Production Year: 2008 - Action/Adventure - Director: Peter Berg - Original Language: English - Classification: TBA, 12 years and over, 15 years and over - Starring:Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Eddie Marsan, Charlize Theron more
Peter Berg (THE KINGDOM, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) directs this story of a reluctant superhero, John Hancock (Will Smith). Like the best superheroes, Hancock can fly, is bulletproof,... more
Hancock [DVD] [2008]
Hancockturns the standard superhero movie inside-out. The titular character, played by ... more
Will Smith, can fly, has super strength and is invulnerable. But he's also a sloppy, arrogant alcoholic who causes millions of dollars in property damage whenever he...
Hancock [DVD] [2008]
Hancockturns the standard superhero movie inside-out. The titular character, played by ... more
Will Smith, can fly, has super strength and is invulnerable. But he's also a sloppy, arrogant alcoholic who causes millions of dollars in property damage whenever he...
Hancock DVD
There are heroes... There are superheroes... And then there's... Hancock. Will Smith ... more
stars as Hancock - a edgy conflicted sarcastic and misunderstood guy whose well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives but always se...
rather it is five of the six episodes from Hancock's last season with the BBC in 1961. Writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson followed Hancock to television after making him a star on radio, and it is to them as much as to Hancock's lugubrious persona that these few shows owe their classic status. In a conscious effort to throw the spotlight more firmly on himself, Hancock had parted company with his radio cohorts in the transition to TV, and here for the first time he also dispensed with stalwart comedy partner Sid James. Thanks to Galton and Simpson, however, the gamble paid off handsomely and these shows remain some of the bestsitcoms ever created for British television. No longer a resident of Railway Cuttings, East Cheam, here we find Hancock in Earl's Court in the first episode, "The Bedsitter". Whether trying vainly to live the life of a carefree bachelor, playing an old country character in a thinly disguised version of "The Archers" ("The Bowmans"), wrestling with the complexities of valve radio ("The Radio Ham"), annoying everyone in an awkward situation ("The Lift") or giving that famous pint of blood ("The Blood Donor"), Galton and Simpson provide Hancock with every opportunity to exercise his wonderful pomposity and pretentiousness with scripts full of comic invention and eminently quotable lines. Hugh Lloyd and June Whitfield are among the supporting cast.On the DVD:The disc includes a good recent interview with Galton and Simpson, who talk about their sometimes difficult relationship with the star. After Hancock used cue cards while recording "The Blood Donor", they reveal, he decided never to bother learning any lines again, even though this had a detrimental effect on his ability to use comic facial expressions ever afterwards. The picture and sound quality are what might be expected from TV of this vintage. --Mark Walker
Production Year: 2003 - Action/Adventure - Director: Jonathon Mostow - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes, Kristinna Loken, David Andrews
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
A review by TheChosen1 on Hancock (DVD) March 19th, 2009
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Outstanding
Special Effects
Standard
Soundtrack
Average
Advantages:
the first part was good and funny
Disadvantages:
the second part was awful
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
About Hancock
When I watched Hancock in the trailers I expected a crazy movie with a crazy protagonist similar to The Mask. I was not disappointed Hancock is in no way your idealistic superhero. He isn’t Superman, the Hal Jordan Green Lantern or the Barry Allen Flash. He is a liquor drinking, woman grabbing, property destroying, crime fighting son of a gun. He was a menace to the society he wanted to protect.
Needless to say, there was not much love given to John Hancock by the people of the city of Los Angeles. While one may be at awe with his superpowers such as flight, invulnerability and superhuman strength, the millions of dollars worth of property damage he causes could not be discounted. In the comics and cartoons it is okay for superheroes to use property to vanquish bad guys but not in the real world.
Hancock is an antihero similar to the likes of Stone cold Steve Austin and Bart Simpson. He is good at heart but it doesn’t show in his exterior. He tries to do good but leaves a wake of destruction in his path. As much as Hancock is commendable for his intentions, the property damage cannot simply be ignored. The worst part of it is no one could arrest Hancock despite the countless number of subpoenas since no one has the power to arrest him.
A turning point however in Hancock’s life is when he saves the life of Ray Embrey, a public relations spokesperson. Ray is so grateful that he offers Hancock his services and vows to clean up his tarnished reputation. He represents Hancock now and he teaches him how to act more like a superhero. He even gives him a uniform similar to that worn by the X-Men.
He then meets Ray’s family. Ray has a wife named Mary. He also has a son from a previous marriage named Aaron. While Mary seems to dislike Hancock, Aaron is a mark for (big fan of) Hancock.
While Hancock does encounter a bunch of baddies throughout the film Kenneth “Red” Parker Jr. stands out as the most important villain of the film. He is one of your psychotic people better suited to Batman. He is just an ordinary human however with no special powers.
Mary Embrey later plays a more significant role in the second part of the film. The tone of the whole movie also shifts into a totally different direction. The second part will show more of who Hancock really is and about his past. Well enough of that as I do not want to spoil anything here.
-Extras-
-''Superhumans: The Making of Hancock'' – This is your standard behind the scenes featurette. Nothing special here.
-''Seeing the Future'' – This is the part where they show some scenes before it is touched up with computer generated material.
-''Building a Better Hero'' – This part deals about the film’s visual effects.
-''Bumps & Bruises'' – This part deals with the effects used on Hancock’s flying and his feats of superhuman strength.
-''Mere Mortals: Behind the Scenes with "Dirty Pete" '' – This is a short featurette on Peter Berg, the film’s director.
-Trailers
-Video-
Aspect Ratio2.40:1Anamorphic Wide Screen transfer
-Audio-
Dolby digital 5.1
-Edition-
Rated Edition
-Cast-
Hancock – Will Smith Ray Embrey – Jason Bateman Mary Embrey – Charlize Theron Aaron Embrey – Jae Head Eddie Marsan – Kenneth “Red” Parker Jr.
The Verdict
Watching Hancock is like watching a two-in-one movie. The first part was absolutely fun to watch with a lot of comedy, fun and profanity. The second part however was a whole different story. It was very dodgy to say the least. The movie also suffers from a problem with story continuity as many things do not make any sense and many questions about Hancock are left to be explained. I do not know if it was intentionally left out to make room for a sequel in the near future.
I believe the film could have gotten top props had they just made the whole film like the first part. Will Smith has been known to play comedic parts very well as shown in his previous stints in Men in Black and Bad Boys. They did not have to do the 360 degree turn they did in the movie.
Will Smith’s performance was stellar throughout the film as he is a versatile actor. He has starred in inspirational films such as The Pursuit of Happiness. He has also done comedies such as Hitch. He has done action in Independence Day. He has done drama as well in I am Legend. Charlize Theron was a bit underutilized here but I was glad she was in the film as she is an excellent actress and is excellent in the looks department as well. Jason Bateman’s role did not require a lot of heavy acting as he was merely a spokesperson and cheerleader for Hancock. Nevertheless Jason did a solid job.
I was a bit disappointed that the film did not introduce any villain that had powers that rivaled Hancock’s. I watched a lot of Superman films and cartoons and having superman beat up a bunch of thugs and bank robbers is not that thrilling. After all they could never win. The most they could do is live another day by escaping. The same applies to Hancock. Could they not have introduced super powered humans, aliens or beasts to give our hero a workout?
Hancock without the fun anti-hero personality is basically your generic superhero. His powers of flight, superhuman strength and invulnerability could be seen in countless superheroes such as Captain Marvel, Superman and Prime. He doesn’t even have any unique super powers. They should have given Hancock something that is cool and would require spectacular visual effects.
The film may be fun to watch but does hint a bit towards profanity and sexuality. There is also violence in the film. I would not recommend this for the kiddies.
Despite the shortcomings of the film, I would still recommend this for viewing. The first part makes it worth renting or borrowing but the second part and the lackluster extras shoots down its worth in owning unless you can get this at a bargain price.
Advantages: It is so funny.. Disadvantages: Only 90 minutes running time..
...asked me to go see Hancock with him I was actually slightly excited, as from the trailers it looks like a really funny film.. I was left wondering if I was going to be disappointed..?
But I wasn't..!
The Film
At ninety minutes long it is not the most lengthy film, but it does not skimp on the drama or comedy. Released on July 2nd both in the United kingdom and the United States, it was one of the biggest box office smashes of recent films ... ...Hancock's public image Ray decides Hancock should go to prison and prove just how much he is needed in Los Angeles.. Its not long before the city realise quite how much they need him, when he is called upon to save a police officer in a hostage situation. Once again a hero, things seem unsettled..
The Best Bits
From the trailer you have probably seen some of the funny bits.. But trust me there is more..!
It seems Hancock has a thing for ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: The best movie of 2008...... So far Disadvantages: It needed to be longer, if thats a flaw
...now find myself having watched Hancock awarding the movie the highest accolade I can by stating that of the movies so far, Hancock is the best movie of 2008. I avoided everything I possibly could to do with Hancock because to be honest the trailer failed to impress me. To my surprise I laughed, enjoyed the action, and was almost caused to shed a tear watching this very different superhero movie.
In the past superhero movies characters are for the ... ..."Super Heroes". Hancock's superhero John Hancock (Will Smith) is not the traditional form of hero, he is an alcoholic, is verbally abusive, and has an appetite for destruction. While he wants to do good, nothing is ever quite thought through enough, while he might stop a group of armed thieves he may very well destroy half the city doing so. And this creates Hancock with a problem, he is not a superhero in the eyes of the public, he is a menace. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Very Funny, Excellent acting, great story Disadvantages: None from me
...Will Smith plays John Hancock who is a down and out super hero who is not liked by the public as when he does good deeds and helps he always manages to leave a trail of destruction which costs millions to repair. When he goes to the aid of a man trapped in his car on a railway line with a train fast approaching he finds this meeting has more of an impact on his life then he could ever have expected. Ray, who Hancock saved, persuades Hancock to try ... ...and loved super hero. Hancock is very dubious at first but agrees to go along with it. His plans don?t seem to be going very well when Hancock?s first job is to attend court and serve time in prison for his destruction and bad ways. Will Hancock and Ray be able to make him loved by the public and will Hancock discover the truth about his past?
I absolutely loved this film and so did my hubby even though he was not too keen on watching it. Right ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Will Smith, good story Disadvantages: Predictable
Hancock was one of summer 08's big blockbusters. It stars Will Smith, Charlize Theron & Jason Bateman. Hancock is directed by Peter Berg whose previous credits include The Kingdom, he's also worked as an actor & appeared in several films such as Collateral & The Kingdom in which he directed also. Hancock was released in the US on July 2nd 2008. It's rated 12 & runs for approximately 93 minutes. Hancock had a huge budget of $150 million & grossed ... ...the strong beginning. Hancock is the story of an unconventional superhero. He's there when anyone needs him however his recklessness has cost the city millions of dollars & people are fed up of it. Hancock has various superhero abilities, he has the ability to fly, he's invulnerable, immortal & has amazing strength. After saving Ray Embrey's (Jason Bateman) life, Ray is eternally grateful & as he works in PR he feels that he should repay Hancock ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Easy to get into, some funny parts. Disadvantages: Overuse of the word 'a**hole' - weak ending.
...then so be it. Hancock is arrogant and thinks that he is quite justified in how he does his work and that it is the general public who are ungrateful. One day he rescues a man (Ray Embrey) from being run over by a train, he causes a lot of damage whilst doing this, but the man in question is extremely grateful nonetheless and invites him to his house for dinner to thank him. It is at this point that the public have really tired of him and actually ... ...PR and wants to help Hancock to clean up his image. He thinks that if he can get Hancock to watch his manners and be congenial with those he comes in to contact with, he will win his public over. He convinces Hancock to go to prison for a short period, as the public wishes, in the belief that they will miss him and want him back to continue serving the community. The film follows his progress, with a twist to the plot just over half way through – ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: hilarious episodes, good picture quality, classic Mr Bean Disadvantages: expensive method of going about owning the whole series
...Mr Bean returns in another volume of episodes. This third installment to the collection includes '' Mr. Bean Rides Again'', ''Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean'', and '' Mr. Bean in Room 426''. Yes as you've guessed he gets in more trouble, in different situations. Sketches on this Dvd see special guest appearnces from Danny La Rue, Owen Brenman, Roger Sloman, Stephen Frost, and Nick Hancock.
COST: £9.99
PLACE OF PURCHASE: Blockbuster
NUMBER OF DISCS: 1
CERTIFICATE: PG
Episode 1:
i) Mr Bean wants to go to the post office, his car battery is dead so he has to catch the bus instead. This leads to extraordinary capers when he meets a man who is already waiting at the bus stop and who suddely has a heart attack. Mr Bean does his best first aid to try and recover him and succeeds, only to give the poor guy another heart attack. A good...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Always welcome to have Hancock on DVD Disadvantages: Awful transfers, no extras
...If this is the film I proposed four weeks ago, then where is the other half of it? This DVD features both of Tony Hancocks film vehicles, the 1961 effort 'The Rebel' and the 1963 'Punch and Judy Man'. Neither go anywhere near to capturing the genius of the performer so loved on radio and television, but they do at least give us the chance to stick him on our shelves for rainy days, while we wait patiently for more BBC releases of his material.
'The Rebel' was scripted by regular Hancock writers Galton and Simpson, with help from the star. It tells of the imprisonment of Anthony Hancock, a man with so much to give the world, but trapped in the everyday grind of everyday work. Breakfast, train, work, train, home...and then just for a few hours, Hancock can let loose his creative forces. In the backroom of his lodgings, with beret donned...
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Plot: Boasting a lack of motivation, a week's worth of stubble, and the ability to fly, Hancock struggles with his superhero status even though his talents are needed.
Production Year: 2008
Video Category: Feature Film
Country Of Origin: United States of America
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT; CINRAM LOGISTICS, SONY PICTURES
Special Features: Superhumans: The Making of HANCOCK, Seeing the Future featurette, Building A Better Hero featurette, Bumps and Bruises featurette, Mere Mortals featurette
DVD Description
Peter Berg (THE KINGDOM, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) directs this story of a reluctant superhero, John Hancock (Will Smith). Like the best superheroes, Hancock can fly, is bulletproof, and has insurmountable strength. He uses these gifts to fight crime in Los Angeles and save people in distress. Unfortunately, he is also a drunk who leaves a trail of costly destruction behind during his lifesaving pursuits, and his constant sarcasm fails to win him friends. But after Hancock randomly saves his life, public relations executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) decides to give him a makeover and help the superhero change his image so that the police and citizens of Los Angeles will realize how much they need their seemingly inappropriate hero. All the while, Ray's wife, Mary (Charlize Theron)--who seems to simultaneously have a strange connection and aversion to Hancock--worries that her do-gooder husband will end up disappointed by Hancock's antics.
The special effects are quite impressive, as Hancock flies through Los Angeles crashing into buildings, bursting through freeway signs, and flipping automobiles around as if they were wet noodles. Smith evokes a depth and warmth in Hancock; even when he's unpleasant and anti-social, it's clear that there is more to him. Bateman is well cast as a man who really does want to change the world for the better. And Theron is quite touching in her role as a wife to Ray, a mother to Aaron, and ultimately a saviour to Hancock.
Professional reviews
Review: Hancock is a lot of fun... (Chicago Sun-Times, 28/10/2008)
Hancock makes for one unexpectedly satisfying and kinky addition to Hollywood’s superhero chronicles (New York Times, 28/10/2008)
Will Smith's best blockbuster since MEN IN BLACK... brilliant (News Of The World, 28/10/2008)
Jaw-dropping special effects (Nuts, 28/10/2008)
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Listed on Ciao since : 31/03/2008
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