When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing<\/p>\n It\u2019s interesting to think about Will Smith\u2019s career both pre \u201cthe slap,\u201d <\/a>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\u2019s not the Will Smith I know. The farthest I could give you for a profane Will Smith was the Bad Boys movies<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, post-the slap, Hancock feels a lot different now. And, in many ways, better. Because that was the thing about Hancock \u2013 it didn\u2019t quite feel right when it debuted back in 2008. Smith had a much cleaner image back then, and it almost felt like it didn\u2019t fit him as an actor. Now, it almost feels on-brand.<\/p>\n But, there\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing<\/p>\n There\u2019s something off about Hancock the very first time you meet him. He can fly, but he swerves because he\u2019s drunk. He can save the day, but that\u2019s only if he wants to. In every way, Hancock is not the kind of hero that you\u2019d want living in your city, and most of the Los Angeles denizens just want him to go away. So, in every way, he\u2019s shunned.<\/p>\n Flash forward to 2022, and we very much see a Will Smith who people are also shunning (for obvious reasons)<\/a>. In fact, in a scene where Hancock literally destroys a train<\/a>, everybody around him is yelling at him, telling him what he should have done rather than what he did do. Sound familiar?<\/p>\n I\u2019d be lying if Hancock didn\u2019t 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\u2019t 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\u2019t want people to see how pained he is.<\/p>\n And, this becomes evident once Hancock decides to use his powers for good. Because Hancock is a tale of two Wills\u2013one 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.<\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing<\/p>\n Okay, so here\u2019s the thing. A lot of people will tell you that Hancock was a good movie\u2026until the twist. And, yes, I will agree with you. The movie definitely felt a lot stronger upon my first viewing when I didn\u2019t know that twist was going to happen.<\/p>\n That twist, of course, being that Hancock\u2019s new friend\u2019s wife, Mary (Charlize Theron) is actually Hancock\u2019s 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\u2026that is kind of weird. That said, it\u2019s not so bad when you actually know it\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n Now look, I\u2019m not going to say that this is one of the best plot twists<\/a> I\u2019ve ever seen. Nor will I say it\u2019s one of the worst (though some might disagree)<\/a>. That said, when you know it\u2019s coming, you can brace for it, and it really isn\u2019t 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\u2026different.<\/p>\n However, when you\u2019re ready for that twist to come, and you know where the movie\u2019s heading, I actually think the film is a lot better than you might have remembered it, which I\u2019ll get into in my next point.<\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, what with his nihilistic viewpoints on existence. But once we learn that Mary is also superpowered, the battles become pretty cool<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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\u2019ll likely only remember it for that screeching halt of the plot and the pivot into a totally different direction.<\/p>\n Even so, now that I know it\u2019s 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\u2019s actually pretty interesting. Watch it again if you don\u2019t believe me.<\/p>\n Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing<\/p>\n Depending on your age, you probably came across Jason Bateman at different times in his career. If you\u2019re 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\u2019re a bit younger, your introduction to him might have been Arrested Development or Horrible Bosses.<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
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First Off, I Think Will Smith Handles The Character Well<\/h2>\n
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The Big Twist Isn’t Terrible If You Know It’s Coming<\/h2>\n
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In Fact, The Action After The Twist Is Actually Pretty Cool<\/h2>\n
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Jason Bateman’s Everyman Character Really Works For This Film<\/h2>\n