Hancock is one of those films that you don’t see too often, a film that gives a new and modern twist to an already successful genre. In this case, Hancock gives us a different look at what seems to be an increasingly marketable franchise: the comic book movie. While Hancock is not based on a comic book, it is so rich with its unique character and complex storyline that you would think it is. Maybe that’s why Hancock is so interesting, it doesn’t really change the superhero formula, it merrily adds to it, in a way that makes it not only more up to date, but also more intriguing.

It’s starts off with our “hero” passed out on a bench. His name is just simply Hancock (Will Smith), and he is awoken by a kid who tells him that a car chase is on the news. Rather than leaping right away to save the day, Hancock yawns, stretches his neck, and takes a swig from his ever present bottle of whiskey. Rather than thanking the child for the useful information, Hancock tells him to go away and stop bothering him. The kid exits while mumbling the word “A**hole” under his breath. Hancock is called that a lot in this movie. Why? Because he is not like your typical superhero. He drinks, he swears, he destroys private property, and insults just about everybody who looks at him the wrong way. In fact, his super heroic deeds aren’t even that super; he often causes more damages than the criminals he’s trying to stop. The city hates him, the media hates him, he even hates himself. Everybody seems to be outraged by Hancock except for one person.

His name is Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman), and he likes Hancock because he saved him from getting hit by a train; true Hancock destroyed the train amounting to thousands of dollars in property damage, but Ray isn’t splitting hairs. Luckily, Ray also works in public relations, and offers Hancock a hand in helping him fix his increasingly unlikeable image. Though Ray’s wife (Charlize Theron) and Hancock himself are uncomfortable with the idea, the superhero agrees. Ray’s first bit of advice is odd but effective: he advices Hancock to go to prison. There’s been a warrant out for his arrest for some time, and Ray thinks that by going to prison it may help the people miss Hancock’s presence as well as heal his inner demons. Hancock unhappily agrees, praying that Ray knows what he’s talking about.

Within a few days, Ray’s plan starts to work. Crime goes through the roof and people start to realize that they took Hancock for granted. Meanwhile, Hancock works on fixing up his image and staying clear of alcohol. With crime getting worse and worse, Hancock is let out of jail early and allowed to fight crime once again, this time with a more positive image and even a snazzy new uniform (which kind of looks like a rejected X-Men jumpsuit). The people of course welcome their newly reformed superhero and praise him for all his good deeds. The people feel better, Ray feels better, but most of all, Hancock feels better.

This is usually where the movie would end, but surprisingly this is only the half way point. Hancock starts throwing in some exciting twists, turns, and background information that suddenly makes both the character and the movie a lot more interesting. Without giving away too much, Hancock finds another person that has the same abilities that he has. This person is the key to finding out who and what he is. For Hancock doesn’t really remember who he is, he woke up in a hospital a few years back with a fractured skull that damaged his memory, and now all his answers might be revealed if he can reason with this other person. But what makes this movie so great is that we don’t get all the answers. This film is smart enough to know that all we need to be satisfied is just a little information, not all of it. If we got no information, we would feel ripped off; if we got all the information, there would be nothing left to fill in. This movie gives us just enough to be satisfied but leaves us craving more. As much as I hate to say it, this is one of the few films I would like to see a sequel to, because it made me want to know more about the character’s struggle and his search for his past life.

The only downside to this movie is the ending. With a story that takes so many risks and chances, the ending is far too safe. There are still questions to be asked and answers to be found, but the film simply closes on your typical long shot of the superhero flying off into the sunset (or in this case, moonrise) while the music plays triumphantly in the background. That’s way too neat for a film like this and it really could have benefited from something more open and mysterious. But that’s a minor issue, Hancock is still very entertaining as well as engaging. Will Smith does a great job as the drunken but still affectionate hero and Jason Bateman is great as the peaceful straight man who just wants to make the world a better place. There’s more than enough talent on the screen to keep our interest.

So who will like it? Anyone who loves superhero movies, slightly dark humor, and explosion inducing action scenes. Kids will most likely enjoy it too, but be cautious, there are quite a few F-words and verbal obscenities, and the less I say about where he sticks the head of one of the jail cell mates, the better.

Who won’t like it? Anyone looking for a flat out comedy. While the film has its funny scenes, it’s mostly a very gritty and often violent film.

My thoughts? In a time where most superheroes have a majority a good virtues and very few bad ones, it’s nice to see a superhero that has a majority of bad virtues and very few good ones. It makes the character more interesting and intriguing, and for us, we want to see the hero fulfill his good virtues and find the path that will ultimately lead to his true calling. Hancock is fun, different, and smarter than it looks. It’s a true delight for anyone who enjoys the epic nature of the increasingly popular superhero drama.

Douglas Darien is a featured writer for Xomba.com. Check out the rest of his work on Xomba here and his website http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com.