Ironman, Hulk, Batman and Hellboy are the superhero movies that have fanboys panting with excitement.

But who the hell is Hancock? Hollywood's newest "anti-superhero" is a wandering bum who is blessed with super abilities but doesn't always use it for the greater good of mankind. Played by Will Smith, he sleeps on park benches with a bottle of booze in one hand. Occasionally, when he's up to it, he tries to do good by fighting crime.

Most of the citizens of Los Angeles don't like him, and they think he does more harm than good. But when a PR exec (Jason Bateman) is saved by Hancock from an accident, he decides to return the favour by offering Hancock's an image makeover. Can Hancock really change for the better? And can Hancock stop himself from falling for Justin's wife, played by Charlize Theron?

Directed by the handsome and talented Peter Berg (ex-actor from Chicago Hope), Hancock toys with our notions of what makes a superhero. All of previous knowledge of superhero movies and comic books are upended and subverted to produce an intriguing and original anti-superhero film.

Well at least, that's how it is in the first half of the film.

The subsequent half, unfortunately, crumbles under the weight of the movie's ambitious high-concept and gradually reverts to B-movie formula. The exceptionally charismatic cast — Will Smith, Jason Bateman and Charlize Theron — give the film a solid emotional core but it isn't enough to save the entire film.

Note to lesbians: Charlize looks absolutely hot in this one.