June
24Problems in the Smithosphere
OK, it’s time for a reality check: The superstar who can do no wrong has done the unthinkable. He’s done wrong.Will Smith, the Mr. Nice Guy of the superstar game, the man who shows up on time and actually works to support his movies, has misfired with “Hancock.” He set out to make a sort of combined action spoof on superhero movies, but ended up making a movie that’s disturbingly reminiscent of “The Last Action Hero” -- defeated by its own self-professed cleverness.
I’m not going to review the picture, Variety’s critique will appear later in the week. However the studio is so confident about “Hancock” that Columbia Pictures screened it for bloggers and assorted gadflies, so I might as well state my regretful assessment.
Regretful because Smith’s an actor you’ve got to respect. He’s taken chances before, as with “The Pursuit of Happyness.” He’s also piled up blockbuster credits going back to “Independence Day,” the “Men in Black” series and, more recently, “I Am Legend.” In the process, he’s out-Cruised Cruise.
Talk to the PR gurus of the industry and they’ll tell you that Will Smith, more than any star, has faithfully trooped around the world in the pursuit of bigger and better box office. Maybe it’s because the PR fraternity loves him so much that he decided to develop a story like “Hancock,” which is built around a PR man.
The PR genius (played superbly by Jason Bateman, who should be the next Jack Lemmon) creates a complex, utterly non-credible scheme to respectabilize a hard-drinking slob who happens to have Superman-like abilities (he can even fly).We’ve been introduced before to superheroes with self-esteem problems (think Spiderman) or self-motivation problems (think Iron Man), but getting “Hancock” to Smithospheric grosses around the world will require a super-heroic push.
I don’t want to see as nice of a guy as Will Smith become the last action hero.
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You write below, “More important, what happens if GE unloads NBC-Universal and its dealmaking mobility is suddenly inhibited?†and “Universal may shortly be sold by GE, whose stock is tumbling and Fox keeps saying it has more than enough product.†GE has repeatedly stated that NBC-Universal is not for sale. But if it were to be sold, how do you propose that GE replace NBC-Universal’s operating profit that contributed about 11% of GE’s total in 2007?
Posted by: Omar | 6/25/2008 12:21:48 PM
This makes me want to see this movie even more. Taking chances is how you stay ahead of everyone.
Posted by: C | 6/24/2008 3:33:32 PM