Superman is a jerk: Hancock

Remember in Superman 3 when good ol' Sup starts acting like an asshole, drinking and doing whatever he likes with his superpowers? Yeah, I liked that part too. And obviously I am not the only one because the guys behind "Hancock" took that idea to bring us one of this summers blockbusters starring Will Smith, Jason Bateman from Arrested Development und Charlize Theron. Smith plays Hancock, a Superhero who gets it all wrong. Saving people seems more of a burden to him and in the process causes a lot of damage and destruction. So instead of being hailed as a savior, nobody really likes him. In comes Bateman who tries to clean up his image starting by making him go to jail for his misdeeds. Of course, sooner or later, the city realizes that without Hancock, crime will rule.

While the movie directed by Peter Berg, who also is an actor (Great White Hype, Smokin' Aces), is being torn apart by critics around the country, let me assure you: Nope, it is not that bad. It does have its flaws though. The movie has a nice amount of action with okay effects paired with many funny moments due to the selfish nature of Hancocks character. And let's be serious, who would not want to (ab)use their superpowers when they are drunk? Thought so. Yes, the film does change pace midpoint and shifts the focus. It also delivers a lot more plotholes in the second part of the movie and leaves questions to be answered, yet it still remains to be a somewhat enjoyable ride. At least for me. But not everybody will agree with the decision to take Hancock in another direction halfway through because it might feel too forced and illogical. One could say they crammed two movies into one.

Also I wonder what the movie would have looked like with the initial R-Rating it was going to have. But since money makes the world go round, the studio edited it to get a PG-13 rating to rake in the teen audience. But be assured, there are still offensive moments in the film. Still, I wish there would have been more of that.

WIth Hellboy 2 and The Dark Knight coming up, I am sure Hancock will not be this summers most well received blockbuster. But concerning it doesn't have years of comic book history to look back on, it still is better than many other superhero adaptations.