunk with anger management problems and super-human powers, however he has no idea where he got them from or any idea how to use them responsibly. It is only when he meets PR consultant Ray (Jason Bateman) and his wife Mary (Charlize Theron) that he begins to realise that it might be time to improve his image and turn his life around.

Will Smith is a very rare entity, an actor who almost guarantees box-office success yet also providing performances that make the Academy sit up and take notice. At first glance, Hancock may not have seemed one of the most enticing of Hollywood's outputs this summer, but when one realises that it is Smith at the helm then all that changes - such is the likeability and staunch proficiency that he yields. It is tough to imagine anyone else playing John Hancock once you have seen Smith's portrayal, and nigh on impossible to imagine anyone playing him any better. He finely balances the drunken, bitter and sarcastic Hancock with the more dependable hero he will inevitably become, whilst hints of the earlier (arguably more interesting) side of Hancock's personality remain throughout.

Wry humour perpetually crackles through Hancock's crude dialogue; whether it be his interaction with children, criminals, cops or his supporting cast - Theron and Bateman. Scenes between Bateman and Smith particularly sparkle, their mismatch relationship is established early and works an absolute treat. Bateman's role is reminiscent of his character in Arrested Development, Michael Bluth, imbued with an awkward naivety and will to do good, so hats off to the casting director for their choice here. Theron is initially slightly less convincing as Bateman's wife who is less than thrilled to meet Hancock, but as the story unwinds she improves vastly as the script and plot gives her potential to do so (answering any questions as to her earlier performance along the way).

'Hancock' is thoroughly grounded in the real world, far more than any other superhero movie to date, and the only point when this aspect actually lets the film down is in the villain department. There is no Green Goblin here, no Joker, Magneto or even a Lex Luther...all we are given is a few thugs and a bank robber with ideas above his station. For some, this may ruin the film as there is no obligatory half-hour, city-destroying, climactic sequence between the hero and his nemesis, for others (myself included) this may be a welcome change. Instead we have a carefully structured plot, slowly revealing the truth behind who Hancock is what he must do to make the transition to archetypal hero. The back-story to Hancock is fascinating and the twist in the tale propels the story into its final act just as you may be beginning to wonder whether it has run out of steam.

What could have been a parody/farce similar to 'My Super Ex-Girlfriend' has been transformed into a thoroughly entertaining watch via a script with fresh ideas and top-notch performances. Where some will criticise it for fraying the edges between being a lightweight action-comedy and a more orthodox superhero flick, I would praise it for blending these two facets superbly and maintaining its edge of originality. The closing sequences may be a bit of an anti-climax, but this, thankfully, is not enough to knock Hancock off his stride.

Verdict: Possibly mis-marketed and as a result of which Hancock will surprise you - in a good way. Will Smith, yet again, does not disappoint.