He Can Be Your Hero (If He Must)

Indiana Jones, James Bond, Spider-Man…their acts of heroism are scored by iconic, evocative music, but not bad boy superhero Hancock’s – his play to Ludacris’ “Move Bitch.”

Opening today, Hancock is the movie to see this Fourth of July Weekend, a.k.a. Will Smith Day Weekend.

But is this the best movie to see? I’ll tell ya in a bit. First let me tell ya about this guy Hancock.

To say that Hancock’s rough around the edges is to be kind.

He’s cusses and drinks something fierce.

He’s conflicted and thus misunderstood – a bum reluctant to embrace his powers because…well, because he’s not entirely sure about who he is.

People don’t like him, and he doesn’t much care about them, either.

He isn’t a typical do-gooder, so the “Move Bitch” soundtrack is befitting.

Yet, he cannot help but save Los Angeles time and time again. Yes, he leaves multi-million-dollar damage in his wake, but he’s doing something. Too bad Angelenos don’t care about this: they want him locked up or gone.

And you know what he thinks about this? Nada de nada.

Enter Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), a down-on-his-luck PR exec Hancock recently saved, who wants to do him a solid and giving him an image makeover, and show our anti-hero and the city that he has it in him to be truly great.

This will be a phenomenal challenge, though – made even more so by the fact that Ray’s more-than-meets-the-eye wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), insists that Hancock is nothing but a lost cause.

Directed by Peter Berg, Hancock’s first half is better than its second, and that’s due to Smith’s uncharacteristically sardonic turn. We never see him play this type of angry, foul, smart-assy role, so it’s a fun change of pace.

But once the movie introduces a twist anyone with half a brain can see coming miles away, Hancock loses its footing. Things begin to get wrapped up in a bow, which doesn’t fit the personality of our protagonist. And worst, he’s saddled with opponents that just don’t measure up.

In the end, his greatest act of heroism isn’t scored by “Move Bitch,” but rather by the sound of his heart.

You’ll have to watch the movie to actually understand what this means, and although I can’t guarantee it won’t disappoint you, you won’t want a refund. And for that you can thank Smith.

My Rating **1/2

Photo: Sony Pictures.