Hancock

WHEN the American TV series Heroes emerged on the small screen, it wasn’t long before people started taking an interest.
Championed as a more ‘realistic’ approach to a world with super-powers, it focused on how ordinary people dealt with having extraordinary abilities.
Hancock seems to be the next natural phase in this reinterpretation of the super-hero mythology. Based on the novel, Tonight, He Comes, it is the story of a man (Will Smith) much akin to Superman living in Los Angeles.
No gaudy outfit, no cape, no underwear on the outside of his trousers, just a man struggling to come to terms with what he is.
Hancock never asked for his abilities yet he is expected to be the city’s saviour. And his incredible power often means he does more harm than good.
Feeling like he has a curse rather than a gift, he turns to drink.
The premise is excellent but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. Once Hancock rescues a PR guru who offers to give him an image makeover, the plot loses its sense of fun and you just feel like you’re going through the motions.
A pretty good twist livens things up towards the end but ultimately it’s not enough from saving the film from being anything above average.
The first 10 minutes or so were by far the best showing a devil may care ‘hero’ and more of the film should have certainly stayed along this line.