MANILA, Philippines?In director Peter Berg?s ?Hancock,? Will Smith plays John Hancock, a superhero without a past: He doesn?t know who he is or how his powers have come about.

Sensitivity

Unlike other well-loved metahumans, he doesn?t have Spider-Man?s sensitivity, Superman?s political correctness, Guy Gardner?s impishly surly wit, Bruce Wayne?s comportment, or even Darna?s old-school values. Heck, even kids dislike him! This is one hero who sends pubescent bullies to outer space without much thought!

So, with a bottle of gin in hand, the unkempt and unshaven protagonist grudgingly chases after the baddies. He gets the job done, of course, but as a result, he leaves a messy trail of destruction?and a throng of very angry Los Angelenos, who indiscreetly suggest that they?re probably better off without him! But, what?s a superhero without his adoring fans?

Mission

However, Ray Embrey (played by Jason Bateman)?a press relations man whom Hancock saved from being run over by a train?sees the good heart and lonely soul behind the flawed superhero?s scruffy, gruff exterior. So, despite the suspiciously fervid protestations of his wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), Ray makes it his mission to reinvent Hancock into the cheered-for superhero he deserves to be. The PR stunt works like a dream.

But, just as Hancock settles into his newfound popularity, he notices that there?s more to Mary?s surly standoffishness than meets the eye. Could this woman be friend or foe?or, as the sparks between them suggest, lover?

Berg is no stranger to brilliantly staged, edge-of-your-seat action (remember the breathtaking rescue scene from last year?s ?The Kingdom??). With breakneck speed and special-effects savvy, he displays the same confidence in the superhero?s action sequences. At the heart of this blockbusting audio-visual mayhem, of course, is the charismatic Smith, who comfortably shifts between drama and comedy.

Screen presence

Theron and the extremely likable Bateman do well in their roles, but it?s Smith?s compelling screen presence and evolving dramatic maturity that allow the film to transcend its formulaic trappings and make its somewhat stodgy shift in emotional tone halfway through acceptable and plausible:

The production starts out bright, light and breezy, but it takes a darkly mawkish turn toward the end (after all, you can?t blithely brush off Hancock?s psychological problems and sketchy past)?a contentious decision that has critics arguing passionately. We couldn?t care less, though, because the movie is sleekly crafted and cheekily entertaining.