Blu-ray Review: Hancock (Unrated Special Edition)

Release Date: November 25th, 2008
Running Time: 102 minutes

The Film

Hancock was a mystery to me. When it was first advertised, it seemed like a comedy. Then the trailers changed and it appeared to be more action-oriented. It was a case where the film didn’t seem to know what its own tone was, so I skipped it in theatres. Honestly, I wish I hadn’t. Hancock is a flawed, but highly enjoyable, film that succeeds through an awesome concept and special effects, but tapers off in a muddled final act.

The film stars Will Smith as Hancock: a Superman-like superhero in Los Angeles, and only of his kind, who drinks all day and causes more damage than good when he thwarts evil. His attitude and image are so piss poor that the people no longer want him helping. One day he saves the life of a PR guru named Ray (Jason Bateman) who then sees an angry crowd berate Hancock for his sloppiness. He makes it his personal mission to fix Hancock’s image and make him the superhero the world deserves. Meanwhile, Ray’s wife Mary (Charlize Theron) wants nothing more than for the train wreck that is Hancock to stay away from her family.

When a warrant is issued for Hancock’s arrest based off the massive amount of public damage he has caused, Ray suggests that he turn himself in and serve his sentence to show that he accepts responsibility for his actions and wants to change. Ray’s plan is that while Hancock is gone, crime will rise and the people will call for Hancock’s help. This will provide him with the chance he needs to redefine himself and be a better superhero. People are skeptical about Hancock, but soon enough crime spikes and they want their superhero back. Hancock is released, improved and embraced, but hidden secrets surface regarding his family and origins, threatening to knock down everything he has worked so hard to gain.

Hancock is an unique look at the anti-superhero. It has an awesome first hour or so that provides an incredible set up. Basically it asks, what if Superman was a jerk? How do you take that person and make him care about his calling? What the story lacks, however, is a solid villain, a foil for Hancock. Once he gets out of jail the story feels disjointed. It has a climax, but one that is far different from what you would expect from a story on this scale.

The film did well at the box office, but I believe it could have been a tremendous hit had it come out any other summer. The summer of 2008 saw the release of Iron Man, The Dark Knight, and Hellboy 2–three established comic icons. With so many well-known heroes kicking butt over a short amount of time, it is no surprise that a new superhero couldn’t compete. Still, Hancock is a fun ride made all the more enjoyable through Smith’s performance. He plays this one straight, giving tons of depth to Hancock. Bateman and Theron also turn in fantastic performances; it just wasn’t enough when Ironman and Batman are looming over you.

The Theatrical and Unrated cuts are offered. I did not see the film in theatres, but I am guessing a few f-bombs and more colorful lines of dialogue were excised.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.40:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. The level of detail is exactly what you would expect from a big budget film, namely pristine. You can see nuances in the backgrounds, characters, clothing—everything. However, the shaky cam use can prevent the film from achieving the best possible focus in a lot of the action. Colors are good, but some appear more vibrant than others, throwing off the balance. Black levels are strong, and the print itself is free of blemishes. Compression artifacts and video noise are non-issues. The transfer is everything you’d want from a huge studio project, but like the film itself, it lacks the last bit of refinement that would have made it reference quality.

The audio is offered in English/French Dolgy Digital True HD 5.1 Surround Sound, as well as Spanish/Portuguese/Thai Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with Engish/French/Spanish/Portuguese/Chinese/Korean/Thai/Indonesian subtitles. Again, the quality is very impressive, but it falls just short of reference quality. Panning effects are abundant and active throughout. Atmosphere is fully realized through the rear speakers. A broad dynamic range is shown off whenever Hancock uses his powers, especially when he takes off or lands. The huge set pieces create fully realized, engrossing audio experiences full of distinct, detailed sound elements. Dialogue remains balanced throughout.

The Extras

The “On Set Visual Diary” offers picture-in-picture behind-the-scenes footage. It is presented in fly-on-the-wall style where the footage plays to complement and provide making-of info for what you are watching, but lacks any narration to tie it together.

7 featurettes make up the bulk of the special features.

“Suiting Up” is an 8-minute look at the design of the superhero costumes.

“Superhumans: The Making of Hancock” is a 12-minute promotional piece that covers almost nothing with the exception of the origins of the project.

“Seeing the Future” (15 minutes) is a series of 8 pre-visualization sequences for the film’s action sequences.

“Home Life” is an 11-minute look at the Embrey house that was entirely built from the ground up. It focuses on some of the production design details, as well as why a location could not be used.

“Building a Better Hero” is an 8-minute look at the CGI effects. “Bumps and Bruises” (10 minutes) complements the previous featurette by focusing on the practical stunts that were used when CGI was not employed.

Lastly, “Mere Mortals: Behind the Scenes with Dirty Pete” is a 4-minute piece on Director Peter Berg and his…unique…directing.

The set finishes off with Previews and a Digital Copy of the film.

Final Thoughts

Hancock isn’t the best superhero film out there, but with the current competition most original superhero films would run into similar problems. The strong cast and unique story are more than enough reasons to rent the film. Who knows, you may even end up adding Hancock to your superhero film collection—I did.