Movie Review: Hancock

Tuesday night, my husband and I had the pleasure of watching Hancock at the Birch, Carol & Coyle Theaters at Indooroopilly's Megaplex in Brisbane. It is the story of John Hancock (Will Smith), a one of a kind hero living in Los Angeles. He is a drunk, is rude and hates himself so much that he vents his frustration by destroying stuff. Although he always catches the bad guys, his manners leave a lot to be desired. As a result of both his bedside manner and the massive collateral damage left in his wake. he is hated by almost everyone in the city.
Then he rescues Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), a Public Relations marketer who wants to change the world for the better. Upon seeing how the people treat the man who rescued him, the grateful PR man offers to play adviser to our hero. Reluctantly Hancock takes him up on his offer and as such our hero will be brought into direct contact with a forgotten past. A special friendship will develop between the two men but will become complicated when Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron) turns out to be John's long-lost ex-wife. In the end, our hero will find that he is not alone in the world, will become more polite, less destructive, and inevitably take his place in the world as a hero worth looking up to.
Based on the numerous trailers for the film, I was expecting a single-focus comedy, but as it turned out, it was more than just a simple laugh-in. I found this movie to be more drama than comedy, although there were some big laughs therein. Hancock offers laughs in between dramatic and epic-level action sequences; good writing from Vincent Ngo and Vince Gillian; great acting from a host of talented actors; and excellent direction from Peter Berg. There is some coarse language, but it really is a must-see film.