Director: Peter Berg
Screenplay: Vy Vincent Ngo and Vince Gilligan
Stars:
- Will Smith (John Hancock)
- Charlize Theron (Mary Embrey)
- Jason Bateman (Ray Embrey)
- Jae Head (Aaron Embrey)
- Eddie Marsan (Red)
- David Mattey (Man Mountain)
- Maetrix Fitten (Matrix)
- Thomas Lennon (Mike)
- Johnny Galecki (Jeremy).
Summary
There are heroes, there are superheroes, and then there's Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility - everyone knows that -- everyone, that is, but Hancock. Edgy, conflicted, sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock's well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had enough -- as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they ever did to deserve this guy. Hancock isn't the kind of man who cares what other people think -- until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey and the sardonic superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all. Facing that will be Hancock's greatest challenge yet -- and a task that may prove impossible as Ray's wife, Mary, insists that he's a lost cause.
Comments
Hancock attracted a good deal of attention, partly because it starts Hollywood superhero Will Smith -- whose I Am Legend and Pursuit of Happyness underlined Smith's appeal and versatility -- and because of its marginally unconventional take on superheroes. Hollywood superheroes often struggle with the demands of public responsibility, but always starting from a baseline of nobility; Hancock, brand new to Earth and its expectations, has no frame of reference (and no Ma and Pa Kent to teach it to him -- just a PR guy played by Jason Bateman). Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Very Bad Things) is a careful director; co-writer Gilligan is from the X-Files team.
