I got out of my house and saw Hancock. I was apprehensive about seeing it with all the bad press it has been getting.
All of that was dismissed as the movie unfolded and it wasn’t your everyday, superhero gets powers then finds an archenemy then has to beat the enemy plot.
This is a man vs. self story line, the type of plot conflict that all the best ancient myths revolve around from Hercules to Buddha to Thor.
There is a mortal enemy who greases the wheels for our hero to be who he truly is, but it’s the mental side that is focused on. And that’s what so many people have a problem with. You’re not going to get a ‘Magneto’ or a ‘Luthor’ to watch rise up for the Hero to prove himself against. Instead, you have a being that hates himself and it takes Jason Bateman and his son, played by the fantastic Jae Head, seeing what is truly the hero behind the haze of booze and skuzzy beard getting him to stop hating himself.
I won’t ruin the twist, which is hidden just enough that you can see it coming and still be happily surprised when it shows, but the conflicts in this story humanizes all the characters making them believable and at many times, sweet. And that goes doubly so for Smith and Bateman. Their relationship is perfectly played.
My one complaint is with Peter Berg and his shaky camera work. Seriously, at a dinner scene, there’s no reason for the camera to be jumping all around like Josh Blue is wielding a handheld.
I say watch it, and go with lots of people. Hancock is a great way to spend an afternoon eating popcorn or some nachos.
