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:

Superhero | Public Relations | Alcoholic | Fall From Height | Secret Past

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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)

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 Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | 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) | New Zealand:R16 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

105 Freeway, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures

Trivia:

Hancock is called an "asshole" 18 times. He is called "asshole" four times (almost five) by Michel, and twice (almost three times) by Red during the bank robbery.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the train comes to a halt, the freight car behind the locomotive is a gondola, but when Hancock walks around the locomotive and sees the rest of the train piling up behind it, the gondola has changed to a boxcar.

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:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: (#7.57)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Tippi-Toes

Will Smith Delivers another Summertime Movie Treat

I caught a preview showing of Hancock tonight. I enjoyed it for what it was which is a fun, mostly fast-paced popcorn flick. The writers of the film also tossed in a nice plot twist that I didn't see coming but it turned out to work just fine. This isn't Shakespeare so I don't demand a lot of deep thought just some escapist fun. Will Smith does an excellent job of playing the disinterested superhero with an existential crisis. It was good to see Jason Bateman again but a bummer as well seeing how he has aged. This means I am not so young myself anymore. Jae Head didn't overact nor did the script writers push the "cute" button to the point of being saccharine. It will be interesting to see how this movie performs to see if Smith wants to do a sequel. So I am more than happy to recommend Hancock to fans of the "Summer Blockbuster" and those who enjoy Will Smith.