Hancock (film)

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Movie
German title Hancock
Original title Hancock
Logo Hancock.jpg
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2008
length Theatrical version:
92 minutes
Extended version:
102 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
JMK 12
Rod
Director Peter Berg
script Vince Gilligan
Vincent Ngo
production Akiva Goldsman
James Lassiter
Michael Mann
Will Smith
music John Powell
camera Tobias A. Schliessler
cut Paul Rubell
Colby Parker Junior
occupation

Hancock is a 2008 superhero film starring Will Smith , Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron and directed by Peter Berg .

The script was written by Vincent Ngo in 1996 and was ignored in Hollywood for a long time. The shooting of the film was offered to various directors, such as Tony Scott , Michael Mann , Jonathan Mostow or Gabriele Muccino . Finally, Peter Berg shot Hancock in Los Angeles . The world premiere of Hancock was on June 16, 2008 at the 30th Moscow International Film Festival , where it was shown as the opening film. The start date for German cinemas was July 3, 2008.

action

John Hancock is a super powered Los Angeles resident . His powers include invulnerability, an almost limitless physical strength, the ability to fly at very high speeds and potential immortality. In contrast to the classic superhero, he doesn't get along with his role: He either lives in a shabby caravan in the middle of the desert or as a homeless person on a park bench, is constantly drunk and reacts irritably and unmotivated as soon as he is supposed to go on the hunt for criminals. During his missions he regularly causes extensive collateral damage , which is why the population increasingly opposes him and Hancock in return insults them at every opportunity. After a gangster hunt caused millions of dollars in property damage at the beginning of the film, the media and the public repeatedly demand that he disappear from the city and that he go to jail.

Ray Embrey is a freelance public relations consultant and seeks to do his part to make the world a better place by creating a global humanitarian campaign that is hardly taken seriously by his clients. When, after an unsuccessful presentation of his unconventional concept at a financially strong corporation, he is frustrated in a traffic jam on the way home , his car is in the middle of the train tracks when the barriers close - and the driver's door jams. Hancock stops the approaching freight train, with numerous wagons derailing, stacking on top of each other and seriously damaging the locomotive. His sub-optimal approach is condemned by the crowd in the usual way. Only Ray thanks Hancock for saving his life and invites him to his home for dinner, much to the displeasure of his wife Mary. Ray finally offers Hancock to advise him and improve his image.

After some deliberation, Hancock decides to give it a try, and Ray immediately discovers the perfect way to portray Hancock as a law-abiding citizen: He should voluntarily serve a prison sentence and thereby atone for the property damage he has caused. So far, Hancock had simply ignored various arrest warrants because he could not be arrested because of his superpowers. Now he wants to take part in anti-aggression training and alcohol withdrawal at the same time . Ray speculates that while Hancock is in custody, crime will rise in Los Angeles and that Hancock will be asked to intervene again.

Ray gives Hancock lessons in prison on how to behave as a superhero, such as not leaving craters on arrival and departure, and treating the hard work of the mortal and vulnerable forces with appreciation. Hancock should also wear a kind of "superhero costume" in the future. In fact, crime in Los Angeles rises sharply after just a few days in prison. Shortly afterwards, the police chief asks him for help in an armed robbery of a bank. Arriving at the bank in his new costume, he rescues a policewoman from the hail of bullets, thanks the emergency services for their good work after a successful mission and frees the hostages threatened with explosive belts by severing the hand of the leader of the group that is holding the remote detonator.

Ray, Mary and Hancock go out for dinner. Hancock tells Ray that he woke up in a Miami hospital 80 years ago and has had retrograde amnesia ever since . All he had with him was chewing gum and two cinema tickets to the film Frankenstein . On some boxes it said John Hancock Corporation, which is why it was named John Hancock . Hancock suffers from the fact that no one has ever looked for him. After Hancock carried the drunk Ray to bed later that evening, he kisses Mary in the kitchen, who then, furious, throws him through a house wall with a physical strength similar to that of Hancock herself - and thus reveals the previous secret of her true nature . Hancock wants to force the hesitant Mary to tell him something about his identity and his powers, since she undoubtedly has knowledge of them, and in return promises her not to tell Ray anything about her powers.

The next day he learns that he and she are old god-like beings and the last of their kind. Hancock is not yet satisfied with the information - especially since Mary claims they are like brother and sister, which he does not believe because of the kiss. He declares the agreement to have failed and the meeting of the two superheroes in Hancock's house ends in a heated argument. This escalates into a ferocious superpowered battle in which both heroes remain unscathed despite the significant devastation the battle and tornadoes cause. Mary inevitably reveals that she and Hancock are practically married. Such beings have always existed in pairs for millennia.

Hancock is very depressed again because he has not learned everything that is important to him and wants to drink large amounts of alcohol again. In the liquor store he happens to be involved in a robbery, hit by revolver bullets and, to his surprise, actually wounded. He is being admitted to a hospital. Mary tells him there that this also happened to the other superheroes: They fell in love, lost their superpowers, became human. This has happened to the two of them many times over a period of more than 3,000 years, and each time Hancock rescued Mary and left her with scars that can still be seen in the present. The last time he rescued her 80 years ago, when she was attacked after going to the cinema, was seriously injured. Mary then moved away from Hancock, which, apart from the amnesia, allowed his wounds to heal quickly.

Meanwhile, three criminals, including the leader of the bank robbery that Hancock foiled, have entered the hospital, who brought Hancock to prison and who seek revenge. You wound Mary and Hancock badly. After Hancock defeats two of them, the leader stretches Hancock to the ground and wants to kill him. Suddenly, however, Ray appears from the background and chops off the leader's other hand. Hancock then prevents Mary's death by jumping out of the hospital with the last of his strength and laboriously flying away.

A month later, Mary has fully recovered and is walking through Los Angeles with Ray and his son. You receive a call from Hancock, who now lives in New York City . As a thank you to Ray, Hancock put his non-profit PR logo on the moon . In the final scene, he appears again as a superhero who enjoys hunting criminals again.

production

Screenwriter Vincent Ngo wrote the screenplay Tonight, He Comes , on which Hancock is based, back in 1996. It was not a commissioned work, it was intended for sale on the open market. His draft, which is about a disturbed twelve-year-old and a disgraced superhero, was initially picked up by director Tony Scott as a potential project. Producer Akiva Goldsman also came across Ngo's script, which he was considering as a candidate for a film, and he encouraged Richard Saperstein, then President of Artisan Entertainment's production and development department , to purchase it. At first, director Michael Mann was offered to direct the film but instead chose to direct Miami Vice . Eventually Artisan Entertainment dropped the project and offered it to other studios for purchase, whereupon Goldsman acquired it. Goldsman had Vince Gilligan rewrite Ngo's script and offered Jonathan Mostow to direct the film. Under Mostow's direction, a ten-page script was written and sent to Will Smith, who was to take on the lead role, as Mostow and Smith had already worked together in Hitch in 2005 . Mostow and Smith were not signed immediately so that the project would not be prioritized. Several studios offered Goldsman to fund the film, but Columbia Pictures ultimately succeeded in February 2005 in getting Goldsman to give them priority in funding the film. Then a second draft script was written by Gilligan, which sealed the conclusion of the financing agreement with Columbia. The film was originally planned to be released in theaters in the summer of 2006.

In November 2005, Jonathan Mostow and Will Smith committed to commence production of Tonight, He Comes in the summer of 2006 in Los Angeles. Will Smith had also prepared a "pay-or-play" deal with Warner Bros. , which stipulated that when Tonight was completed, he would play He Comes in I Am Legend . Mostow finally left the project due to "creative differences". Director Gabriele Muccino took over Mostow's post in May 2006. Since Muccino was busy editing his film The Pursuit of Happiness , which was due to be released in December 2006 and in which Smith played the leading role, Smith postponed the shoot and first shot I Am Legend , in order to be able to participate in Tonight, He Comes afterwards . As a result, Warner Bros. postponed the start of production to the summer of 2007, so that it was possible for them to start production of I Am Legend with Smith . Later, Muccino also left the project because he was unable to put the plot into action on film.

In October 2006, Peter Berg was hired to direct Tonight, He Comes , and production was scheduled to begin in May 2007 in Los Angeles, where it takes place. Before filming began in Los Angeles on July 3, 2007, Tonight, He Comes was renamed John Hancock . Part of the film was shot at Universal Studios , Hollywood in the summer of 2007 , and the film title was eventually shortened to Hancock .

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Hancock was composed and produced by John Powell .

No. title length
1 SUV chase 2:01
2 John, Meet Ray 2:04
3 Train disaster 2:39
4th Meatballs? 0:57
5 The trailer 2:01
6th French asshole 1:32
7th Superhero comix 0:43
8th You should go! 0:51
9 Mary Brings Meatball 1:35
10 Getting Therapy 2:18
11 To War 1:19
12 I Really Hate That Word 0:48
13 Standing ovation 1:06
14th The Kiss 2:19
15th Indestructible 2:05
16 Hollywood Blvd. 6:24
17th Mortal 5:27
18th Upon Us All 1:19
19th Death and Transfiguration 3:55
20th The Moon And The Superhero 3:12

reception

Reviews

Holger Kreitling from Die Welt describes the film as positive and humorous, while he praises Will Smith's “intelligent superhero modification”.

Daniel Kothenschulte from the Frankfurter Rundschau, however, draws a different conclusion. Despite the enjoyable beginning, the film seems “stuffy”, because “Hollywood wants a better, Frank Capra world in which heroic deeds are rewarded”. In addition, the film conveyed in the love story of Mary and Hancock "more romance than a genre parody can endure".

Peter Uhling from the Berliner Zeitung also thinks it's a shame that “this quite original social satire is over after an hour to give way to a dreary fantasy story”. Since the film ultimately boils down to the re-education and prehistory including the romance of Hancock, Will Smith's "game in the first half is peculiarly disinterested", since "the big sympathy show" has not yet started. Uhling's résumé describes the film as ultimately "rather unsuccessful".

Awards

  • 2008: Teen Choice Award - nomination in the category Choice Summer Movie: Action Adventure
  • 2009: Teen Choice Award - Won in the Choice Summer Movie: Action Adventure category

Financial success

In the US, the film dominated the box office on the opening weekend at $ 62.6 million. In total, the production grossed $ 228 million in the United States, plus $ 396 million in international rental income. Worldwide, Hancock grossed $ 625 million, while production costs were around $ 150 million.

In Germany, the strip, which started with 978 copies, was visited by around 1.2 million people on the opening weekend. Hancock thus placed itself at number one in the German cinema charts. In 2008 as a whole, the film was visited by over 3.9 million moviegoers in Germany, placing the film in fourth place on the annual cinema charts.

continuation

A sequel to Hancock has been under discussion since 2008 , again with Will Smith and Charlize Theron in the lead roles. In 2012, Berg said that a sequel was still being planned, but the timing was difficult.

background

Although the filmmakers needed a PG-13 rating to reach a wide audience, the Motion Picture Association of America rated the film twice as R-rated by April 2008 - meaning that young people under the age of 17 should only be accompanied by the film of a parent or adult. The filmmakers had to cut a scene depicting the sexual abuse of teenagers . Peter Berg stated: "The advertising campaign for this film is much friendlier than the film."

John Hancock was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence in the 18th century . In American English, John Hancock is therefore a synonym for "giving his signature", comparable to the German phrase "putting his Friedrich Wilhelm under it". In the original English version of the film, Hancock gave himself this name because he was asked in the hospital about his "John Hancock". In the German version he signs with John Hancock, because he read "John Hancock & Co." on a box in the hospital.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Certificate of Release for Hancock . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , June 2008 (PDF; test number: 114 320 K).
  2. ↑ Age rating for Hancock . Youth Media Commission .
  3. ↑ Vladimir Kozlov: Moscow film fest to open with 'Hancock' . In: The Hollywood Reporter . Nielsen Company . June 5, 2008. Archived from the original on August 2, 2008. Retrieved on May 7, 2008.
  4. ↑ In the unabridged German version he took the name from a perfume, in the English original he considers the request to put his John Hancock , a slang term for signature (see Signature in the English Wikipedia), under hospital papers, as his name.
  5. ↑ a b Michael Fleming: Artisan 'Comes' to deal with Goldsman , Variety . July 17, 2002. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2007. 
  6. ↑ a b c Michael Fleming: Col has plans for 'Tonight' , Variety . November 30, 2005. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2007. 
  7. ↑ Michael Fleming: Col, Smith get hitched to hero pic , Variety . February 16, 2005. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2007. 
  8. ↑ Michael Fleming: 'Legend' reborn again at Warners , Variety . April 25, 2006. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2007. 
  9. ↑ a b Michael Fleming: 'Tonight' helmer ankles , Variety. May 17, 2006. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2007. 
  10. ↑ Michael Fleming: Inside Move: 'Legend' of Smith an early tale for WB , Variety. May 3, 2006. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2007. 
  11. ↑ Michael Fleming, Nicole Laporte: 'Tonight' he shoots , Variety . October 15, 2006. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2007. 
  12. ↑ Stax: Tonight, He Gets Retitled , IGN . June 20, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2013. 
  13. ^ Will Smith hits new heights for 'Hancock' , MSNBC . July 24, 2007. Retrieved March 15, 2013. 
  14. ↑ Holger Kreitling: In “Hancock” Will Smith is a super penny , Die Welt . July 1, 2008. Accessed December 26, 2008. 
  15. ↑ Daniel Kothenschulte: Disgusting package as Superman: Under the Prollmütze , Frankfurter Rundschau. July 2, 2008. Retrieved December 26, 2008. 
  16. ↑ Peter Uhling: therapy case superhero , Berliner Zeitung . July 2, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2013. 
  17. ↑ boxofficemojo.com - accessed March 15, 2013.
  18. ↑ the-numbers.com: Newsgroup According to Nash Information Services, LLC.
  19. ↑ insidekino
  20. ↑ insidekino - accessed on August 3, 2008
  21. ↑ Comic Book Movies: HANCOCK 2 EXCLUSIVE: Director Peter Berg Briefly Updates the Sequel , accessed on March 15, 2013.
  22. ↑ Michael Cieply: A Man of Steel With Feet of Clay , New York Times . May 4, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2008.