The promise is dangled yet never developed. Rather, the narrative slips into a backstory that alternates between confusing and contradictory.
Comment
07/01/08
Hancock (2008)
40
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:210
Fresh:84
Rotten:126
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: Though it begins with promise, Hancock suffers from a flimsy narrative and poor execution.
Theatrical Release:Jul 2, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $227,946,274
Synopsis: There are heroes… there are superheroes… and then there’s Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility – everyone knows that – everyone, that is, but Hancock. Edgy, conflicted,... [More]
Starring: Will Smith, Jason Bateman, Charlize Theron, Eddie Marsan
Director: Peter Berg
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Reviews for Hancock
The final third seems all shot in a strange blue light that makes even the gorgeous Theron look consumptive, and is, in a nutshell, no fun at all. Aren't Fourth of July movies supposed to be fun? No fireworks this time, Will.
07/01/08
It's the sort of role Smith ought to be able to pull off easily. But even his superpowers apparently have their limits.
07/01/08
Top CriticThere are many joys to be found in Hancock, not the least of which is Smith's effortless performance...
06/30/08
If you thought you were in for something light-hearted, prepare yourself for more superhero angst than Batman Begins and Hulk combined.
06/30/08
By the expedited conclusion it all feels less like a Peter Berg film and just another chapter in Will Smith's tentpole history of major creative failures.
06/30/08
The premise alone is worth the price of admission and the first hour is some of 2008's most intriguing cinema.
06/30/08
Hancock tries to be several things at once, but fails to be anything at all! I was hoping that this was going to be a fun take on the superhero genre, but instead it's easily the worst film of the summer!!!
06/30/08
Director Peter Berg mounts a special-effects extravaganza that's very boring indeed, and doesn't quite deafen us to the inadequacies of the script, while Smith pretends to be a grumpy git but, naturally, winds up begging us to love him.
06/30/08
For anyone who thinks Spider-Man 3 needed more superhero angst.
06/30/08
The filmmakers cannot resist embracing the conventions they were tweaking. Hancock turns from a moody, darkly funny character piece trimmed out with a bit of engaging action and veers into a poor impersonation of a standard superhero movie.
06/30/08
Top CriticHancock's light-hearted comedic elements sit uncomfortably next to its more 'adult' cussing and violence . . .
06/30/08
Hancock suggests new visual directions and emotional tonalities for pop. It’s by far the most enjoyable big movie of the summer.
06/30/08
Top CriticThe 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.
06/30/08
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06/30/08
Frenetic, forgettable and unfulfilling. Even Will Smith looks uncharacteristically uncomfortable.
06/29/08
A bunch of strange, vague ideas crammed into a movie with nowhere to go and absolutely nothing to show us.
06/29/08
I love surprises and would happily be led up the garden path with Will Smith, but there's a fatal flaw to Hancock, with alien-sized plot holes and worse still, characters behaving out of context.
06/28/08
A clumsily executed, forgettable mess that's too dark for kids, too dull for teens and too dumb for adults
06/28/08
Sheds essential exposition in a mad, foolish dash to the finish line.
06/28/08
Latest News for Hancock
December 01, 2009:
Don't Hold Your Breath for Hancock 2 
Yes, Will Smith and Peter Berg are game for a "Hancock" sequel -- and just as importantly, so is the studio -- but it looks like scheduling could keep it from happening for awhile. More...
September 11, 2009:
Will Smith and Charlize Theron on Board for Hancock Sequel
We've already heard that a "Hancock" sequel is in development; now Peter Berg tells MTV that "everybody's going to come back." More...
August 28, 2009:
Weekly Ketchup: Hancock Sequel Script Started, Bioshock Scaled Back
We are firmly in the dog days of Summer, as Hollywood sneaks a couple of end of the menu horror movies into theaters, and movie news this week came to a near standstill. There... More...
August 25, 2009:
Columbia Hires Hancock Sequel Scribes
Looks like Peter Berg's recent comments about a "Hancock" sequel weren't just idle speculation: Columbia has hired scribes Adam Fierro and Glen Mazzara to write the script for a... More...
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