What Do The Critics Say?

"Tired of Will Smith's nice guy image? Ever wanted to see the Fresh Prince toss a kid thousands of feet in the air, insult an old lady or tell a fat guy to lay off the McDonalds? Well then Hancock might just be the movie for you. Despite what you may have heard, this one has some great surprises in store, cool action and big laughs." Jeff Otto REELZCHANNEL "Most of the film is zippy, funny, and fascinatingly strange; all qualities that are often lacking in some of the more bloated action blockbusters." Eric D. Snider ERICDSNIDER.COM "There's enough good stuff to justify action fan attendance." Jules Brenner CINEMA SIGNALS "Let’s just say if you thought you were in for something light-hearted, like “Men in Black,” you should prepare yourself for more superhero angst than "Batman Begins" and Ang Lee’s "Hulk" combined." Josh Larsen LARSEN ON FILM "A superhero movie with soul, a magically endowed boozer, and quirky chemistry fueled between those two dramatic heavyweights, Will Smith and Charlize Theron, who go at it like Hillary and Obama duking it out at a presidential primary." Prairie Miller NEWSBLAZE "Would you buy Will Smith as John Hancock, an amnesiac, grab-ass, booze-swilling superhero who flies under the influence and disdains the punk-ass citizens of Los Angeles for thinking he's a superasshole? Trust me, you will. Bateman doesn't make a false move, and a stellar Charlize Theron springs her own bolts from the blue as Ray's wife.As for Smith, he's on fire. There's nothing like a star shining on his highest beams. You follow him anywhere." Peter Travers ROLLING STONE "I have been waiting for this for years: a superhero movie where the actions of the superheroes have consequences in the real world. "Hancock", the latest star showcase for Will Smith, has him playing a SkidRow drunk with superpowers and a super hangover. Smith makes the character more subtle than he has to be, more filled with self-doubt, more willing to learn." Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

"Hancock is the sort of Fourth of July cinematic fireworks celebration Hollywood dreams about but rarely achieves. It may also be the best popcorn movie Will Smith has made since "Independence Day," a cheeky flying ball of excitement from beginning to end, expertly directed by Peter Berg ("The Kingdom") for maximum hilarity and irreverent thrills. As superhero movies go, this one's played more for laughs than high drama, although the special effects and action sequences certainly keep the adrenaline flowing." Tom Long DETROIT NEWS "Hancock suggests new visual directions and emotional tonalities for pop. Hancock, starring Will Smith, is a surprisingly resonant spectacle that places three people with recognizable feelings in the middle of a wild fantasy. For the first time in his life, Will Smith doesn’t flirt with the audience. He doesn’t smile and tease and drawl." David Denby NEW YORKER "The action comedy, a biting satire of superhero mythology and the comedy that results from its real-world applications, makes you love the guy for his brutally logical demeanor. Directed by guy's guy director Peter Berg "Hancock" shreds the fabric of comic book culture." Phil Villarreal ARIZONA DAILY STAR "There are many joys to be found in Hancock, not the least of which is Smith's effortless performance in the title role, which manages to be charming even though Hancock himself is really quite a bastard: you can’t hate him, even though you want to. How come it took so long for someone to invent Hancock, who’s just a regular, ordinary guy who doesn’t want Society looking to him to round up all the bad guys and smile for the camera while doing it?" MaryAnn Johanson FLICK FILOSOPHER "Sure, Smith's new superhero character, Hancock, comes around by the movie's end as one would expect, but the depth to which this hero sinks beforehand is occasionally startling and pretty great. "Hancock" is just good, clean, summer popcorn fun. It's a little gritty, a little over-the-top and more than a little silly. If you set your expectations to the right level (and if you buy a ticket to a movie about a drunk superhero, what are you really expecting anyway?) you should have a lot of fun at Hancock." Jeff Otto REELZCHANNEL

The Inside Story There are heroes, superheroes, and then there’s Hancock. Cinemagoers are in for a shock if they think Hancock is anything like a regular superhero, because he isn't. He has an attitude problem, hits the bottle and even though he manages to get the 'baddies', the cost to the public is escolating out of control. His latest effort to apprehend three armed felons has cost the City Of Los Angeles $US9 million. And things are about to get worse. "Hancock is not your average superhero," says Will Smith, the star of Columbia Pictures’ new action-comedy, "Hancock". Smith says that he was attracted to the film by the chance to bring an original, unique story to the screen; "Hancock", a superhero movie that expands the boundaries of the genre by stressing human emotion. Smith and his fellow filmmakers: producers Akiva Goldsman ("Lost In Space" & "I Am Legend"), Michael Mann ("Collateral" & "The Last of the Mohicans") and James Lassiter ("Hitch" & "I, Robot"), together with director Peter Berg ("Very Bad Things" & "Friday Night Lights") decided that movie would not focus on how Hancock got his powers or chose to use them; instead, Hancock would cut a universal figure as a man in the middle of his career who hates his job and wants out. His superpowers, far from a blessing, have given him an attitude that cuts him off from the public that should be his biggest fans. "There’s only one person who could pull that off," says Goldsman. "I can’t even conceive of "Hancock" without Will Smith playing him." "Will was excited to play a superhero," says "The Pursuit of Happyness" producer, James Lassiter. "When we saw this script, we thought it was the perfect way to do this kind of movie: an irreverent superhero you haven’t seen before. Hancock is an exceptional, interesting character that breaks the mold." With Smith on board, it was an easy task to convince Peter Berg (who played Lt Colonel Falco in "Lions For Lambs"), to direct the film. "Will is one of the few movie stars who have a real confluence of skills," Berg notes. "He’s talented, he’s fearless and he’s extremely honest. When those three elements come together, the person can play almost anything, and Will is certainly willing to try anything." According to two time NBR Award winner Michael Mann ("The Insider" & "Collateral") who introduced cinemagoers to the inimitable epitome of evil, Dr Hannibal Lecktor (played by Brian Cox) in the 1986 film "Manhunter", "Hancock" delivers what audiences expect from Will while also engaging them in surprising ways. "We set out to make a movie that moved between being profoundly funny and irreverent to sexy and romantic, to thrilling and then wonderfully heartbreaking. Will Smith’s power as an actor is in his ability to inhabit the states of mind of this complex character in such profound ways. He is the center of gravity." Smith sees his character as a complicated man. "Every day, he wakes up mad at the world. He doesn’t remember what happened to him and there’s no one to help him find the answers. He has good intentions, but has trouble connecting to the world around him. Hancock is like the high school quarterback with all the talent in the world who can’t get his attitude right. He doesn’t realize that the reason his team isn’t winning is because his love and comprehension of the game is out." Being part of a group, interacting with other people, is the central, human idea. Hancock unfortunately finds himself in a totally isolated place until he meets Ray Embrey, the man who will bring him back into the fold of society. 2005 Golden Globe winner Jason Bateman ("Arrested Developement") was cast as Ray, the bleeding-heart PR exec. "When Hancock saves his life, Ray wants to pay him back by teaching Hancock how to conduct himself more appropriately and clean up his image. But for Ray, it’s not just about image control: he actually wants to teach Hancock how to be a better superhero." Bateman ("Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" & "The Kingdom") found playing Ray, a rewarding experience. "I had a lot of room to explore Ray because he is such a trusting soul. He wears rose-colored glasses, he is naïve, and he thinks he can see beyond Hancock’s hard, crusty shell to his soft and chewy insides up until their relationship becomes a bit more complicated. All that made Ray a rewarding character to play." 2004 Academy ® Award winning actress Charlize Theron ("Monster") was cast in the role of Ray's wife, Mary Embrey. "Charlize Theron is the musical note that fits perfectly with Will and Jason Bateman," says "Mr & Mrs Smith" producer Goldsman. "We needed three people, all of whom the audience would want to see win; it was a real balancing act." Where her husband, Ray, sees only the superhero that Hancock could be someday, Mary comes from the perspective of the average 'Angeleno'. "She is fed up with Hancock’s bad behavior which, on the surface, appears to be totally irresponsible and destructive," the 2006 Golden Camera winning actress says. "She is adamant that he not disrupt the idyllic life she’s created with Ray and their son. But when Hancock starts to show some signs that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that he might turn his behavior around, and she still doesn’t accept him, then you start to question why." Hancock does have one big fan. Jae Head was cast as the Embrey's young son, Aaron. "Kid actors can be tricky," says Berg, "but Jae is untouched and uncorrupted. He lives in Texas, where his dad is a high school football coach and his mom is always with him. You get the feeling that he’s just as happy being a ball boy for his dad as he is hanging out on set with Will Smith. He’s a perceptive kid that’s gone through a lot in his life and he understands that every day is a gift; he has a great attitude. He throws himself into everything." Director Berg used his own family tradition of making spaghetti and meatballs every Sunday evening to illustrate the family's close bond. Every Thursday night the Embreys celebrate 'spaghetti madness' making sure to spend at least one night a week at dinner together rather than allowing work, school or other distractions to take precedence over sharing family time. "I ate maybe twenty plates," Head says about filming the family dinner scenes. "I forgot to eat breakfast that morning because I was so excited to get on set, so at the beginning I was happy to eat." So how did he feel at the end of a days shooting? Head says he felt like yelling: "Don’t say the word 'spaghetti' to me!" British Independent Film Award winner Eddie Marsan ("Vera Drake") plays 'the bad guy' Red, a man who will have a profound effect on Hancock's life. Marsan has impressed audiences with a resume` that includes appearances in such well received twenty first century films as: "Gangs of New York", "21 Grams" (as Reverend John), "V for Vendetta", "The Illusionist", "Miami Vice" and can currently be seen in Mike Leigh's latest film, "Happy-Go-Lucky". Born and raised in Bethnal Green, London, Marsan served an apprenticeship as a printer prior to graduating from the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and becoming an actor. Marsan began his career in episodic television in the UK doing guest spots on such popular shows as "Casualty", "Game On", "The Bill", "Kavanagh QC", and as a series regular playing Brian Clapton on the comedy ,"Get Well Soon". In recent years Marsan has guest starred on such noteable British series as, "Silent Witness" and "Judge John Deed". Director Berg, who cut his teeth as an actor in films such as "Corky Romano", "A Midnight Clear", "Race for Glory" and who played Joey Randone in James Mangold's 1997 film "Cop Land", before moving behind the camera for his directorial debut in 1998 with "Very Bad Things", admitted he was kept on his toes while working on "Hancock". "I had to keep bobbing and weaving. A group like Akiva, Michael, Will, and James Lassiter is like a force of nature; they kept me on my toes. Michael would come at me, bam, and then Akiva, and then J.L., who is like the silent assassin. Will’s got this saying, 'If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.' Staying in the right frame of mind makes that possible for me." Smith revealed the director "creates a really nice atmosphere on set, where anybody from the cast or crew can give him ideas and he’ll listen. He’s open and he likes to have fun so everyone enjoys coming to work. It’s still high pressure and high tempo, but the work is done with a good spirit." To get the right effect for the film, Berg brought in stunt coordinators Simon Crane and Wade Eastwood, and special effects gurus John Frazier and Jim Schwalm. Crane and Eastwood supervised the details of the flying sequences as well as overseeing their customary fight scenes and chase sequences. Unlike many action movies, they were called upon to come up with less than graceful moves for the main character. "It’s not like Superman or Spider-Man ™, where we would plan a nice, stylistic landing," says Eastwood ("Jumper" & "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"). "We’d have to test and test to get an accurate landing where Hancock stumbles or falls down on his knees and has to balance himself before he can stand up, which means you have to program every point into your winch and counterweight and we’d simply have to rehearse over and over with Will. I’d always heard he was athletic and fun, and the reports weren’t wrong; he was a trouper." Smith recalls, "There were a couple of hairy days. Flying one hundred feet above the street at night and then free falling until a wire kicks in about two feet from the ground, all in about one and a half seconds, that drop was a real rush. It’s like being on a roller coaster without the coaster. Now that was aggressive!" "Although it may look fun, everything takes planning and preparation," says Crane ("Braveheart & "The World Is Not Enough"). "There’s a lot of pressure to get the stunts right in one go because if something goes wrong, well, you don’t get a second chance. That’s why we test and retest. You just never want to hurt someone. I would put my own son in one of our rigs." Synopsis

There are heroes, superheroes, and then there’s Hancock. As they say: With great power comes great responsibility. Doesn't everyone know that? Everyone it seems but Hancock. Disgruntled, conflicted, sarcastic, misunderstood, a lover of the booze, Hancock’s well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had enough after his latest effort which left the city with a repair and cleanup bill of nine million dollars. As grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they did to deserve this guy. But Hancock isn’t a man who cares what people think; until that fateful day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey. He sees only one way Hancock can redeem himself: Jail! At first Hancock resists. In jail, the unpopular superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all. And, the longer he's in jail, the higher the crime rate rises. It seems Embery was right. Sooner or later the City of Los Angeles will need him. Not the old Hancock. A new version. A real superhero.

The Verdict "Will Smith's new action packed film "Hancock", is a breath of fresh air. Most of us have grown up with squeaky clean, pristine superheroes, so it makes a welcome change to meet Hancock, a flawed, disgruntled, angst riddled superhero who doesn't give a damn about the consequences of his actions, as long as he gets the bad guys. Once again, Smith shows why he is one of, if not, Hollywoods biggest boxoffice drawcard. Three time Blockbuster Entertainment Award winner (1997, '98 & '99) Smith ensures that no matter what besets Hancock, audiences will give a damn. While Smith's character is the central theme to the storyline, and as such, is much of the focus, the film is not entirely his alone. Jason Batemam gives a super performance as Ray, a PR consultant who believes he can make a new man out of the disliked superhero, as does Oscar ® winner Charlize Theron whose performance in "Hancock", is equal to those she produced in both "North Country" and "In the Valley of Elah". Rounding out the main cast are youngster Jae Head and, British actor Eddie Marsan as Red. Huge stunts, great CGI & SFX, action galore and unexpected revelations all meld into a neat ninety two minutes of outrageous fun. Stay for a 'surprise' segment during the closing credits. A hoot! 4 STARS." Crew Bytes "HANCOCK" was .......
directed by Peter Berg ["Welcome To The Jungle" and "The Kingdom"]; set decoration by Rosemary Brandenburg ["Amistad", "Cast Away", "The Island" and "Transformers"]; costume design by 2001 Saturn Award winner Louise Mingenbach ["The Usual Suspects", "K-PAX", "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Superman Returns"]; production design by Neil Spisak ["Pacific Heights", "Face/Off", "Spider-Man", "Spider-Man 2" and "Spider-Man 3"]; edited by Colby Parker Jr ["Friday Night Lights", "The Reaping" and "The Kingdom"] and Paul Rubell ["The Insider", "S1m0ne", "The Island" and "Transformers"]; cinematography by Tobias A Schliessler ["Welcome To The Jungle", "Friday Night Lights" and "Dreamgirls"]; original music by nine time ASCAP Award winner John Powell ["Antz", "Shrek", "Robots", "Ice Age: The Meltdown", "Happy Feet", "Horton Hears a Who!" and "Kung Fu Panda"]. Who's Who?

Will Smith Charlize Theron Jason Bateman Jae Head Eddie Marsan David Mattey Maetrix Fitten Thomas Lennon Johnny Galecki Hayley Marie Norman Dorothy Cecchi Michelle Lemon Darrell Foster Liz Wicker Taylor Gilbert Gregg Daniel

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John Hancock Mary Ray Aaron Red Man Mountain Matrix Mike Jeremy Hottie Woman in Dive Bar Girl at Bus Bench Police Sergeant Female Cop Female Hostage Police Chief

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