[ewhite]

So I started the Spoiler Free Thread...but I thought I'd also start a thread for everyone who's seen it (or just doesn't care) and wants to talk about it.

Here's a review from Newsarama: Click here!

Personally...I really enjoyed this movie. I agree with the review that the first 40 minutes is the best...but over all...another great July 4th movie from Will Smith.

The Fx were sick. Amazing stuff. When he shoved that dude's head up that big dude's ass...I almost pissed my pants.

Did anyone else notice Ogre (from Revenge of the Nerds) in the group meeting??

[Russ-L]

I also give this one a big thumbs up. Just a great fun movie. It was nice to see a superhero movie where they didn't have to focus on the origin or any fanboy appeal. Just get to it. It had great action, comedy, and a lot of heart at the end. Great pacing, at 90 minutes it didn't drag.

The only complaints that I had where the directing style was a little frenetic at times and hard to follow. Especially the freeway chase at the beginning and the hospital fight at the end. I understood why they where powerless when together but didn't get where the stormy weather was coming from. I guess since they where meant to be together if they fought they pissed off mother nature. Those complaints are very mild compared to the positives of this movie.

Plus when have we seen a superhero willingly put himself in jail and focus on the carnage left behind in their heroic deeds? That added an interesting dynamic to the movie. I also hope they don't make a sequel. This was a good self contained concept. If they make a sequel it'll be typical Hollywook popcorn movie and lose the comedy and heart that made the first one so good. But who knows.

Did anyone else stay into the credits to see the hostage scene with Mike Epps? Funny stuff.

[yodajones]

Sorry guys but I only thought Hancock was average. Here's what bothered me.

-the Highlander/Superman non-explanation of their powers.

-the huge coincidence of Will Smith saving the life of the husband of the one other person who has his powers

-the really lame "villains" and what was the deal with the little soliloquy the one-handed man gave at the end? How did he know all about Hancock and Charlize Theron?

-it seemed like the screenwriter was writing the rules for Hancock's powers as he went along, and the very end smacked too much of "ET's Alive!!"

The first hour or so was good, but the plot and the weird directing(way too many close-ups and 360 pans) kinda threw it off for me. I just saw Wall-E and Wanted last week so maybe my expectations were too high. I wanted to be blown away, instead I was just somewhat entertained.

But, as I said in the spoiler-free thread, I liked Speed Racer so what do I know?

[Russ-L]

Sorry guys but I only thought Hancock was average. Here's what bothered me.

-the Highlander/Superman non-explanation of their powers.

-the huge coincidence of Will Smith saving the life of the husband of the one other person who has his powers

-the really lame "villains" and what was the deal with the little soliloquy the one-handed man gave at the end? How did he know all about Hancock and Charlize Theron?

-it seemed like the screenwriter was writing the rules for Hancock's powers as he went along, and the very end smacked too much of "ET's Alive!!"

The first hour or so was good, but the plot and the weird directing(way too many close-ups and 360 pans) kinda threw it off for me. I just saw Wall-E and Wanted last week so maybe my expectations were too high. I wanted to be blown away, instead I was just somewhat entertained.

But, as I said in the spoiler-free thread, I liked Speed Racer so what do I know?

On the powers thing I didn't really think it was pertinent to the story, in my mind it wasn't about powers or origins. It was about character and how Hancock specifically felt in a world that he felt abandoned him. Since it's not based on established IP they didn't have to bog the movie down like a typical superhero flick.

The coincide was sort of explained as a natural pull towards each other. A little hokey I know but almost like fate or karma or whatever. The intention is for these two to be a part of each other's life. It's the can live a human life and die off.

I just thought of him as a Superman type character. I honestly thought he was going to kill himself in the end. I thought when he jumped out of the window he was dead. So that was a nice touch and added a lot of emotion with him trying with every ounce of strength he had to get away. And I saw him doing it for the family, the one thing he hasn't ever had.

I don't disagree on too many close-ups and 360's.

Good points that you've made and I can see where others would easily share your view.

[snake_eyez]

I thought the movie was good.
It wasn't blockbuster good but yet it wasn't blah.
After Iron Man and Hulk just coming out, it's common people will compare this to those and won't be satisfied.
However I got a kick out of it.

Favorite line had to be:
Woman: "I can smell liquor on your breath!"
Hancock: "That's because I've been drinking bitch!"

This post has been edited by snake_eyez: 04 July 2008 - 10:57 PM

[Frank Castle]

Wife and I saw the movie today. We enjoyed it, not the greatest movie ever made but it was fun. It had some holes and I say it was a "candy bar" movie. I saw it, enjoyed it but I won't dwell on it forever, much like a candy bar.

[ShawnL]

I saw it last night.

Eh... It was okay.

It was marketed as a comedy, the initial premise held lots of comedic potential, yet in the end it had aspirations of being a straight up superhero story.

I'm not saying it had to be just one or the other. But one or the other should have been developed more.

The lack of a genuinely threatening villain hurt. A guy shows up with a gun and starts shooting. Wow, who needs Superman when Lois Lane can take him out? (and in the form of Jason Bateman's character, 'Lois' did just that.)

On the upside, the sequence of Hancock's first adventure after leaving jail was perfect.

I like that there was more to the movie than was shown in the trailer. The plot twist that comes breaks things up, and then the twist to the twist when it suddly goes in a completely unexpected direction, with Theron's character. The problem is the way the movie is marketed, I'm sure many people decided against going because they thought they were shown the entire story in the trailers.

Marketing wise, you do have to wonder why this film was released at this time. We're in what some movie critics are calling a superhero glut (not that I agree with that, it's just that the geeks have won the culture wars). Maybe some other time would have been better for it's release.

This post has been edited by ShawnL: 04 July 2008 - 09:47 PM

[RealGone]

Didn't really like it at all. So they spend the early part of the movie trying to set this thing up as a satire against the standard superhero tropes and ideals, and halfway through they decided to put the twist in and turn it into the exact clichéd superhero movie the first half was making fun of.

It pretty much negated itself as a film. I'm quite glad I saw it for free.

[Figpainter]

There are some very good points made here and now I'll add my 2 cents I guess. I enjoyed the movie very much. It was nowhere as good as Iron Man of course, but I didn't expect it to be. I enjoyed the whole "what makes a hero" theme. It wasn't the powers. When he rescues the trapped police woman during the robbery I was laughing my guts out at all the things he was telling her. The twist with his wife was very good and really caught me off guard. There were some holes in the script to be sure, but all in all I really liked it, and will more than likely see it again.

[Jose Chung]

My wife and I saw this one tonight and we enjoyed it. Some headscratching at the end with regards to the power-relationship between Hancock and Mary(?) but overall it was very entertaining.

The 'shaky camera' and sometimes extreme/odd editing (close up! to long shot!) was somewhat jarring, but I found it to be very humorous. Will Smith did a great job (the way he delivered that "I've been drinking, bitch" line was teriffic).

And although I fretted in another thread about showing the character arc in the commercials, I was glad that there was more to the movie than what was seen in the ads.

I give it a "plan to buy on DVD".

[LTSmash]

I wanted to walk out of the theater when Nancy Grace appeared on TV and started in on Hancock.

This post has been edited by LTSmash: 13 July 2008 - 05:47 PM

[Buzz]

The second half of Hancock S- - - - d cock.