History Film / Hancock

* HalfwayPlotSwitch: And how. One of the movie's most infamous qualities. Almost exactly halfway through the movie, right when it seems like Hancock is about to [[spoiler:royally screw up his Ray-assisted PR recovery by [[LoveHurts falling in love with Ray's wife Mary]]]], instead [[spoiler:she grabs him and hurls him through the wall. That's right, she's got superpowers too, and you can kiss the previous plot goodbye. Hancock's new reputation remains intact for the rest of the film, and the plot instead delves into the nature of Hancock's powers, his mysterious fascination with Mary, and his long-forgotten past.]]

* CalculatorSpelling: While Hancock is buying booze at the liquor store, the cashier is being robbed, with one armed thug crouched below the counter. In a desperate effort to call discretely for help, the cashier rings up Hancock's purchases at $91.10, which Hancock calls "highway robbery." The cashier smartly points to the display, obscuring the zero with one finger, showing only 91.1. Though an alcoholic jerkass at this point, Hancock is still savvy enough to get the message: call 9-1-1. However, Hancock supplies aid his way, woe betide the robbers.

* CaughtUpInARobbery: Hancock heads to a liquor store to drown his sorrows, fed up with trying to be a superhero. He's unaware at the time that two armed thugs are robbing the place: one ambles along an aisle like a shopper, the other is crouching behind the counter. The shopkeeper manages to discretely signal his distress to Hancock, who makes a quick assessment of the situation, then makes very short work of the criminals. He ends up taking two bullets to the stomach, which typically isn't a problem as he's NighInvulnerable, [[spoiler:but as the blood pours from his wounds, he quickly learns he's no longer super durable, kicking off the film's final act]].

** Mary's lie to Hancock that they're brother and sister. It doesn't work as Hancock can see through her lie and calls her out on it.

-->'''Hancock''' What are we then?\\
'''Mary:''' We're brother and sister.\\
'''Hancock:''' No! That is a lie. Besides, A brother would not kiss a sister like you kissed me!

* RelativelyFlimsyExcuse: Mary tries to lie to Hancock, claiming that they're brother and sister as to explain the awkwardness between the two exes. It doesn't work and they aren't actually siblings. They're ex-husband and ex-wife.

* UnresolvedSexualTension: Plenty between Hancock and Mary, given the unexplained awkwardness between the two. Considering that they're centuries old superheroes destined for one other and that they can never be together without the risk of de-powering each other and becoming mortal, this might go on forever.

* BlatantLies: Hancock's excuse for "coming in hot" when he landed in the street.

The film's name is a case of title dissonance for British viewers of a certain age, who irrevocably associate the name with Creator/TonyHancock, of ''Radio/HancocksHalfHour'' Fame. Follow the link for his Creator page. The actual reference, for those not well-versed in American history, is to ''John'' Hancock, who famously signed the American Declaration of Independence with a much larger signature than the other signers, leading to "Hancock" becoming an idiomatic synonym for "signature."

* HundredPercentHeroismRating: What Ray hopes to achieve for Hancock. [[spoiler:By the third act, he appears to have obtained it-- as he and Mary argue after a "small" scuffle that ruined a city street, the onlooking crowd applauds Hancock based on his (much improved) reputation alone]].

* AntiHero: Hancock is this at the start of the film - a drunken, sexist, homophobic, politically incorrect JerkAss who cares nothing for collateral damage and only saves people out of some strange need. He grows out of it with Ray's help.

* DeadpanSnarker:
** Often by Hancock and Ray; it's a feedback loop such as this one. Ray shows Hancock a video of him hurling Walter the whale back into the ocean... on top of a Greenpeace boat:

-->'''Mary:''' Did he just take the whiskey bottle to the bathroom?\\