Hancock (2008)

Director:

Peter Berg

Writers (WGA):

Vincent Ngo (written by) and
Vince Gilligan (written by)

Release Date:

2 July 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Fantasy

Tagline:

There are heroes. There are superheroes. And then there's...

Plot:

A hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public enters into a questionable relationship with the wife of the public relations professional who's trying to repair his image.

Plot Keywords:

Alcoholic | Superhero | Public Relations | Product Placement | Car On Train Tracks

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Will Smith	...	John Hancock
Charlize Theron	...	Mary Embrey
Jason Bateman	...	Ray Embrey
Jae Head	...	Aaron Embrey
Eddie Marsan	...	Kenneth 'Red' Parker Jr.
David Mattey	...	Man Mountain
Maetrix Fitten	...	Matrix
Thomas Lennon	...	Mike
Johnny Galecki	...	Jeremy
Hayley Marie Norman	...	Hottie
Dorothy Cecchi	...	Woman in Dive Bar
Martin Klebba	...	Convict #12
Akiva Goldsman	...	Executive #1
Michael Mann	...	Executive #2
Brad Leland	...	Executive #3

Also Known As:

Hidden from Earth (Philippines: English title) (review title)
John Hancock (USA) (working title)
Tonight, He Comes (USA) (working title)
Hancock (Argentina) (Peru) (Venezuela) [es]
Quanmin chaoren (China: Mandarin title) (Taiwan) [zh]
Хэнкок (Russia) [ru]
Hancock (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Hancock (Croatia) [hr]
Hancock (Germany) [de]
Hancock (Greece) [el]
Hancock (Canada: French title) [fr]
Hancock (Japan: English title) [en]
Quanmin chaoren Hankaoke (China: Mandarin title) [zh]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language.

Runtime:

92 min | USA:102 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | UK:12A | Australia:M | Ireland:12A | Hong Kong:IIA | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Germany:12 | Canada:13+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Norway:15 | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) (certificate #43295) | USA:R (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:12 | Brazil:12 | Sweden:15 | Argentina:13 | Chile:Y7 | New Zealand:M | Denmark:11 | Peru:14 | Canada:PG | Iceland:12 | Iceland:16 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

105 Freeway, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

Like the TV series "Arrested Development" (2003), Jason Bateman plays a man who becomes romantically involved with Charlize Theron's character (who isn't who he thinks she is), after his wife dies, leaving him with a son. Many scenes are set inside a prison. A key character loses a hand and replaces it with a hook device, and there are various references to incest.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Hancock picks up the police cruiser to protect the downed female officer, the car has no transmission or prop-shaft.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Police Officer: All units. All units. Code 3 pursuit of 2-11 white SUV heading east on Alameda service road. Suspects: three Asian males. Request back-up immediately. Be advised. Shots fired. Shots fired.

Movie Connections:

References X-Men (2000)

Soundtrack:

Move Bitch

I guess some people just can't take a switch in tone.

I've read a lot of the reviews here complaining about the film flagging in its final act. I respectfully disagree.

Hancock is most definitely DIFFERENT in it's last half - it drops off the comedy significantly and introduces some fascinating superhero mythology that is almost like an ancient Greek myth in its context. It also introduces some pretty tense and violent moments that really made me wonder if they should be marketing it as the kid-friendly summer blockbuster that they are. However, both halves have their own merits - the first being the humour, and the second being the (almost tragic) origin mythos. I suspect if you are prepared for the switch in tone, rather than shocked when it arrives, you might enjoy Hancock as much as I did.