July22

BMN: Handjob Hancock

“We see bad movies so that we can truly appreciate the good ones.”
– Someone who (obviously) thinks we’re doing ourselves a service.

Hancock is making a lot of money as a super letdown movie.All aboard for the superhero movie train! Because Iron Man, The Hulk and Batman weren't enough, we needed another superhero thrown into the mix. Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce “Hancock” – the latest hero that's pitched as an anti-hero. The trailers for this movie looked great, the reviews... not so great. You gotta hand it to the marketing team here, they put butts in seats.

The really sad thing about "Hancock" is that it starts out with something really good and then it just unravels. Quickly, at that. It tries desperately to fix itself towards the end, but not even a blessing from the Gods would allow that to happen. "Hancock" follows the story of Hancock, the local superhero that also suffers from alcoholism (or, at least he's drunk most of the time). He usually fights off the bad guys, but the city takes on millions of dollars in collateral damage because of his antics.

Sounds like a sweet ass movie, yeah? Wrong.

There are the small things. Like the fact that Hancock (who is super strong, can fly, and is impermeable to bullets) can get drunk. Or the notion that there are eagles everywhere that Hancock is with NO explanation. But where the film suffers mostly is in the creation story and how it continues to explain itself.

So where is Hancock from? Another planet? No. Did he get his powers in some freak accident? No. Was he just born that way? Actually... no. Get this, he was created by the gods. Yes. He and his girlfriend/wife/ex (Charlize Theron) were created as a pair, by the gods, as an "insurance policy." The only problem is, when they're together, they lose their powers – this is so they can live like humans and love. So when they're around each other, they're more human-like, then someone gets hurt and somehow gets amnesia. Then, fast-forward 80ish years, and they're magically drawn together again and thus the cycle continues. Oh, and they've been doing this for over 3,000 years.

I'm sorry, when did Shama-lame start writing this film? THAT'S your creation story? You were made by the gods? As in Greek gods? As in this film is now an anti-Christianity film? And when the two of you super people get around each other, you lose your powers? But you continue to do this for over 3,000 years? And alcohol affects you?

The film is hovering around 40% on RT. The reason is because this movie had such a great notion and just couldn't follow up on it. I won't say it's a bad movie, in fact it's the best one we've seen all season. So no, it's not bad, it's just a huge letdown. HUGE letdown.

+ original post date: July 22, 2008 08:52 AM
+ categories: Bad Movie Night

comments2

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totally agree. the drunk thing didn't bother me so much. it's a bit like superman wearing glasses, if you accept that he can fly then you should accept everyone else can be fooled by glasses. but yeah the whole non explanation of the eagles was reeeeally lame and shoddy. and yeah the first half of this movie was really good.

+ author: Thomas
+ posted: July 24, 2008 11:53 AM

Uh.............it's a MOVIE. If you cannot figure out what the eagles mean on Hancock, I won't even begin to try to explain. Hidden meanings in movies (like storybooks - read between the lines, children)are there to stir the imagination. If everything is defined in a MOVIE, I personally find it boring. Maybe you can understand this analogy by thinking of it as a game that you can win without effort. How many people want to play a game that requires no skill or effort to win? B-b-b-b-b-b-boring!!!!!!

The purpose of a MOVIE is to ENTERTAIN. Most often, a MOVIE is a MOVIE because it is WRITTEN, not actually lived. Even when based on a "true" story, the MOVIE is altered in attempt to make it "entertaining".

Does everything that happens in your life have an EXPLANATION? A lot of what goes on in real life is according to circumstance. When a person lives a normal life and bad things happen anyway, what real explanation is there? I'm sure many people could write "bad reviews" about their life. But if "God" supposedly doesn't exist for some people in our society, what or whom should be berated for it?

If you cannot go to a MOVIE expecting it to be a MOVIE, then don't go. Our society is so full of entertainment, that it takes a real genius (maybe this should be spelled with a "J"?) to produce a MOVIE that truly "entertains" everyone.

I do not enjoy every MOVIE that I see, but I do not expect everything to be made for me. For what it's worth, if people would take what they like and leave what they don't like, it might help their views on life in general be a bit happier. There are exceptions to every "rule". Almost every human weakness now has a politically correct label that ends in "phobia" or "mania", excusing eratic behavior that can be traced back to their childhood experiences.

I don't have a "degree" that's been paid for that allows me the exclusive right to bitch with notoriety, so I am fairly certain my opinions do not carry as much weight. Boo-hoo!!

Yes, I do my fair share of unsolicited bitching and criticizing, but I know I only watch movies, I do not make them. How many movies have you made that entertained everyone?

+ author: Wanda Idtobereal
+ posted: March 31, 2009 10:56 AM

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