Hancock Review

I feel like throwing my toys out of the pram because I really don't want to review this. Firstly I don't want to review it because for once I'm going against mass critical consensus, i.e the majority think its shit, I think its good. 'But Owen aren't you supposed to be a renegade film reviewer with his own style, opinion and breathtaking wit ' Well, yeah, but I only pretend to hate everyone and pretend to want to be different. The main reason for not wanting to review this is the fact that I can't cocking say anything about this movie for fear of spoiling it and I really want people to like it.

Most people will now that this is THE Big Willie movie of the Summer. And everyone loves Big Willie (those that don't, I'm talking about Will Smith, y'know the artist formerly known as Fresh Prince). Most will know its about an alcoholic superhero who really can't be arsed with saving the world, who feels unappreciated and who would rather be left alone. Some might know that a PR exec played by Jason Bateman comes to clean up his image and turn him into something a bit more super. But apart from these facts (oh and that he's named Hancock) the rest of the plot has been better guarded than Michael Jacksons secret basement.

So thats it. I'm not telling you any more about the plot. Nothing about where Hancock came from, if there is a villain, if he has a Kryptonite style weakness. None of it. Which leaves me with a banal review which goes along the lines of this. Will Smith is excellent, as always, as the drunk belligerent would be superhero. Jason Bateman is perfect as the straight man with the heart of 24 carat helping him out. And Charlize is solid as the wife of Jason. There are complaints doing the rounds that the tone is all over the place but I'm fine with that so long as the movie surprises me.

And surprise me it did. Its not a straight out and out comedy, its not just another superhero film, and its not soaked in Casablanca style romance. Well okay it is a bit. But the parts all add up to something a little different. What that something is I still don't quite know. And this may be why I've been putting this review off for so long. All I do know is, its funny, at times quite heartfelt and as enjoyable as any other summer blockbuster I've seen this or any other year. Oh and its got Will Smith in it. Being an arsehole. Watch it for that if nothing else.