Hancock - Grading & Discussion

I really enjoyed this. Yes, I'm a complete Will Smith fangirl, but it kept me laughing and entertained the whole time, which in the end is what it's all about!

 

Looks like the movie is still going strong. It made $33 million this past weekend for a box office total of $165 million so far. I didn't think it would hit $200 million, but it looks like it will.

 

I never doubted $200m but some had it as a $300m contender and not even with Will Smith did I see that. I think Ent.Weekly had a $275m guess on this film and it will not do that, $250m is going to be its ceiling as of now and that might come down some after the force of TDK is measured.

 

I just saw this Movie today. Wow what a dissapointment.

It started out good, but the "heroic bum" stuff could have definitely been expanded a lot more. The part with superCharlize was just weird, and stretched believability. The thing that annoyed me the most is that she also has all these superpowers, and yet she never lifts a finger to help anyone (all the time while watching the news and feeling guilt about it) and tells Hancock that he's the one meant to be a hero. Yeah ok.

It would have been much better if the movie would have had a supervillain instead, and make something else his weakness.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually liked Superman Returns more than this movie.

 

I read the original script was a lot more dark, and they altered the second half of the movie. No big surprise there, the tone and character of the movie completely change at the midpoint.

I think I would have liked a deeper treatment of Hancock in his 'asshole' stage. They could have left his origins to a sequel.

That being said, I thought it was a fun movie that didn't take itself too seriously, had great SFX, and all in all was worth my $10 and two hours.

The only real complaint I had was the fact that Hancock had been around sans memory for the last 80 years. It didn't explain at all how he had kept under the radar for eight decades, or why he decided to become a superhero in the current time frame.

And of course I would expect a bit more depth of character to an 80 year old, let alone an immortal.

But still, it was what it was, and that was a fun ride.

 

Well.. saw it and a big, resounding "meh" from me.

I totally adore Will Smith but this movie isn't one of his best. The trailers really have shown the best parts of the movie and the movie itself seemingly couldn't decide what its focus was.

I was spoiled about the plot twist but even if not i doubt it would have made the movie for me. Even after it the movie didn't become that more interesting so it won't enter my Smith collection for quite some time.

 

I thought the movie should have happened right where you've pointed. WHY was he a screw-up? and why would he change his mind?

and after going to jail, why would he come out to save people?

I see him being a little more "If I'm going to come out of jail to help you people, then I'm going to be who I am - either you leave me in jail or you set me *free*."

I think there's a much more interesting movie in either watching him be convinced there's a better way OR in watching him prove that having powers doesn't make him the person people want him to be.

Looking back, the movie told a bunch of *what* happened, without much *why* or *how*. What is easier, but not as substantial.

It was entertaining and different, but Charlize's story seemed convoluted, foreshadowed in some obvious ways and not in some other ways (they meet several times, talk, fight and then he's lost his powers during a robbery the next day? but falling out of the hospital saves them?)

Like so many have said, good, but frustratingly not great.

 

For anyone interested, here's a link to the script for "Tonight, he comes", the original screenplay Hancock is based on:

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/images/column/7108/tonight.pdf

 

^^^ Just saved that to my PC.

The things that most annoyed me about the movie:

1. No valid reason was given for why Hancock is the way he is.
2. No valid reason for his change of heart.
3. The fact that there is another superbeing takes away from his uniqueness, as the story is no longer just about him.
4. The best parts of the movie played in the trailer (I thought the whale scene was going to be part of his "rehab" and not some random thing he just did for the hell of it, dumb dumb dumb)
5. After the PR Guy has been so nice to him, and him turning over a new leaf (for no apparent reason other than he wants to be liked?) he still wants to force himself on dude's wife? Lame.
6. Dude's wife tosses him thru the wall, and THIS is the changing moment for the character? Lamer!!

Like many have said on here, I wanted to see a movie about a downed superhero who makes his way back to the top again, not some dumbass get kicked around the city by a superGF with a temper tandrum.

Superman Returns is a classic compared to this pathetic attempt at comedy/drama.

 

Sorry for necro-posting up this thread , but I finally rented Hancock on DVD.

And I have to give it an Excellent rating... The movie ended up a bit different than I expected - but in a good way.

I also dug the backstory - even if it was minimalist on purpose. Just enough was told to make you curious to fnd out more. (I *hate* obvious expositional dialog, so I was glad to not have to hear too much of it) I has guessed the 'twist' that Theron's character had powers from the trailer, but to me the real 'twist' was that she wasn't a villain, as I had expected.

I really dug the 2nd half of the movie - which I liked more than the 1st half. I mean how much can you do with a drunk superhero? They pretty much covered all those bases in 15 minutes or less, so I was glad to see the plot move on. (even if it was amusing)

 

^^^ I went to see a movie about a superhero who was down on his luck and slowly got back to the top. I didn't go to see a movie about "My super ex Girlfriend 2.5"

The movie started out good. Good writing would have given us a good backstory as to why Hancock is a depressed asshole. As it stands in the movie, he is like that simply because he's Will Smith.

Think about it, Superman basically becomes good because his parents loved him and showed him to care for people. Hancock perhaps could have landed, but never found love? maybe he was a foster kid from home to home? What would a person who grew up like this but all of a sudden started getting superpowers be like?

Maybe they would turn criminal? Maybe out of some sense of pity help people once in a while, but not really giving a damn? Maybe he'd become some sort of anti-hero? Punishing those he believes have hurt him?

The movie sort of had the right idea. Hancock starts off as a bum, who occassionally feels pressed to "help out". Where they started going wrong IMO was:

1. The easy way in which Hancock was convinced to "start turning a new leaf"

2. Not enough "half asses good deeds of kindness"

3. The whole prison scene could have been where he "lets go" of his pains and starts turning for the better?

4. Having super ex GF throw him around the city just totally destroyed what little development this film had. It simply became a parody of superheroes at that point. What might have been nice was having Hancock face some sort of massive threat to earth, and super ex gf shows up and helps him fight it?

There's so many good ideas that could have been done as compared to what was done.

 

Well you clearly wanted to see a different film that what the film-makers wanted to make... It happens all the time.

I personally liked it a lot. Tastes differ. Did we get a different film that what the trailers showed? Yep - and I'm glad for it. I like to be surprised. (The trailers showed no scenes of the last 3rd of the movie, which is sooo nice for a change)

(You could always try write your own story along the lines out outlined... it does sound interesting as well)

 

Which is fine if the trailer had been honest and not outright lied.

 

Huh? What did it lie about? Since when do trailers have to show every plot point?