Film File
Who wouldn"t like to see a superhero come to our rescue in times of trouble? Well, that depends. There are superheroes, and then there"s Hancock (Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility - it"s part of the traditional superhero code that everybody knows - everyone, that is, except Hancock. Disgruntled, sarcastic, and misunderstood, 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. When Mr H rides to the rescue, the cure can often be as painful as the problem. As a result of a number of rescues where the aftermath destruction outweighs the drama that prompted it, John Q Public in Los Angeles has finally had enough and wishes Hancock would fly away to ply his trade somewhere else. But Hancock isn"t a man who cares what people think, until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman) and the unpopular superhero begins to realize that he may have a vulnerable side after all. In Hollywood, it's an industry norm that summer movies are about action and that autumn movies are about character. In the case of Hancock, the filmmakers decided to turn this long-standing premise on its head by taking a dramatic September-style story rich in character and setting it within the arena of your average July blockbuster with all its accepted special effect bells and whistles. Rather than focus on how Hancock got his powers or chooses to use them, the story presents him as a universal figure 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. Hancock is complicated - the kind of hero who wakes up every day mad at the world. A man with super powers who"s lost his reason for living - a hero who can be bothered save another toppling skyscraper. Just when it looks like Hancock will ride off into his own disgruntled sunset never again to save the world, along comes Ray Embrey, a PR executive who slowly shows the reluctant hero the true meaning of teamwork and using what you have to make the world a better place. Given that Will Smith is the figure in question, forget any notions that this is just another mawkish and syrupy Hollywood-by-the-numbers type screenplay - Hancock doesn"t see the error of his ways for quite some time, and laughs, along the way. Charlize Theron, as Embrey"s wife, doesn"t see Hancock as a superhero who could do better - just another mixed-up man with magic powers gone wrong. As her husband attempts to help Hancock rediscover the joy of family life, his wife tries to keep him firmly at arm"s length - just as most of us would with a hero who looks like a bum. With Will Smith in the title role, it"s a safe bet that Hancock will become one of the early front-runners in the summer cinema sweepstakes. Bringing that easy going, self deprecating air that"s characterised so much of his output in the past, his heavy drinking and downright ill-mannered Hancock becomes a thing of peculiar beauty - and just the kind of flawed superhero the kids will love. Director Peter Berg wisely lets Smith have central focus, with Bateman and Theron there mainly as mild second-string players feeding him the right lines between action sequences. Hancock is a decent antidote to the gloom of an Irish summer, just enough laughs to make us forget our troubles with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. Journey To The Centre Of The Earth This classic story, adapted for the umpteenth time, revolves around scientist Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser), his nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) and their Icelandic mountain guide Hannah (Anita Briem). When the trio stumble upon a volcanic passage that sends them plummeting to the centre of the Earth, they discover an extraordinary world of lush jungles and prehistoric creatures as described in the original Jules Verne novel. Taking in the staggering sights and sounds of this unchartered land, they soon learn that it is a place fraught with peril where Trevor"s speciality in the field of plate tectonics, the geology that links movements of the Earth"s crust with earthquakes, will come in mighty useful as the plot unfolds. As with Will Smith in the previous film, Brendan Fraser is an actor who knows his audience, and his limitations. In films from George of the Jungle and The Mummy, this likeable hero generally plays to his strengths - especially combining humour and action in a manner that"s rarely seen any film of his lose money. With some exceptional special effects work and the panorama of the land of Fire and Ice, this is one Journey that will work well with both kids and adults. Built on the theme park format which worked so very well with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, this looks spectacular and will generate more than a few squeals of delight and awe from the youngsters. One of the plot"s drawbacks is how long it takes to get the action burning - a little less geological information wouldn"t have troubled any of us. That said, this is a pleasant and engaging Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and ticks all the right boxes for another well finished summer entertainment.