It’s interesting to think about Will Smith’s career both pre “the slap,” and post-the slap. Pre-the slap, a movie like Hancock seemed a little odd and against type for the actor. Will Smith as a reckless, maligned superhero? That’s not the Will Smith I know. The farthest I could give you for a profane Will Smith was the Bad Boys movies.
However, post-the slap, Hancock feels a lot different now. And, in many ways, better. Because that was the thing about Hancock – it didn’t quite feel right when it debuted back in 2008. Smith had a much cleaner image back then, and it almost felt like it didn’t fit him as an actor. Now, it almost feels on-brand.
But, there’s more to it than just that, and a number of reasons why I think Hancock is a lot better than people give it credit for. Here are those reasons.
First Off, I Think Will Smith Handles The Character Well
There’s something off about Hancock the very first time you meet him. He can fly, but he swerves because he’s drunk. He can save the day, but that’s only if he wants to. In every way, Hancock is not the kind of hero that you’d want living in your city, and most of the Los Angeles denizens just want him to go away. So, in every way, he’s shunned.
Flash forward to 2022, and we very much see a Will Smith who people are also shunning (for obvious reasons). In fact, in a scene where Hancock literally destroys a train, everybody around him is yelling at him, telling him what he should have done rather than what he did do. Sound familiar?
I’d be lying if Hancock didn’t feel like a totally different movie now in 2025, but it does. And, the thing is, even back in 2008, Will Smith was still really good in the role. Hancock is an amnesiac, and a tortured one at that. He feigns that he doesn’t care that everybody hates him, but you can tell that he wears sunglasses not just because the light hurts his eyes from an all-night bender, but because he doesn’t want people to see how pained he is.
And, this becomes evident once Hancock decides to use his powers for good. Because Hancock is a tale of two Wills–one who does bad, and one who wants to do better. Again, it does kind of feel like this movie was quite prescient in regards to his later career.
The Big Twist Isn’t Terrible If You Know It’s Coming
Okay, so here’s the thing. A lot of people will tell you that Hancock was a good movie…until the twist. And, yes, I will agree with you. The movie definitely felt a lot stronger upon my first viewing when I didn’t know that twist was going to happen.
That twist, of course, being that Hancock’s new friend’s wife, Mary (Charlize Theron) is actually Hancock’s ex-wife, and that she has superpowers, too. Not only that, but the closer they are together, the weaker they become, which means that they could die if they were to pair up again. And, yeah…that is kind of weird. That said, it’s not so bad when you actually know it’s coming.
Now look, I’m not going to say that this is one of the best plot twists I’ve ever seen. Nor will I say it’s one of the worst (though some might disagree). That said, when you know it’s coming, you can brace for it, and it really isn’t the worst in the world. What I will say is that it does drastically change the movie from something that was pretty cool, to something that is…different.
However, when you’re ready for that twist to come, and you know where the movie’s heading, I actually think the film is a lot better than you might have remembered it, which I’ll get into in my next point.
In Fact, The Action After The Twist Is Actually Pretty Cool
Now, as I mentioned earlier, Hancock, before the reveal, and after the reveal are two completely different movies. Before the reveal, Hancock is overpowered, and you almost get a sense that this is a movie about a bored god living amongst men. However, after we find out that there is another superpowered being, it turns into a more conventional superhero film, one with arch enemies and everything.
At first, I was not a fan of this. I was really digging the character development, as early on, Hancock feels more like Dr. Manhattan than the Man of Steel, what with his nihilistic viewpoints on existence. But once we learn that Mary is also superpowered, the battles become pretty cool.
Characters are thrown through walls, knocked onto roads, and lightning and tornadoes become a part of the fights. And, I understand why some people hate this. The tonal shift is really abrupt, and if you only watched the movie once, then you’ll likely only remember it for that screeching halt of the plot and the pivot into a totally different direction.
Even so, now that I know it’s coming, I kind of relish the big action set pieces and the way the story flows. Honestly, if you think of the film as two separate halves, it’s actually pretty interesting. Watch it again if you don’t believe me.
Jason Bateman’s Everyman Character Really Works For This Film
Depending on your age, you probably came across Jason Bateman at different times in his career. If you’re old (like me), then you might have first seen him on the show Silver Spoons, or perhaps in the movie Teen Wolf Too. If you’re a bit younger, your introduction to him might have been Arrested Development or Horrible Bosses.
Or, maybe you’re just getting to know him as “Bateman” in the State Farm commercials. Whatever your introduction to Bateman is (Unless it’s Ozark), you most likely see him as a kind, down-to-earth man who is sometimes a little absent-minded. Which is why he’s so good in Hancock.
That’s because nobody plays the everyman like Bateman. And, as the man who tries to clean up Hancock’s image, pushing him toward heroism, he often steals the film.
Because as much as we want Hancock to succeed, we really want Bateman’s character, Ray Embry, to succeed. He’s a PR consultant, and he never seems to get down or upset in the film. He also makes everything seem to make sense in the plot, even when superpowered beings are duking it out in the middle of the city. Honestly, if not for Bateman, I think a lot of this film would fall apart, as he’s the connective glue that holds it all together. And, he does it all with a smile.
Overall, Hancock Is A Pretty Cool Superhero Movie That’s Better Upon A Rewatch
So, is Hancock a great movie? No. I never said that. However, is Hancock a bad movie? Not at all. And, like I’ve said before, it’s much better a second or third time when you watch it and you’re expecting that twist.
It’s also a great superhero film. I know Smith would later go on to play Deadshot in Suicide Squad, and of course Agent J in three out of the four Men in Black movies, but Hancock definitely feels like the Will Smith superhero film, which is strange, given how you’d think he would have done a lot more in his lengthy career.
Even so, Hancock is pretty cool, and I implore you to watch it again. You’ll probably like it this time around.