The Black Hawke Review: HANCOCK REVIEW

Will Smith is clumsy.

Not the person, the filmmaker. But more on that.

Hancock (Will Smith) is the tale of a vigilante superhero. He fights crime, but does it recklessly prompting public outrage. He saves the life of P.R. Rep Ray Emrby (Jason Bateman- Dodgeball, The Break-Up, Smokin' Aces) who repays the favor by trying to change his public image. But unbeknownst to them, Embry's wife (Charlize Theron- Monster's Ball) holds the secret to Hancock's past and bitterness.

Back to my earlier claim: Will Smith is a clumsy filmmaker. After the critical success of The Pursuit of Happyness & I Am Legend, Smith missed the mark twice this past year. Once with Seven Pounds (which I haven't yet seen but heard it's not good) and again with Hancock.

Biggest mistake in Hancock - the story is not tight. It's really two stories that don't go hand in hand. SPOILER ALERT: Embry's wife confesses to being the same species as Hancock. She then explains his origins in which Hancock was unaware of. The problem here is that the story was never about that. It was about Hancock changing his public image, yet they drop that storyline midway for this new so-called twist? It seems contrived, coming out of left field. Hancock's origins isn't even discussed or emphasized. It really seems like two movies in one.

There are many other chunks of clumsiness spread through the film. At the beginning, Hancock finds a young fan that wants to have sex with him but warns his superpowers makes things complicated. After a very short love making session (less than 20 seconds) she goes flying across the room and his specimens create holes in the trailer. Now his climax can puncture the trailer yet the girl walks away unscathed? Also, afterward we clearly see Hancock has his cargo shorts on and the woman is still wearing her underwear. Were they dry humping? And wouldn't this powerful superhero be able to go a lot longer than 20 seconds?

The scene below is a scene from where Embry is showing Hancock the mistakes of his past behavior. He shows a youtube clip of someone taping Hancock with a home video camera. Yet we clearly see this clip films from multiple angles.

There is another scene with Hancock lifting off from in front Embry's house. Now everytime Hancock takes flight, he crumbles the pavement beneath him. This time is no different yet. We see the pavement dispersing yet when he lifts off, the road is unscathed. There are others, such as the beginning when Hancock is flying while drinking. He grabs the fleeing criminals car window with no bottle in hand, then gets pushed back with the bottle clearly back in his hand.

Hancock does have some funny scenes but overall, Smith comprised the storyline in his film for marketability and a faster release date.

CULTURAL INTROSPECTION:

This scene sparked a huge outcry from G.L.A.D. calling Will Smith and Hancock homophobic. Ten years ago, a scene like this would have been overlooked, but it says a lot about the times we live in with these simple lines get so much attention. Coupled with the Isaiah Washington heat a few years back, it looks like we do live in a society where we have to be careful what we say. Is freedom of speech getting curbed a little? Maybe. But in this debate I kind of side with G.L.A.D. The homo remark was not necessary for story purposes. It was a cruel joke they could have done without.

BLACK PERSPECTIVE:

There's good and bad to the black community in this Will Smith project. With Hancock, Will Smith undeniably became certified as the #1 movie star in America. As bad a film as it was, it did great at the box office pulling in the usual Will Smith 4th of July weekend numbers. For a black filmmaker, that's a huge accomplishment. Also, it's about time we represented with a black superhero and Steel doesn't count.

The negative: our new black superhero is a wreckless, alcoholic asshole already playing into stereotypes of the modern day (pre-Obama) Negro. Also, Will Smith is a bit whitewashed. A lot of his success can be contributed to moviegoers no longer noticing the color of his skin which is both a blessing and a curse. It's great to rise above the problems of race relations but negating one's race to do it sends a clear message about denying one's identity.

Another problem I had with the movie was the casting. When Hollywood controls the movie, they control the casting. If Will Smith and Ms. Embry are soulmates, then why couldn't Ms. Embry be black? This is not about interracial relationships. It's about the belief that to market a movie like this, white audiences would not respond to a black heroin. I love Will Smith to death, but I constantly feel he is turning his back on the black community. Since he started flexing his Hollywood muscule, he has done very little to increase the status of black filmmaking. Even in I Am Legend the heroine was a white female.

Will Smith's Leading Lady Track Record

Seven Pounds - Rosario Dawson

Hancock - Charlize Theron

I Am Legend - Alice Braga

The Pursuit of Happyness - Thandie Newton

Hitch - Eva Mendes

As you notice, none of these past leading ladies are black. Some of them have African-decent in them, but Smith has yet to cast a true "sistah" since Gabrielle Union in Bad Boys II. As I said before, Will Smith is a bit white-washed, intentionally taking the focus of his race to increase his marketability. It's nothing that we're not use to, though. Both Beyonce and Obama did the same.

RATING: