Nothing Super in Hancock
July 30th 2008 03:02
If you’re wondering about toddling off to the local theater to catch Hancock, Will Smith’s latest piece of silver screen mastery(?), then let me save you a trip.
Don’t go! Invest your hard-earned cash somewhere — anywhere — just don’t waste it on this movie.
Seems harsh, but if you had just lost two hours, as I had, never to see that time again, all the while with dishes and laundry to be done, a shower in desperate need of a scrub, and a pile of leaves in the backyard visible from space (it’s a So Cal winter in the southern hemisphere, don’t forget), you’d feel similarly annoyed.
Luckily I had free tickets from a buddy, so at least I didn’t flush my $10 down the toilet. But still, I did have to sit through what turned out to be a major disappointment. As an artist, I have a great deal of respect for Will Smith, generally. I have liked all of his work – until now.
First, the film just didn’t fit anywhere. It was a super hero spoof-cum-serious drama that missed its mark completely. While there was something likable about the concept of a hobo-hero, and his PR advisor, it totally failed to deliver in terms of story, and its blend of the artistic license granted super hero stories, with real human situations, was a blunder.
Maybe it was the failure to seriously attempt building any type of values into the movie that left me feeling so empty. The nobility, self-sacrifice, and inner battles, of a Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, or Peter Parker are often the elements that lift our hearts and minds with this genre. But in Hancock, despite these elements being in play, they were insufficiently developed, and often subjugated to the crass and crude.
In particular, the language was disappointing, especially from the children, and was a perfect example of the crude appeal to the lowest common denominator that dominated the film. Frankly, I don’t get kids in movies cursing, nor do I get the parents that allow it to happen. Or maybe it’s just a reflection of the type of people making stuff like this. It’s sad, if that is the case.
I guess though, to a producer (Hancock was produced by Will Smith) looking for market share up against the likes of Hulk, Iron Man, and Spidey, a near R-rated superhero makes a lot of sense - with box-office receipts to prove it. But be that as it may, all I’m saying is that it didn’t work on screen for me. And if the reaction from those I went with, and the packed theater I sat in, is any indication, I am no orphan.
So what is the wash up on Hancock? See it if you like, but don’t expect some flash of light, and a real super hero to come crashing through the theater wall and save you. Be smart – save yourself!!
Don’t go! Invest your hard-earned cash somewhere — anywhere — just don’t waste it on this movie.
Seems harsh, but if you had just lost two hours, as I had, never to see that time again, all the while with dishes and laundry to be done, a shower in desperate need of a scrub, and a pile of leaves in the backyard visible from space (it’s a So Cal winter in the southern hemisphere, don’t forget), you’d feel similarly annoyed.
Luckily I had free tickets from a buddy, so at least I didn’t flush my $10 down the toilet. But still, I did have to sit through what turned out to be a major disappointment. As an artist, I have a great deal of respect for Will Smith, generally. I have liked all of his work – until now.
First, the film just didn’t fit anywhere. It was a super hero spoof-cum-serious drama that missed its mark completely. While there was something likable about the concept of a hobo-hero, and his PR advisor, it totally failed to deliver in terms of story, and its blend of the artistic license granted super hero stories, with real human situations, was a blunder.
Maybe it was the failure to seriously attempt building any type of values into the movie that left me feeling so empty. The nobility, self-sacrifice, and inner battles, of a Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, or Peter Parker are often the elements that lift our hearts and minds with this genre. But in Hancock, despite these elements being in play, they were insufficiently developed, and often subjugated to the crass and crude.
In particular, the language was disappointing, especially from the children, and was a perfect example of the crude appeal to the lowest common denominator that dominated the film. Frankly, I don’t get kids in movies cursing, nor do I get the parents that allow it to happen. Or maybe it’s just a reflection of the type of people making stuff like this. It’s sad, if that is the case.
I guess though, to a producer (Hancock was produced by Will Smith) looking for market share up against the likes of Hulk, Iron Man, and Spidey, a near R-rated superhero makes a lot of sense - with box-office receipts to prove it. But be that as it may, all I’m saying is that it didn’t work on screen for me. And if the reaction from those I went with, and the packed theater I sat in, is any indication, I am no orphan.
So what is the wash up on Hancock? See it if you like, but don’t expect some flash of light, and a real super hero to come crashing through the theater wall and save you. Be smart – save yourself!!
| 82 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog