James Berardineilli’s review of Hancock cuts to the case: “Hancock is a hodgepodge of intriguing ideas that, if developed further or presented as more than throw-ins to a confused production, might have made for a unique superhero film… Hancock is sometimes funny, sometimes clever, and occasionally involving, but it’s never brilliant and its edge is compromised by the neutering that accompanies the teen-friendly PG-13 rating.” Will Smith plays a homeless, alcoholic, belligerent super hero who grudgingly hires a PR man to improve his public image. So it’s a comedy, right? Or maybe an action movie? Maybe it’s a modern day Greek tragedy (I’m serious). Hancock had the potential to be a great movie in a class of its own, but it doesn’t know what it wants to be. So it’s a mess. It’s almost worth watching just to think about how good it could have been.
I Am Legend is one of the best science fiction movies of recent years, which unfortunately isn’t saying much, but at least it’s watchable. Will Smith does a good job playing the last man on earth and you feel for the guy. He has to fight some vampire-werewolf people from time to time, which isn’t as stupid as you might think (the CGI isn’t always the best, but it holds up well enough). Most science fiction movies begin with great potential and then get stupid and change genres for the last act (e.g., Sunshine). I Am Legend, for the most part, manages to dodge that bullet. I can imagine a more accomplished science fiction director like Ridley Scott really digging his teeth into this one. There’s loss potential here. But I enjoyed it.
The Pursuit of Happyness has Will Smith playing a straight up role as a guy struggling to make ends meet. Good performances in this feel-good underdog story.
James Berardineilli’s review of Hancock cuts to the case: “Hancock is a hodgepodge of intriguing ideas that, if developed further or presented as more than throw-ins to a confused production, might have made for a unique superhero film… Hancock is sometimes funny, sometimes clever, and occasionally involving, but it’s never brilliant and its edge is compromised by the neutering that accompanies the teen-friendly PG-13 rating.” Will Smith plays a homeless, alcoholic, belligerent super hero who grudgingly hires a PR man to improve his public image. So it’s a comedy, right? Or maybe an action movie? Maybe it’s a modern day Greek tragedy (I’m serious). Hancock had the potential to be a great movie in a class of its own, but it doesn’t know what it wants to be. So it’s a mess. It’s almost worth watching just to think about how good it could have been.