Thursday, January 8, 2009

HANCOCK

HANCOCK... A REAL PRICK
Ray: People should love you. They really should, okay? And I want to deliver that for you. It's the least that I can do. You're a superhero. Kids should be running up to you, asking for your autograph, people should be cheering you on the streets...
Hancock: [yelling to crowd of neighbors watching]
What the hell you pricks looking at?
I watched this film, took notes and everything, yet forgot about it for a whole month. That's how forgettable this movie is. What is unforgivable is the stereotypical ethnic and homophobic slurs, even if he pretty much slurs everyone and everything. He is the anti-superhero. With Batman, Bruce Wayne came first and Batman his second identity; same with Iron Man. However this not-so-super-superhero had to take the journey to transform into a man. The movie wants us to see how sad and lonely he is and that the bad attitude masks that pain. It plain doesn't work. THEN, when you thought you had the main plot figured out and the movie should end, there comes a major plot twist (enter the wasted Charlize Theron) that is so unbelievable it could only happen on a soap opera. Terrible, terrible, terrible... the one and only thing I liked about Hancock was Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman). He is one of our more underrated actors but his sense of comedic timing and authentic approach made the rest of the film slightly bearable.
NOT a pick: If you are a huge Jason Bateman fan, be my guest; otherwise not a good film.