MOVIE REVIEW - HANCOCK

Pretty cool stuff here, a rare Wednesday movie release for the holiday weekend, Will Smith stars as Hancock. Rated PG-13. In this summer of superhero movies it could be easy for another one to get lost, but Hancock won't because it goes in a very different direction.

Hancock is a character like you've never seen before in the movies. He is a reluctant superhero in Los Angeles. He's homeless, a drunk, and really is NOT a nice guy at all. Hancock is blessed with the ability to fly and with great strength, but doesn't really know what to do with it. When he attempts to help his fellow man he invariably does more damage than good, but usually does get the job done. He is vilified by the greater Los Angeles area, who are sick of his shenanigans, and all the damage he causes. He runs across an owner of a struggling PR company (Jason Bateman) that is bent on fixing Hancock's image in the public eye. He takes our hero under his wing, and launches a good will campaign to make Hancock a true hero in the court of public opinion.

That is the story in a nutshell, but I will tell you there's much more to Hancock than that. This is a true action-comedy. True there are some really funny moments, but in the end this is more of an action flick. And to be brutally honest, it's a lot more intense than I thought it would be. I will tell you up front this may be too much for some really young viewers to see.

One thing about Hancock that I noticed is that I felt I was ahead of the movie at times. You can tell there's going to be other shoes to fall. Charlize Theron has this small role in this big movie, and for me that was curious. But all questions are answered. Hancock packs huge punch. This really is an in-your-face flick. It's loud, and has a very eclectic soundtrack that ranges from street thug rap, to a huge and soaring terrific orchestral crescendo.

Hancock is not a bad movie, but does have it's troubles. Too many trailers for too long take away from the sight gags, that actually are funny the first time or two. I felt too, there was way too much harsh language that didn't make it a better movie just a meaner one. I'm not talking the small words either. Too me that was really surprising. Will Smith is likable again in a leading role and there's nothing really wrong with seeing Charlize Theron on on the screen anytime.

Hancock does not wear out it's welcome either, about 90 minutes long. You may find this movie ends exactly when you're ready for it to. It's big time summer movie making, lots of bells whistles, very loud and lots of action. In the long run, fun - for some. Not as friendly as I was ready for, not for everyone. Hancock - a true mixed bag.