Director: Peter Berg
Writers: Vincent Ngo & Vince Gillian
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron & Jason Bateman
I think there is one simple reason for this film’s negative reviews: fan boys. Hancock was bound to have an uphill struggle against the decades of build-up that comic book (anti-)heroes cum summer blockbusters have behind them. Sure, the movie has a rocky start and it felt as if certain parts were still in need of a little spit shine but I hardly think these minor complaints warrant the slew of foul comments from critics. As far as its technical merits, it’s no worse and no better than any other superhero movie — Hancock just doesn’t have the fan loyalty his competitors have.
This film is a breath of fresh air in a genre that has long been stagnant and full of the sort of angst best reserved for high school locker rooms. You know, the kind revolving around boobs and horrible poetry (or in the case of superhero films, fan fiction turned into lucrative screenplays). Hancock hovers somewhere between The Fifth Element and Mystery Men; 3 parts epic new mythology and 1 part spoof.
If you like this, Cute Bruiser also recommends: The Fifth Element (1997)
