Some Thoughts on "Hancock"

Hancock is a movie that kind of works in spite of itself. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it coming out of it. I didn't dislike it, but it's not a particularly good movie either. But it's likable, and harmless enough to give a pass.

I liked the first half the best. I like the whole idea of the post-modern, post-ironic superhero in a real life setting - how would the physics of a superhero work if applied to the real world? But the film jumps the tracks about halfway through, and switches gears into something different that doesn't really work, and for me at least, betrays the original concept. At a scant 80 minutes, the filmmakers really don't take much time to develop the story beyond the concept, and it feels more like a short story that didn't quite get fleshed out to feature length, despite the fact that it doesn't feel as short as it is (which is a problem).

Will Smith is winning as always, and he makes the movie. I LOVED John Powell's score, which infuses blues with a soaring heroic theme that doesn't reveal itself as a swaggering fanfare until the end, but it's glorious when it does.

Even though I found it strangely agreeable, I couldn't help wishing it was better, and that the villains weren't so lame, and that they had developed his backstory, which never worked for me. It's a movie that coasts on the charm of its star, but that only carries it so far.

Full review coming next week.