Bweinh! Goes to the Movies: Hancock

July 3, 2008, 5:38 pm; posted by
Filed under Connie, Featured, Movies  | 2 Comments

I went on a spontaneous date night the other evening to see Wanted, but ended up in an unexpected early showing of Hancock. We’ve all seen the trailers for the reluctant drunken superhero played by Will Smith, and it looked good — so since my movie required waiting an additional hour and had Jolie in it, we opted for Hancock. But I have to say, I kind of wish we had waited for James McAvoy.

July 4 has belonged to Will Smith for years, with his big budget blockbusters that rake in millions (like Independence Day and the Men In Black series), so I didn’t expect this to be any different. But here, Will plays a severely depressed alcoholic superhero, desperately in need of an intervention. Enter Jason Bateman, a small-time PR guy, trying to save the world by doing his part, but not making much headway. Their meeting is one of the highlights of the movie. Jason brings him home for dinner with his wife (Charlize Theron) to show his gratitude, and we’re off.

I like the premise behind Hancock’s powers. For once the writers used imagination, rather than taking the easy path of making him an alien. Thanks for doing a little work. I love the comedic relief Will provides: sometimes you see it coming, other times you just sit back and enjoy the ride. In this movie, you know the bad guys will get their just reward if they don’t listen to him — they make the choice whether to listen.

One of my favorite parts was when he was presented with his new superhero uniform. You don’t actually get to see what it is he says he’ll never wear; you just get to imagine it for a while. I also liked the chemistry between the top three stars. It’s effortless and believable as they transition from strangers to friends. But I think Will could work with a room full of machines or robots and still pull it off. Oh wait — he already did…

But there was more that I didn’t like. The movie was too dark and fragmented. I didn’t like all the cursing (especially by young children) and the violence was outrageous, especially toward the end. I spent a fair amount of time cringing at the noise and sheer brutality of some of the scenes. I have a hard time calling this sort of thing entertainment. It even drained some of my desire to see Wanted, because I’ve heard it’s similarly violent — and Jolie’s in it. Yuck.

But back to Hancock — even though my husband loved it, I must be true to myself and give it only an EINH (B-/C+) on our BWEINH! scale. I’m still down wit’ Will (I’ll see you next July, man), but this film just did not deliver the goods.

Next stay tuned for Wanted, with my main man James McAvoy!


Comments

2 Comments to “Bweinh! Goes to the Movies: Hancock”

  1. Erin on July 3rd, 2008 9:57 pm

    I’m glad to know that someone else out there appreciates James McAvoy ;)

  2. Connie Maxon on July 8th, 2008 9:26 am

    Just to clarify, I appreciate James’ professionalism and his lovely Scottish accent ;) .

    I didn’t think he did a great job on the Irish accent in Becoming Jane, but he made a valiant effort. And I just loved that movie!

    But what really won me over was his interview on the Today show about Wanted, when he was asked about his kiss with Angelina he responded with such class, stating he treated it like any other scene in the movie. He even said if they were to write a kissing into the interview he’d hoped that they both would be professional about it right then. But the older female interviewer said, “No, I’d throw you down on the floor!” To which the whole stage crew broke up and James replied, “Thank you, I like your shoes.”

    My husband and I loved it! Nice guy.

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