But for most of its running time, Hancock is a refreshing piece of cinema that should be another solid summer hit for Smith.
Comment
07/01/08
Hancock (2008)
40
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:210
Fresh:84
Rotten:126
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: Though it begins with promise, Hancock suffers from a flimsy narrative and poor execution.
Theatrical Release:02-07-2008
Synopsis: There are heroes… there are superheroes… and then there’s Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility – everyone knows that – everyone, that is, but Hancock. Edgy, conflicted,... [More]
Starring: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron, Eddie Marsan
Director: Peter Berg
Reviews for Hancock
141 - 160 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
This is an open letter to director Peter Berg. I just wanted to say, "Good Job!"
07/01/08
Hancock is a giant mess of a movie. It's not just misguided, it's insulting.
07/01/08
There are some moments when it looks as though it is somehow going to work but then, much like its anti-hero, it comes crashing back to Earth, leaving nothing behind of note besides a giant mess.
07/01/08
The attempts to deepen the emotions turn Hancock into a strange, conflicted and often joyless film.
07/01/08
There's a game-changing plot twist that is at first fascinating, but ultimately infuriating because the movie never capitalizes on it.
07/01/08
A fascinating film about exploitation as it applies to blacks and the entertainment industry.
07/01/08
While Hancock certainly isn't lacking in ambition, unfortunately it does lack coherence.
07/01/08
Another great departure for Smith to put his charm and popularity to the test, offering more than a few solid laughs within an original superhero premise.
07/01/08
The bottom line, of course, is Will Smith who carries the film and salvages things even while the story falls apart all around him. The guy has charisma to burn, and makes Hancock appealing
07/01/08
Most of the film is zippy, funny, and fascinatingly strange -- all qualities that are often lacking in some of the more bloated action blockbusters.
07/01/08
The superhero genre screams for a makeover, or at least a smart deconstruction, but Hancock isn't that movie. It just ups the foolishness ante.
07/01/08
The strain of sadism that's crept into mainstream American movies eventually overtakes and undercuts Hancock, which should embarrass the filmmakers, who pay lip service here to gooey idealism.
07/01/08
even with Smith's considerable charm and his proven track record as Independence Day weekend movie god, Hancock doesn't succeed as a truly satisfying holiday-movie blockbuster.
07/01/08
The second half gets so worked up over itself that Hancock becomes nearly unrecognizable as the movie we were all enjoying twenty minutes earlier.
07/01/08
Even Will Smith's jerky superhero (and another winning supporting turn from Jason Bateman) can't save the latter half of this film's messy script.
07/01/08
Hancock has about 50 minutes of action and dark, edgy humour before it veers off into cheese land.
07/01/08
Leaving behind the laughs for schmaltz, Hancock chickens out at the last minute, lurching toward a cop-out happy ending that gives every indication of having been reshot at the behest of test audiences. Well, at least you won't be bored.
07/01/08
Passable if profane, Hancock chugs along right up to that when this comic superhero engine goes off the tracks, and pretty much off a cliff.
07/01/08
As for Smith, he's on fire. There's nothing like a star shining on his highest beams. You follow him anywhere.
07/01/08
Latest News for Hancock
December 01, 2009:
Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 
Yes, Will Smith and Peter Berg are game for a "Hancock" sequel -- and just as importantly, so is the studio -- but it looks like scheduling could keep it from happening for awhile. More...
September 11, 2009:
Will Smith and Charlize Theron on Board for Hancock Sequel
We've already heard that a "Hancock" sequel is in development; now Peter Berg tells MTV that "everybody's going to come back." More...
August 28, 2009:
Weekly Ketchup: Hancock Sequel Script Started, Bioshock Scaled Back
We are firmly in the dog days of Summer, as Hollywood sneaks a couple of end of the menu horror movies into theaters, and movie news this week came to a near standstill. There... More...
August 25, 2009:
Columbia Hires Hancock Sequel Scribes
Looks like Peter Berg's recent comments about a "Hancock" sequel weren't just idle speculation: Columbia has hired scribes Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara to write the script for a... More...
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