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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board  /  Movie, Television and DVD Reviews  /  Hancock
Posted by: sniper, July 16th, 2008, 6:35am
Has anybody checked out Hancock yet?

Saw it last night and I'm not sure whether to give it a thumb up or a thumb down. I mean part of it was very good (especially the first half) but by the end it had simply grown too far fetched (and that's saying a lot for a superhero flick). I don't know, I felt a little unfulfilled with this movie.
Posted by: Mr.Ripley, July 16th, 2008, 2:00pm; Reply: 1
I saw it a couple of days ago.

Spoilers!

My only problem was how the guy with one hand could have figured out Smith's weakness. That part I'm confused about. They should have spent more time on working his character a bit more.  But as a whole I enjoyed it.

Gabe
Posted by: dogglebe (Guest), July 16th, 2008, 3:02pm; Reply: 2
SPOILERS (TOO)

I had the same problem with that guy, too.  He and his cronies broke out of jail and found Hancock within hours after he was shot.

I also thought it was unrealistic how all the guys in jail wanted a piece of Hancock when he first arrived.  Were they all that stupid?

Aside from these problems, I thought it was an incredible movie.


Phil
Posted by: sniper, July 16th, 2008, 3:23pm; Reply: 3
SPOILERS

What really bugged me about this movie that it was painstakingly obvious that Charlize Theron's character also was a Hancock type of gal. And the whole scene were she explains their origin was just exposition galore (and there background really sucked)!

The big hero moment in the end, where he stuggles his way from the hospital so that she can live was overly corny in my book.

Another thing, and this isn't the fault of the movie, but I think the trailer simply showed too much. Having seen the trailer I pretty much knew what was going to happen scene for scene, for at least two thirds of the film.
Posted by: stebrown, July 20th, 2008, 2:41am; Reply: 4
I just watched this last night. Kinda liked it, kinda didn't.

It didn't spend long enough with Hancock as the uncaring superhero, which basically was the only thing original about the idea. And the only reason I wanted to see it.

Phil, for some reason I saw similarities with your script The Burnout. Don't know if that's just me being mental but just the whole backstory seemed to be quite similar.

I think without Charlize Theron's character being a superhero too, this would have been much better. I hate films where they put a love interest in just for the sake of it. Just make the film a laugh on man...this should have been a comedy but it turned into a drama.

Having said that....I still kinda liked it.

Ste
Posted by: Helio, July 31st, 2008, 8:23am; Reply: 5
The movie has a nice premise and Charlize Theron’s presence makes it better.

Every hero deserves a great antagonist, so I think the best villain to Hancock should be a Jack Daniels or Grouse Gold bottles not that idiot one-hand guy.
Posted by: Pard, August 4th, 2008, 2:48am; Reply: 6
This movie was just okay in my opinion.  The premise of the bum/lazy superhero was good, and the first half of the film was entertaining.  It started out unconventional for a superhero film, but the last third just didn't work, mostly due to the Charlize Theron angle.

I recently read the original script 'Tonight He Comes' that was set to be directed by Michael Mann I believe.  It was darker and more serious in tone, and I personally believe it would have made a better film.
Posted by: Ojoe, August 4th, 2008, 2:52pm; Reply: 7
I like the movie.  
SPOILER:

But I also read the tonight he comes script, and was thinking somebody took that script and another, and joined them to make one movie.  So I was wondering if anybody has ever seen or read anything anywhere about the superhero/ or gods/ where when they get together, their powers disappear.  
Posted by: NiK, August 5th, 2008, 2:40am; Reply: 8
The first half of the movie before the blondie took the other half of the film was OK for me. I think that everyone who has a little knowledge in watching films, could came up with the result that Charlize Theron character had to do something.

Anyway, some of the gags were good but some other were kinda forced. I think it would have been better without the character of the female superhero.
Posted by: greg, August 17th, 2008, 1:59am; Reply: 9
Just got back from seeing this.  The trailer blew me away.  The TV spots sucked.  The critics' reviews painted a picture of what to expect.  My opinion of this film: frustrating.

Echoing everyone else, the first half of the film was great.  Actually, scratch that, most of the film was great.  I liked Charlize Theron as his double and enjoyed their back story.  The writing was great.  The effects were great.  It's rare when you see such effects mesh so perfectly with quality writing.  Made the movie fly by.  But wait.  This film was only 90 minutes long.  90 minutes??  The length of a flick, or at least a quality flick, shouldn't interfere with anything, but it almost feels as if A) the producers ran out of money or B) they decided 75% through that they liked what they had and decided to abruptly end it and release it with what they had.

Seriously, what's this movie about?  Okay, it's about a super hero(or whatever you wanna call him, they didn't really go enough into it) who needs to change his image, then finds his double...then that's it.  There's no real bad guy here.  Yeah, I guess Hancock can be considered the enemy to himself, but in this film it didn't work.  Why was Charlize Theron able to whip up tornadoes?  Why does she even reveal her powers to Hancock if she knows he doesn't remember her?  How were they made?  Why were they made?  Why does he use his powers for good but she lays low?

The movie writes up all of these questions but doesn't do a very good job at answering them and just leaves us hanging at the end.  I wanted more, but not in a good way.  The film felt incomplete.  I'm very curious as to how production about this went and how much was deleted...or how much of the original script was butchered, because something just seems very strange about this.  

This could have been THE summer blockbuster.  Yeah, I know everyone's in bed with the Dark Knight(I still haven't seen it, sorry) but if they had expanded the story a little and thrown in a real villain, this would have been a complete picture.  And what kills me is that they had another hour to potentially work with but opted not to, so instead what we have here is a really short, really good action movie that leaves you frustrated upon walking out.  I mean damn!  The action scenes were AWESOME!  Not only were they serious and intense, but they were humorous and all had a great payoff.  The banter between various characters was great.  I felt the story of Mary and Hancock was great(some don't agree, but for what it was I liked it).  The little quirks here and there, such as when Hancock was signing out of the hospital in Miami and he thought his name was John Hancock because they asked him for his JH(another question: what is his real name?).  Funny stuff!

I can't say enough good things about this film, but at the same time I can't help but wonder what could have been.  If you have the chance to see it then go for it.

3/4
Posted by: spamwillkillyou, September 15th, 2008, 10:02pm; Reply: 10
I actually really liked the back story. Something about this movie was off and I still haven't been able to put my finger on it. Overall a great movie.
Posted by: Aaron, June 9th, 2009, 7:08pm; Reply: 11
I was shocked. I might have been the only one on planet Earth who thought the trailer looked horrible. Well, I ate my words, the film was great, for the first half. the second have turned too far fetched, with no villains.

3/5
Posted by: dresseme (Guest), June 9th, 2009, 7:10pm; Reply: 12

Quoted from Aaron
I was shocked. I might have been the only one on planet Earth who thought the trailer looked horrible. Well, I ate my words, the film was great, for the first half. the second have turned too far fetched, with no villains.

3/5


You should seek out the "Tonight, He Comes" script.  Actually, I think it's on this site.  It's the hard-R version of "Hancock" which the studios turned into what you ended up watching.
Posted by: Aaron, June 9th, 2009, 9:48pm; Reply: 13
I did read the beginning, it was ehh
Posted by: dresseme (Guest), June 10th, 2009, 1:26pm; Reply: 14

Quoted from Aaron
I did read the beginning, it was ehh


Oh, don't get me wrong, the script is absolutely atrocious, but it is interesting to see just how different the two are.
Posted by: Aaron, June 10th, 2009, 2:17pm; Reply: 15
It is. How much do you think the hard R version would have gotten opening weekend?
Posted by: dresseme (Guest), June 10th, 2009, 2:19pm; Reply: 16

Quoted from Aaron
It is. How much do you think the hard R version would have gotten opening weekend?


It's hard to say.  The novelty of a hard-R superhero flick where he shoots super-ejaculate through a wall probably would have drawn a crowd, but I think it would have bombed.  After all, the script was absolute shit.
Posted by: Aaron, June 10th, 2009, 3:02pm; Reply: 17
You are correct there. Probably one of the worst scripts I have read or began to read
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