With the mega monetary movie success of super hero franchises, it makes sense that we’ll get some wannabe trying to glam onto the genre, from My Super Ex-Girlfriend to the horrible Superhero Movie. When I heard Will “Jiggy-With-It” Smith was doing one titled Hancock, there was curiosity as to what this would be. He alternates between humanity pieces like The Pursuit of Happyness and balls-out action joints like I, Robot – was Hancock to be a mix of both?
A severely dysfunction super hero sounds like a humorous premise; hence it got the green light for production. It was funny for the first third to half of the movie, we’ve seen super heroic CGI so it’s impact is limited, and then it got dramatic. The super dude drinks and acts up cause he’s lonesome being the only one of his kind. No Justice League or Avengers to sit around and talk shop with, or be wary about should they turn rogue. No super villains to challenge a brother whom is tricked out with the Superman suite of powers – flight, invulnerable – but can get drunk -, ultra strong. Makes sense character wise for Hancock. Humanized heores is a big part of the appeal of current generation comic movies.
Jason Bateman’s charity pitchman, a normal guy trying to do good with marketing savvy – a feat of fiction in itself, helps Hancock get back into public affection and learn to do things with consideration for us little folks. Then, the twist drops and turns this tale sideways. Charlize Theron plays Bateman‘s out-of-his-league beautiful wife who is a super herself, three thousand years old, has the powers of Hancock and is old boy’s ex actually whose powers negates his – why she left him alone after a amnesia causing attack 80 years back, when interracial couples were so accepted in Florida? WHAT THE FUCK?!
We were on a nice path here! Lonely Superman develops feelings for a Lois Lane married to innocent good guy best friend Jimmy Olsen. No, we’ve got a race of uber-immortals made in pairs that can enjoy human love by becoming human, this isn’t so bad an original concept. That Charlize didn’t find and tell Hancock the deal 79 years back, after he’d healed and was super duper again from married life with her, says the bitch was sick of him (the seven century itch?) She doesn’t tell him about their coupling kryptonite until he’s already shot. Is this the OJ and Nicole dynamic in reverse? A pretty blonde wife is trying to kill her famous black spouse?
Hancock takes the high ground to except loneliness and be a hero by leaving his soul mate, but even this is made lame by the fact that he can wait 45 years until Bateman dies then get back with Charlize for a time before going back to world saving. It’s romantic enough for a date movie, but makes no literal sense to a super hero fan. Then again, making sense doesn’t matter as long as your date digs it emotionally, so only watch it if a woman makes you … or your gay for Will Smith.