DVD Review: Hancock (12A)

Peter Berg (92 mins)

A nice antidote to the super-hero movie. Hancock (Will Smith) is immortal, can fly supersonically and stop trains with his body, but he just doesn't care. He's bored, crapulous, alcoholic and thoroughly seedy, and has to be prodded into action. The locals complain about the way he wrecks the city by flying into things, holding a bourbon bottle. Then a pushy PR man (Jason Bateman) tries to transform him into a superhero we can cheer for ... The first two-thirds is inventive and funny, and Smith stays sourly in character as the super-slob – but the story runs out of steam after 53 minutes. It takes a plot twist of superhuman implausibility (involving Charlize Theron as the PR man's wife) to keep going.