Hancock generic hero at best

Hancock
Director: Peter Berg
Stars: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron
Rating: PG13
Grade: *** (out of five)

Take two cups of Wolverine, add one teaspoon of Iron Man and a pinch of Hulk. Microwave on high for two to three minutes. Let stand before serving.

Director Peter Berg�s (Friday Night Lights) superhero drama might stand out if it wasn�t released in this, the summer of the anti-hero. Comic book aficionados will instantly spot the patchwork of some of the genre�s classically corruptible characters that make up Will Smith�s flawed protagonist: Hancock drinks like Tony Stark, causes mayhem like Bruce Banner�s better half (and I don�t mean Betty Ross), and like everyone�s favourite Canadian X-Man, is a nearly indestructible, ill-tempered boor who can�t remember his past. And, like all three, he has his heart in the right place when it comes to saving the world � he just has to overcome his inner demons.

That said, Hancock redeems itself as a passable standalone action movie. There�s wanton destruction and the thugs who provoke Smith reap their whirlwinds � there�s a memorable prison scene where he introduces a cell mate�s head to another�s rectum, incidentally. The trio of Smith, Jason Bateman (playing a PR rep out to shine up Hancock�s public image) and Charlize Theron (Bateman�s wife with a secret of her own) generates some pathos and keeps a viewer interested.

But part of the reason why successful comic book movies do so well at the box office is the longtime reader�s thirst to see how their hero transcends the page onto the screen. In the character of Hancock, there�s no history, no previous emotional investment, no longtime arch-villain to match his off-the-charts power. Hancock is a generic flying musclehead at best, and one that should pass out of our imaginations faster than a speeding bullet.   

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