Hancock

Just in terms of what we as Americans like to do for fun on the Fourth of July there's baseball games, barbecues, fireworks, and perhaps most popular of all, going to a Will Smith movie. What can I say? I am a fan of all of these things.
Smith's latest is the superhero comedy "Hancock," in which Smith plays a lazy, drunken slob with superpowers who only seems to inspire hate amongst the very citizens he protects on a regular basis. From the very beginning this film is interesting because Hancock's identity is known to the whole world. He doesn't sneak around like Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne, or Clark Kent.
The opening sequence, which sees Hancock putting an end to a car chase in a way the police cannot, is a great introduction to the character. He gets the job done but he manages to do more harm than good. The public outcry against him, while funny, is essentially ripped straight out of "The Incredibles." No one seems to like Hancock at all. That is until he saves the life of PR man Ray Embry (Jason Bateman). Over dinner with Ray's wife Mary (Charlize Theron) and their son Aaron (Jae Head), Hancock is told, "People should love you." It's apparent to Ray that this is what Hancock wants, even if the superhero doesn't show it. Ray is determined to take Hancock from reviled to accepted to loved.
Written by Vince Gilligan ("The X-Files") and Vincent Ngo, "Hancock" is a film that blends comedy and action mostly with success. Director Peter Berg ("The Kingdom," "Friday Night Lights") puts his distinct stamp on the film as well. The hand held cinematography is unusual for a superhero movie, but Hancock is an unusual superhero.
The performances are all very good. Smith plays a variation on the character he usually plays, but the man is so charismatic that it just doesn't matter. I can't think of another actor working today who can bring an audience along with him so readily. We believe him no matter what. Theron, while an Oscar winner, still seems to be underestimated and she does a terrific job here as Ray's conflicted wife. Bateman manages to make honest integrity genuinely funny, which is harder than I think a lot of people realize. For "Arrested Development" fans the Bateman-Theron relationship will cause immediate laughter. Intended or not, there's another big reminded of "Arrested" in the film, but I don't want to give that away. There's something else about the film I'm not giving away either. Suffice it to say, it is a genuine surprise. I had a little trouble with it at first but it eventually grew on me.
"Hancock" is a very entertaining movie with plenty of laughs and some good explosions. And when it's a Will Smith movie on the Fourth of July that's all I'm asking for. 7.5/10.