Let's face it: being Will Smith has got to be exhausting. He's a megawatt star who brings people of every race, class and gender to the theater, he's proven his range with action, romantic comedy, thriller and dramatic roles, and he's got a family-man, squeaky-clean image. Whether he likes it or not, he's a role model. Thus, the opportunity, albeit a risky one, to play a vulgar, alcoholic, sloppy superhero must have been attractive. In Peter Berg's intriguing "Hancock," Smith shows that even the most despicable characters have a shot at salvation. This innovative take on the superhero flick is both entertaining and carries an emotional weight not often seen in the genre, but it loses track halfway through and rushes towards an ending that is less than satisfying.
John Hancock (Will Smith) can leap tall buildings, toss cars as if they were tennis balls, and deflect bullets with just his skin. He can also drink like a fish, talk like a sailor, and spends most of his time passed out on a park bench. He stops crime in Los Angeles when he feels like it, so the city tolerates his presence even though no one can stand him. When he does step in, though, he causes the city a lot of damage (finally, a superhero who suffers the consequences of the big, flashy action sequences!). His first heroic act of the film is stopping a high-speed chase, during which he busts through road signs, destroys part of the highway, and leaves an SUV speared on the top of a building. The tally? $9 million.
The public hates him, but he doesn't seem to care. When he saves do-gooder public-relations rep Ray (Jason Bateman) by throwing his car out of the path of an oncoming train but in effect causes a huge train wreck, Hancock suffers a slew of insults from an angry crowd. "Couldn't you have just flown the car straight up into the air? You're such an asshole," they cry. Ray, happy to be alive, decides to thank Hancock by giving him an image makeover, instructing him to be more careful on take-offs and landings (avoid the $100,000 cars), ditch the hobo fashions for a sleeker costume, and say "good job" to local law enforcement. As Hancock tries to redeem himself - unenthusiastically at first - we learn more about his past, his powers, and the strange connection he has with Ray's wife Mary (Charlize Theron).
As I said before, Smith's likability makes this role an interesting choice. I can't decide if it's a flaw in the character of Hancock or not, but Smith's comic timing and facial expressions make it hard to find the uncouth hero offensive. Even when tossing children into the air or grabbing at women, Hancock still possesses that Will Smith charm. He seems to be having a hard time giving the character an edge; throughout the film Smith screws up his face to create a grimace, but it looks more painful than angry.
Theron also seems an odd choice for the role as Mary. In recent films, she has avoided the pretty-girl image by playing plain, severe, and even ugly women ("In The Valley of Elah," "North Country," and "Monster"). Here, she lets her wavy blonde hair fall around her shoulders and wears understated but flattering clothing. Mary's secret, which I will not divulge here, becomes apparent the first time she and Hancock lock eyes. What Mary has to hide becomes the central focus of the final third of the film, and though Theron does her best to give the film the emotional weight it needs to make the relationship believable, director Berg rushes the film towards a chaotic and melodramatic ending that leaves the viewer wanting more.
"Hancock" is not an origin story, mainly because our hero can't remember where he came from or what he is. The script, written by Vincent Ngo and Vince Gallian (who often wrote for "The X-Files" television series and is behind the script for the upcoming "The X-Files: I Want to Believe"), is sharp and edgy in some parts, soft and cliche in others, but all actors make the most of their lines. Bateman, always funny, gives Ray a childlike innocence and sense of obliviousness that makes him impossible to dislike. "Hancock," which was watered down from a more violent and more sexual R-rated script, retains only a little of the 13-year-old-boy humor (I'm thinking of a prison threat turned into a new meaning of rape by Hancock in jail) and trades dumb gags for more entertaining lines and more interesting tensions.
Director Peter Berg, whose last film "The Kingdom" was an all-out action movie, changes his plan of attack with "Hancock," using shaky cameras to get in close on his actors. These close-ups are part of what makes "Hancock" stand apart from other entries in the superhero genre. Thus, when the film does give way to the climactic battles and CG spectacles we all expect going in -- the trailer hints at a lot more whale-throwing and tornado-twirling -- it jolts and unnerves us. "Hancock" might have, dare I say it, benefitted from a few more action sequences, if only to stretch the story out a little longer. Just as we begin to learn more about Hancock's past, the film speeds towards a quick but untidy ending. At just under 90 minutes, "Hancock" teases the viewer with an idea but concludes with a conventional ending not expected for such an unconventional character. I guess that's what we get when studios step in and take control of a script.