Hancock

I could hear the sounds in my head: CRASH! KABOOM! BANG! WHOOOOPS! They sounded remarkably like a movie plot derailing from its tracks. Kinda like the train that drunken superhero John Hancock (Will Smith) crashes in order to save PR rep Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman). Follow this metaphor: if the train represents the plot, then Hancock himself represents the unnecessary plot twist. When Hancock steps in front of the train, it completely demolishes the locomotive and prevents it from any further smooth traveling. Not only was there so much more that the train could have seen, but the distance it had already traveled was just a happy buildup to a disaster waiting to happen.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's shift it back. Hancock starts out with genuine comedic gold. That is, Will Smith portraying a curmudgeonly, inebriated superhero that leaves more damage in his wake than is necessary. When he stops three bank robbers in a high-speed car chase, he causes $9 million in damages to the city of Los Angeles. Therefore, in a unique spin on the superhero genre, he is actually an unwanted superhero, and he generally does not care about what or whom he saves.

Sample dialogue:
Jeering woman: "I can smell that liquor on your breath!"
Hancock: "'Cause I been drinkin', bitch!"

Then things take a turn. He saves idealistic PR rep Ray Embrey in the aforementioned train collision, for which Ray decides to repay Hancock by changing his public image from one of resentment to one of responsibility. When Hancock meets Ray's wife Mary (Charlize Theron), she gives him a strange, lingering look of...well, she looks like she knows something. Meanwhile, Ray decides to allow Hancock to be arrested for all his outstanding warrants in order to show the public that Hancock takes responsibility for his carelessness. Initially apprehensive, Hancock goes to jail and learns how to say "Good job" to policemen. After a few days, Ray's plan pays off when the LAPD calls on Hancock to stop a violent bank robber. He does...in a very Superman-ly kind of way. (There is even a sample of the Superman theme in this scene.) All of this setup is hunky dory, enjoyable, and even hilarious at times; although, I had a hard time forgiving the tasteless scene in which Hancock punishes a couple of cellmates who clearly don't know what he can do.

And then...it all comes crashing down. A little over halfway through, the plot twist arrives, and all that terrific buildup is rendered useless. Everything that follows it is melodramatic and cliche. Any time a movie shifts from comedy to drama at the midway point, it's a sign that something must have gone wrong somewhere in the writing...or maybe the directing. It almost seems that the second half of the movie could have also been funny, but it was acted straight. Every line, every facial expression, every lighting scheme - all shot as if the movie were a character drama. And I just don't understand why. I don't know why Hancock had to step in front of that train.

Theron can not play comedy, although her scenes with Bateman are especially good, considering the two have played a (slightly mismatched?) couple before in Arrested Development. Smith starts out as an unshaven slob, and when he cleans up he looks like...Will Smith in Independence Day. Or I Am Legend. Or I, Robot. After he loses the edge of the first half of the movie, he loses the interest of the audience. Bateman, too, goes from hilarious to sappy. But like I've already said, all these problems are brought on by the destructive revelation at the halfway point.

I suppose Hancock will open to big - maybe even huge - box office numbers. I concede that the moviegoing public's taste has degraded. I have a friend who dismissed my warnings by insisting that, "as long as we get to see Will Smith prancing around for a couple of hours and maybe a few car crashes and some pretty people on screen, it will be worth the price of admission. I don't want to think when I'm watching a movie." Okay, then. I suppose it has come down to a shallow appreciation for attractive movie stars and pointless special effects to please us. But even movies with pretty people and car crashes can be decent films - Wanted, for example. Hancock is just an exercise in frivolity - a movie that verges on insulting us with its ridiculous tone shifts and completely arbitrary explanations as to why the story backpedals for a good half hour. And the ending is so obviously a last-minute change brought on by unfavorable test audience reactions. I can just hear Joe Filmgoer saying, "Movies must end happily, dammit! This isn't real life!" Indeed, it isn't, Joe. Indeed, it is not.

VERDICT:
Hancock is not a good movie. If anything, it is merely a star vehicle for Will Smith, who is admittedly entertaining in, at least, the first half of the movie. It is a very short film - mercifully so. But it is weak - there is such promise in the setup that just is not delivered. The twist in Hancock is not the kind that delights with its unexpectedness - it is the kind that is added in an attempt to make the movie more than what it should be. Unfortunately, the sudden shift in tone snaps the film in two, and, like Hancock himself, leaves a messy trail of debris. Even a superhero couldn't save this disaster.

So should you spend your money?
Absolutely not. Don't shell out two gallons' gas worth of dough for this dreck. Don't pay for a disappointment. A very generous 4/10.

The Incredible Hulk

This seems to be the summer of the superhero blockbuster. Iron Man has already dazzled audiences and critics alike. Coming up are Will Smith's action comedy Hancock, Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and of course, the highly-anticipated Batman sequel The Dark Knight. And in between those that have already satisfied and those that are bound to satisfy, we have The Incredible Hulk - a quasi-sequel to Ang Lee's 2003 effort Hulk, but more of a retelling of the original story from the ground up than anything.

The film's opening and subsequent re-introduction of the main characters help to completely eliminate the 2003 version from memory. Within the span of a few minutes, we learn how Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) went from brilliant scientist to not-so-jolly green giant. Shortly thereafter, we learn that Banner is now in Brazil, living in the ghetto and working in a bottling plant. A superimposed text provides us with a count of "Days Without Incident." And all the while, Banner takes breathing lessons and anger management sessions to control his heart rate (presumably to prevent him from transforming into the titular monster).

Then, there is an accident in the bottling factory, which alerts General Ross (William Hurt) to Banner's location. The General recruits Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth) to head to South America with a team of military folks in order to find and capture Banner. Which they do not. Following a chase scene, we get our first glimpse of the Hulk, who quickly disposes of the bothersome tactical team and disappears. Heading north, Banner finds Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), the scientist who helped create the body-changing serum that produced his alter ego. From there, the plot speeds up. General Ross (yes, Betty's father) injects Blonsky with a performance-enhancing chemical that will supposedly make him a better match for the Hulk. It does. Blonsky eventually becomes the Abomination. And then...battle time.

I suppose the only big problem I have with The Incredible Hulk (helmed by French director Louis Leterrier...of The Transporter fame) is its somewhat weak CGI. I guess it's good enough, but the final battle in particular looks downright silly at times. Still, though, this film is very action-oriented, and will no doubt please the fans of the comic books. Taking place in the same universe as Iron Man, this will be the second film in Marvel's arsenal to kick off a successful franchise. I have no reservations saying that.

The Incredible Hulk is certainly not as good as some of the other comic book adaptations of recent years, but then again, the first film in this kind of franchise is nearly always the weakest. It's like a TV show - the first season sets up the characters, establishes the personalities, provides a few good plot details, and the viewer eventually becomes comfortable with the situations and feels like it knows the people. Following the first season, the writers no longer worry about the establishing aspect and can move on to the good stuff. The Incredible Hulk 2 or, more likely, The Incredible Hulk Returns or The Incredible Hulk Forever will be better-paced with a better villain and improved special effects. Audience reaction will let the producers know where they went wrong with this film, so by the time the sequel rolls around, those problems will have been erased.

Don't get me wrong, though. This film entertains. It is a popcorn flick of the first order. Like Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman Returns, and Batman Begins before it, The Incredible Hulk mixes the right amount of setup-setup-action scene-setup-action scene-setup-action scene to keep your interest. And the final scene (with a cameo that will bring down the house) is clever enough to leave you begging for more.

VERDICT:
The Incredible Hulk is a fanboy's fantasy. It's a good mix of the action and emotion that audiences have come to expect from this genre. And even though it's not one of the best, it's still fairly enticing. Although the Hulk is not necessarily a "superhero" of the traditional order, he's certainly an intriguing character. A very angry, intriguing character. And when you hear him growl "Hulk Smash!", your heart rate will probably raise to a dangerously high level. Probably not high enough, though, to transform you into a raging, grayish-green, 10-foot tall beast.

So should you spend your money? If you're a diehard fan of the Hulk, yes. If you're looking for an interesting action movie and/or anything other than The Happening, sure. If you're hoping for a movie on the level of Iron Man, no. 8/10