'Hancock' - 2-Disc Unrated Special Edition DVD Review

The summer of 2008 was the summer of superheroes. Hancock, an action comedy/drama from director Peter Berg, was one of the most successful, no doubt due in large part to its charismatic star - Will Smith. Smith plays a very flawed superhero and while the story lets us down as the film nears the end, Smith never does.

The Story

Superhero Hancock's personality ranges from grumpy on his best days to outright obnoxious on his worst. He's no stranger to sleeping off booze on park benches and to finding himself on the receiving end of boos and bad press. That changes when PR guy Ray Embrey (Bateman) takes Hancock under his wing, hoping to transform him into more of a storybook version of what a superhero should be.

Ray's wife, Mary Embrey (Theron), is supportive of Ray's work and basically friendly to Hancock when there's anyone around. But it's obvious there's something weird lurking underneath both Mary and Hancock's calm exteriors when they're not alone. Mary has a secret of her own, which Hancock alone is privy to.

The Bonus Features

The 'Special Edition' has a fairly decent collection of extra material, although what it doesn't include stands out more than what's actually on the disc. Where are the deleted scenes, the gag reel, and commentary track? Director Berg's an interesting filmmaker and Smith's always entertaining to hear talk about movies - it's a real disappointment that neither provide any commentary on the Hancock DVD.

But what is on the disc is good stuff. The 2-Disc Special Edition package contains both the theatrical release and the new unrated version of the film (no spoilers here but if you have to pick one and you haven't seen the theatrical release, you should skip it and go straight to the unrated version). Disc 1 also includes seven behind the scenes featurettes which focus on various aspects of making Hancock. Everything from the stunts to the costume design work to animating certain shots to the backstory of the Hancock character are covered in-depth. There's also a bit on director Peter Berg and building/designing the sets. Disc 2 is digital copy of the film for use in your PC/PSP.