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PAGE 12, JULY 14, 2008, THE ISLANDER
“Goin* to
the Show...
♦♦
with...
Roland
Willis
HANCOCK
Starring: Will Smith, Charlize Theron & Jason Bateman
Directed by Peter Berg
Written by Vincent Ngo & Vince Gilligan
Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Rated PG-13 - Violence and profanity
Will Smith, known in the media
as, “Mr. July” because his big hits
are usually released in that month,
has released another right on cue.
Although Hancock will not be as
big as Independence Day, Men in
Black or the Pursuit of Happiness,
it is already doing very well at the
box-office.
The story behind Hancock had
been kicking around Hollywood for
ten years before Will picked it up.
My guess is that his role as the lone
ly survivor of a biological disaster in
New York in I Am Legend created an
interest in Hancock, the last super
hero of his kind.
He is a superman type but his
loneliness has caused a severe clini
cal depression which I shall call SLS
(superhero loneliness syndrome).
This syndrome is not well stud
ied because there are so few known
cases, but in the case of John Han
cock it has led to severe depression
and he has, sadly, reached for the
bottle.
He has turned into a wino, sleep
ing on city benches and stinking of
booze.
Still, he can’t resist the call to
duty, to take down the criminals and
make L.A. a safer place.
But it is not safer! He flies to the
rescue with the flying equivalent of a
bad stagger. He flies into everything
including billboards, trains, plains,
buildings and police cars.
Cyan magenta
He is wrecking the city; there are
fifty-some warrants out for his arrest
and the citizens are irate.
It is clear from his profane turn of
phrase that he doesn’t seem to care.
Then, one day, he rescues Ray
Embrey (Jason Bateman) from a
speeding train at a crossing. Of
course, the train is destroyed in the
process and the taxpayers are again
furious.
Turns out that Embrey is a P.R.
guy and he convinces Hancock that
deep down he really does care and
that he, Embrey, can help him
change his public image.
This process seems to be the whole
story and then, suddenly, there is
another huge twist in the superman
story which I cannot reveal.
But, it does involve Embrey’s wife,
Mary, played by Charlize Theron. It
is obvious that Mary and Hancock
are magnetically attracted to each
other with near tragic consequenc
es.
The charismatic Will Smith is just
great as the disdainful, foulmouthed
drunken superhero. I can’t imagine
anyone who could carry this off in
such a likeable fashion.
Charlize Theron is a great actress
as she has shown in Monster (Oscar)
and North Country, but somehow her
performance here lacks conviction.
Bateman {Juno, The Kingdom) is
your typical boring public relations
guy.
The movie doesn’t make it because
the trials and tribulations of Han
cock and Mary Embrey should be
3d(md CINEMAS
Sea Island Rd. at Frederica Rd.
www.hollywood.conn
MOVIES INFO. BARGAIN
. 634-9100 MATINEES DAILY.
GET SMART (PG-13)
Mon-Thurs 12:40, 4:30, 7:20, 10:00
HANCOCK (PG-13)
Mon-Thurs 12:00, 2:30, 5:00,
7:30, 10:00
HELL BOY II: THE GOLDEN
ARMY (PG-13)
Mon-Thurs 12:15, 4:10, 7:10, 9:55
JOURNEY TO THE CENTER
OF THE EARTH (PG)
Mon-Thurs 11:50, 2:10, 4:40,
7:00, 9:30
MEET DAVE (PG)
Mon-Thurs 12:30, 2:45, 5:15,
7:40, 9:55
WALL-E (G)
MON-THURS 11:45, 2:15, 4:45,
7:15, 9:45
WANTED (R)
ON-THURS 12:45, 4:00, 7:05, 9:50
set against a huge threat of an evil
genius such as Lex Luther (Gene
Hackman).
In the end, it is about a personal
struggle and falls pretty flat except
for Will Smith who, by his mere pres
ence, could save any movie.
My rating is C+. □
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