HANCOCK

US, 2008, 92 minutes, Colour.
Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, Jae Head, Eddie Marsan.
Directed by Peter Berg.

What a good idea –even if a little bizarre. With a welter of Marvel Comics heroes proliferating these years, all with their mutant origins, all with their costume flair, here is a superhero who is on the streets, drinking heavily, susceptible to insults but not caring what people think of him – and initially resistant to a costume. But, save the residents of Los Angeles he does, whether they appreciate it or not. His methods are ultrarapid but sloppy, smashing and damaging buildings and cars and trains as he swirls villains around much to the exasperation of the police and officials with disgruntled citizens and TV pundits wanting him to be sued. He can’t even land in the street without causing large potholes.

But our superhero is played by Will Smith, one of the most genial presences on screens these days. So, how could the plot develop?

When Hancock saves a heart-on-sleeve do-gooder (literal with logos) PR man Ray (Jason Bateman), Ray sees a golden opportunity and persuades Hancock not only to clean up his act but go to gaol in the hope that the authorities will miss him and he will be called back into action.

Meanwhile, Ray’s young son idolises Hancock but Mary, his wife, (Charlize Theron) obviously does not. For a long while, we might be wondering why Miss Theron has decided to play a devoted housewife but she does get some opportunities later (to make up for Aeon Flux).

There is quite a nicely surprising twist in the latter part of the film and the plot perks up with some interesting complications. There is also a final shootout with LA thug bank robber (Eddie Marsan).

Lots of tongue-in-cheek humour, plenty of effects and action, plenty of spoof of the more serious superhero films. And it works nicely even if the explanation of the powers comes late in the film. The early part has the Los Angeles people simply accepting the uniqueness of Hancock and taking for granted his interventions. Luckily, at the end of the final credits, we are relieved to find: ‘This is a work of fiction’!

1.Satisfying entertainment? Heroes and superheroes? Antihero? Will Smith as a genial screen presence, popular?

2.The Los Angeles settings, ordinary, the suburbs, panoramas of the city, aerial shots, the buildings? Ordinary Los Angeles as a setting? The musical score?

3.The special effects: the car chase, the car on the Capitol flagpole, the train and the crash, Hancock’s landings in the street, throwing the bully into the air, his speeding going up and down, the basketball throws, the encounters with the convicts, the threats – and fulfilling them? The rescuing of the policewoman, the bank robbers? Mary and Hancock and their flying, clashes? Fighting the criminals at the end?

4.The idea of the antihero, the opposite of Spider Man and co? The nature of Hancock’s invulnerability? The allusion to angels? Los Angeles taking Hancock for granted, all acting as if this was the normal way of doing things?

5.Hancock on the streets, the kid taunting him and the names, the drinking? The three in the truck, the pursuit, the shooting and the bullets, the fight, swirling them around, in the air, smashing the buildings, on the flagpole? Ray stuck on the level crossing, the train? Smashing the lady’s car – and people reacting against Hancock? The crashed train? People wanting to sue, the television personality and saying Hancock was not beyond the law?

6.Hancock’s story, hit on the head, in Miami, eighty years earlier, amnesia, filling in the Hancock, taking it as his name? Lonely, drinking? Alone in his caravan? Sleeping on street benches?

7.Ray, his spiel to the businessmen, the logo of the heart? The desire to save the world? His being considered a crackpot? His love for Aaron, his story about his wife’s death, the meeting with Mary and her helping him with the diapers? On the train line, wanting to get off, the crash, his being grateful, his speech to the people? His PR skills? At home, the crash-landing in the street, inviting Hancock in for the meal, Hancock loving meatballs, taking the drink to the toilet, Aaron and his admiration, Mary and her suspicions?

8.Ray and his plan, persuading Hancock to change, training him to say “Good job”? His giving himself up, the press conference, apologising to people, going to jail, in the yard, the tough standing up against him, most of the convicts having been put there by him, his threats and the achievement of his threat? The basketball scenes? The discussion groups, not wanting to share, finally admitting that he drank? People affirming him?

9.The night call to come to the police, shaving and cleaning himself up, the rescue, saying “Good job,” being polite to the woman he was saving, not wanting sexual harassment?

10.Mary and her visit to the hospital, with Aaron, bringing him the meatballs, Aaron giving him the gift of his toy?

11.Ray, speaking to the company, his spiel, his trying to be persuasive about the logo? The building being smashed? His seeing Hancock and Mary, seeing Mary fly?

12.Hancock and his visit to the home, the attempt to kiss Mary, the revelation of Mary’s powers, her threats, the fights, Hancock wanting to test her with the rolling pin etc?

13.Ray, the explanation, angels, the angels being killed, the possibility of being wounded, Hancock and his being bugged, the amnesia, the fact that he was married to Mary? The vulnerability when close to another angel? Their being sent out in pairs?

14.The bank robbery, Hancock and his sweeping the villains out of the bank, the confrontation with Red, his arm and hand? The threats, Red going to jail, stirring up the prisoners, the prison break?

15.The confrontation, the fight? Hancock becoming vulnerable, wounded, going to hospital? Mary and her being stabbed, her being in hospital?

16.Hancock going to Mary, Ray and Aaron? Her dying? Hancock keeping his distance, her reviving?

17.Ray, breaking Red’s hand?

18.Hancock, his uniform, on the top of the building, with the eagle? The heart logo on the moon? Mary and Ray and Aaron and the happy family? The credits sequence and the criminal insulting him – and Hancock ready to go into action?

19.The comic style of the film, the point of heroes – via spoof?