Uncle Northcott’s Movie Reviews

Whats the deal with schizophrenic movies these days? First Get Smart now Hancock. Will Smith plays the title character who is an angry, boozy misfit of a superhero. Whenever he comes to the rescue theres so much animosity and collateral damage that society hates him. One day The Fresh Prince, err I mean Hancock saves a P.R guy, (the great Jason Bateman) from a train/car wreck. To pay Hancock back, he tries to help him with his tattered image. Hancock has warrants so to get in the publics good graces he goes to anger and alcohol counselling while in jail. Soon the city needs him to foil a bank robbery, so he’s now seen the light to a better world. About now theres a huge plot twist that throws the movie in a whole new, less interesting diretion. I wont spoil the twist, but the movies tone changes abruptly from a meditative look at loneliness to some frantic effects and learning about your place in the world. The first 1/2 is the best part, and besides I’ve often wondered about peoples reaction to superheros killing innocent people and doing millions in damages just to catch 1 bad guy. Hancock is only 90 Minutes long but briskly paced and not bad after a promising start. Maybe a 6 1/2 on a scale of 11. This is the fifth number 1 July Forth film for Will Smith after two Men In Blacks, I Am Legend and Wild, Wild West. The Man’s big bank every summer. D.V.D of the week: Zodiac. Excellent, if a tad overlong, movie about the hunt for the late 1960s murderer. No extras on the single disc but some good background stuff on the 2 disc edition. Next: Either Hellboy or 3D Center of the Earth. I’m a sucker for 3D.