Hancock

[mckitterick]

Have you seen Will Smith's recent movie, Hancock? Also starring Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman.

Just finished watching it and the special features, and I have to say it was fantastic! I have no idea why it didn't do well in the theater or why I haven't been able to talk any of my friends into watching it with me. It made me laugh out loud long enough that I had to rewind, cry and smile and think and feel in so many ways. A fantastic movie, can't recommend it enough - though I suspect you need to care about superheroes and humans and superhumans enough to understand the themes.

Go see (rather, rent or buy) Hancock!

One of these days, when I have the car up and running perhaps, I'll make another progress post on the Newport. Worked on it all day and will do the same tomorrow. Suffice to say that I've been documenting the build and will have a few tutorials on my website for others who are rebuilding their Mopar big-blocks. Tomorrow, I install the heads. Getting exciting!

Chris

Comments

[victoria-lane.livejournal.com]

I loved it. It was a fun movie.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Fun and moving! I really hadn't expected the latter.

[siro-gravity.livejournal.com]

i just added it to my netflix queue, and it is available as an instant play, so i'll see it this week and give you my full report!
:D

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Enjoy!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Whoah, spoiler alert! Screening....

[orin2.livejournal.com]

Sorry. I figured it has been out so long everyone who wanted to see it has.

[mcchambers.livejournal.com]

I've seen it a couple of times - my kids (superheroes all) especially like it

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Hee hee! Go, superhero kids, go!

I'm curious what kids get out of it, though....

[mcchambers.livejournal.com]

Besides the humorous special effects, my nine year old liked the way the bad guy got what was coming to him, and liked the way the hero found a place for himself at the end -

[verminiusrex.livejournal.com]

I think since it was a one-off movie and didn't appear to be destined for sequels the studio didn't pimp it as hard as they do the superhero franchises.

I enjoyed it too, but after awhile I think all the superhero movies start to look way too much alike.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think you're right about the studio not doing its job to pimp it. But, well, I'd say this one didn't feel like other superhero movies. Just sayin'.

[purpledumbass.livejournal.com]

Notty and I enjoyed this one too. We had heard similar comments to orin2 (not quite as spoiler-laden though), but we disagree with this assessment. I think the beginning part is funny in a schadenfreude manner, but you're asking all of the questions of "why is he such a bum?" and "why is he so self-destructive?" Then, in the last third of the movie, they answer that for you.

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

Well said, I was going to reply, almost exactly that.

[purpledumbass.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you agree with me, considering our discussion about the movie afterwards...

Also, as you pointed out, Jason Bateman's character adds a lot to it.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Hancock was pretty unlikable until he finds a foil to play against - someone who actually likes him. He needed a Ray to succeed, though ironically that relationship almost destroys him....

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! This is why I thought it was such a good movie and why it's so powerful, because his little sketches and absolute-bottom let us know that we'll get at least an inkling into his problems. I didn't laugh so much at the schadenfreude moments as the points at which Hancock and Ray interact.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

I did, and I agree--we'd heard mixed reviews but we really enjoyed it. I think the reason it didn't do well is because it looked like a superhero movie but it really wasn't, just like Watchmen really wasn't--it was a dramatic story about a man finding himself and his way in the world that just happened to be cloaked in superhero imagery and tropes.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd heard those mixed reviews, too, but picked it up anyway. I like your take on it:

it looked like a superhero movie but it really wasn't, just like Watchmen really wasn't--it was a dramatic story about a man finding himself and his way in the world

Absolutely.

[sf-reader.livejournal.com]

I think it was hurt by its trailers.

[geekmom.livejournal.com]

Agreed. The trailers mostly showed angry drunken Hancock, and who wants to see 2 hours of mean angry drunken guy?

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

It's as if they tried to kill it.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

The trailers kept me from going to see it! And I'm the target audience. Geez.

[bondo-ba.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you an the Hancock thing. The scene in the jail was completely brilliant, and had me laughing two days later.

As for the Newport, I, for one, would love to see more updates. As someone who is currently in the middle of a long restoration of a pre-war Mercedes, I understand a lot of what you're feeling. I'm also getting close, so close I can tasste it!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I know! Just thinking about some of the scenes has me grinning.

I'll do more updates for sure; I've been taking photos! It's just time-consuming to do the write-ups. How's your restoration going?

[bondo-ba.livejournal.com]

Well, first the mechanic got thrown out of his premises, then the next mechanic died and some of my parts got lost...

Hopefully on the home stretch now, though. The semi-structural timber is nearly all done, and the car is, for the first time since disassembly, in one piece.

[chernobylred.livejournal.com]

After reading the comments by PDA and gryphonrose, I wouldn't mind watching it, if you wanna watch it again sometime!

I mostly didn't want to watch it because I didn't want to watch Will Smith play an asshole. =/

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

PDA and I were wondering what you thought of it/ if you had seen it. I'm hoping you'd like it too. (It so does not "ruin" Will)

[chernobylred.livejournal.com]

PDA and I were wondering what you thought of it/ if you had seen it.

Nah, I went to sleep at 9:00 last night! =D

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

Hope you finally got some good sleep!

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Right, he is so likable that he can pull off this character. Many actors would have ruined it.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy to watch it again - it needs a proper showing with friends (and whiskey).

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

Will Smith is my favorite, and I loved the first half. But the last half sucked due to storytelling FAIL. :p Which is why I can't recommend it, and why I don't think it did well. It was two different movies.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Oh, geez, I totally disagree! As PDA says, the first half sets up the questions answered in the second half. I thought it was excellent storytelling!

Were it not for spoiler-danger, I'd love to hear why you felt this way. Hm, maybe we could just screen the conversation....

[tessagratton.livejournal.com]

We can email! Or have it in person.

Basically, without getting into spoilers, I thought the answers offered in the second half of the movie were cheap, lazy, and cliche-laden. :D

[orin2.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you.

[xjenavivex.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed it.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

See purpledumbass's comments, above. Also, screening due to spoilers!

[ryltar.livejournal.com]

I had been thinking about renting it, so I now will.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Enjoy!

[theoneinblue.livejournal.com]

I loved the concept, and thought it had a lot of potential - I just wish that the back story had been fleshed out more...the movie ended, and I was still hungry to know more about these two who are the last (?) of their kind...but definitely not your average superhero movie.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

One could argue that a good writer always leaves the audience wanting more....

[theoneinblue.livejournal.com]

lol - then these writers must have been REALLY good, because I was wanting A LOT more. ;)But I also think that my perception is still colored by the trailers - they did the movie a serious disservice.

[amjhawk.livejournal.com]

I actually did want to see it in theatres, because I thought the concept of a drunken bum superhero is awesome, and Jason Bateman is also awesome. (If you haven't watched Arrested Development, you need to.) Unfortunately, I convinced no friends to watch it with me, and I didn't actually see it until a couple weeks ago.

As to the movie itself, well, I loved the first 2/3 or so. But I felt that the last third became a bit too trite, and too stereotypical superhero-movie-ish, while not adequately exploring this amazing setup. While the revelations did explain the character to some extent, I felt that some revelations were too convenient in creating tension/danger, and that some of the conflicts were a bit overblown.

[justaqt.livejournal.com]

-shrug-
I just didn't want to see a "superman" with issues.
I like me my Kal-El all perfect like.

[robinbailey.livejournal.com]

I rather liked HANCOCK, but wasn't it released in the same summer season as both BATMAN RETURNS and IRON MAN? I think that in the eyes of both critics and audience it suffered in comparison.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I can't find the month, but I think you're right. That was some tough competition.

[roya-spirit.livejournal.com]

I loved it.
I also loved Seven Pounds, which got panned, and has nothing to do with superheroes, but lots to do with a heroic acts.

.. :checks imdb:
ooh! I Am Legend Prequel!