1. Hancock (3,900 Theaters, 92 Minutes, Rated PG-13): So powerful is the combination of Will Smith and Fourth of July weekend that when the two come together, every other studio stays away. Yes, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is expanding it release, but no other new movies are challenging this movie this week.
Everyone is expecting this film to be huge, bigger than big. But will it really be that much of a success? I wonder.
What puts doubt in my mind is how the film is being marketed. Hancock is the story of a superhero who has fallen on hard times. Sort of like “What if Superman became an alcoholic and started sleeping on a park bench?”
The trailer and the Best Buy tie-in ads make this movie seem like it is a Bad Santa-esque comedy. But recent TV ads make it out to be a serious examination of the difficult life of a superhero.
So, which is it? A drama? A comedy? I know what some of you are saying, “Duh, stupid! It’s a dramedy!”
Yeah, well, if it is a dramedy, why not market it as one? Even the trailer below seems to be bipolar when it comes to the comedy/drama.
But, if the producers are playing a shell game here, trying to bring fans in for a serious film and hitting them with a comedy, that might lead to bad word of mouth. Nobody likes to be fooled. And the whole marketing smells desperate. So, yeah, it might make a lot of money, but it might not be all that good.
Hancock – Theatrical Trailer
