Hancock ***

Had enough of superheroes? How about one in rehab? With the surfeit of superheroes of late, somehow it's not surprising to meet one who has some issues, who means well, but is usually too drunk to actually do much good.

Meet Hancock (Will Smith), a depressed man of steel who can fly and has superhuman strength. He's depressed because he's the only one of his kind, and he doesn't know where he came from, so he lays around Los Angeles, usually with a bottle. When he does help out the police, he usually does more damage than the bad guys.

Clearly Hancock is in need of a make-over. Enter Ray Embry (Jason Bateman), an optimistic PR specialist who can't seem to convince businesses to give up their profits for a good cause. One day Hancock saves Embry from an oncoming train, and Embry sees a diamond in the rough. Despite the misgivings of his wife Mary (Charlize Theron), Ray embarks on a campaign to improve Hancock's image.

With this set-up, the movie takes off into funny, entertaining worlds, with a few original twists that make it a refreshing summer romp. The cast works well together (Bateman, Theron, and especially Smith shine), the special effects are great, and this different kind of superhero finds his place. Kudos to director Peter Berg ("Friday Night Lights") for keeping the pacing brisk and going light on the mayhem. It's a fun ride.

Rated PG-13. 92 minutes. Peter Berg - Director, Vy Vincent Ngo¹ - Writer, Vince Gilligan - Writer, Akiva Goldsman - Producer, James Lassiter - Producer, Michael Mann - Producer, Will Smith - Producer, Tobias Schliessler¹ - Cinematographer, John Powell - Composer, Neil Spisak - Production Designer, Colby Parker Jr. - Editor, Paul Rubell - Editor. Distributed by Columbia Pictures.

Principal actors: Will Smith, Charlize Theron, Jason Bateman, and Eddie Marsan.