Movies: Hancock, Wall-E, Wanted, The Incredible Hulk

I decided to use the long weekend to see movies that are on my viewing list. With my buddy Paul visiting from Toronto, Onatrio, Canada, in tow we headed the local multiplexes to take in what Hollywood had to offer.

Hancock


I was really excited about this movie because I am a fan of Will Smith, and I was in downtown LA when they were filming some of the action sequences in July 2007. Unfortunately, the movie did not live up to my expectations. The basic premise of the movie was interesting, but the executed was really poor. The acting was sub par, the direction and special fx weren't the greatest, and the storyline wasn't focused. Hancock becomes a very different movie during the second half and the real story should have been PR makeover by Ray Embery (Jason Bateman) and how Hancock handles being the toast of LA. Instead we get a weird, complicated relationship between John Hancock and Mary Embery (Charlize Theron) that doesn't really pay off in the end.

This is not a typical Will Smith considering isn't the stereotypical "good guy" and he uses expletives throughout the movie. Sure, it made a lot of money over the long holiday weekend -- but the movie lacks quality. If you want to see this, I say wait until it comes on DVD.

Wall-E


Wall-E is another movie I was excited to see. I never seen a Pixar movie in the theaters because I didn't want to be the oldest person there without a child. The premise of a movie that stars a robot that doesn't talk was interesting. There is very little dialogue for the first 40 minutes of the film but the robot Wall-E was anthropomorphic character with it is actions and expressions, that you forget that it isn't talking. The movie was odd due to the anti-corporate tone, considering it is being distributed by Walt Disney Company. The movie was really enjoyable with a great message. It is another Pixar classic, even though it is very unconventional. The visuals were amazing and it should been seen on a IMAX or DLP screen, provided that you have either in your area.


Wanted


I didn't plan on seeing this movie, but I heard good things from people I know so I decided to check it out. At the beginning of the movie, I thought I would hate the movie but after 10 minutes I really get into the story. The best parts of the movie is hearing Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman drop the f-bomb multiple times. I see Morgan Freeman as a elegant guy with this regal presence, but hearing him curse made me like him even more. The movie lacked some back story on the assassins known as "The Fraternity," but it succeeds at being extremely entertaining.

The Incredible Hulk


I am not sure whether or not that this movie is a continuation of the first Hulk movie, directed by Ang Lee with Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, or a total re-imagination of the possible franchise. Ed Norton is new David Banner but this new version is nothing like the first.

Hulk is more of an origin story on how David Banner became the Hulk; and The Incredible Hulk is how Bruce Banner is looking to get rid of alter ego. Hulk was more emotional and gave more depth to each character, the new version doesn't really care about character development and just blows things up indiscriminately. These are two different movies with the same main character, but I much prefer the first Hulk movie because it felt like a comic book come to life and had a cohesive story. I didn't hate The Incredible Hulk but one thing bothered me -- why was the Hulk only about a foot taller than the character played by Liv Tyler? [edit: Hulk is only 7ft tall, so this makes sense.] If you plan on seeing The Incredible Hulk, I recommend seeing Hulk as well.