Saturday, June 21, 2008
Tonight He Comes
I just scored a pass for an advance screening of Hancock, and I have to admit- I'm pretty stoked. I'd written Will Smith off after Men in Black: 2 (and let's not forget the humorless, cinematic dirty bomb known as "Bad Boys 2), but the one, two punch combination of "I Am Legend," and now, "Hancock," have forced me to reclaim my seat aboard the Fresh Prince Band Wagon.
Granted, "I Am Legend" wasn't perfect- it completely ignored the ending in Matheson's novel, which made me wonder why they even bothered keeping the title- but Smith's performance was amazing. For the first time in years, he was acting, instead of blurting out weak one-liners and cashing a paycheck.
I know test audiences haven't been very kind to "Hancock," but I'm not sure if the people at the screenings even understood what kind of film they were about to see. The trailers make the movie out to be a broad, FX-laden action/ comedy, but- unless the script has been completely overhauled- it's actually a pretty dark, cynical take on the whole superhero genre.
Granted, "I Am Legend" wasn't perfect- it completely ignored the ending in Matheson's novel, which made me wonder why they even bothered keeping the title- but Smith's performance was amazing. For the first time in years, he was acting, instead of blurting out weak one-liners and cashing a paycheck.
I know test audiences haven't been very kind to "Hancock," but I'm not sure if the people at the screenings even understood what kind of film they were about to see. The trailers make the movie out to be a broad, FX-laden action/ comedy, but- unless the script has been completely overhauled- it's actually a pretty dark, cynical take on the whole superhero genre.
