'Hancock' not strong enough to break from formula

"Hancock" (two-disc special edition) - "Hancock" gets off to a fresh and funny start, but then a pointless plot twist derails the whole thing. Will Smith plays John Hancock, a surly, swearing alcoholic who also happens to have super powers. The people of Los Angeles rely on him to fight bad guys, but whenever he staggers into action he causes more problems than he solves. It doesn't take long for the entire city to hate him.

Things start to change when Hancock saves the life of good-hearted public relations man Ray Embrey (Jason Bateman). To pay Hancock back, Ray offers to help him rehabilitate his image. He teaches Hancock how to be the kind of superhero people could actually love.

Smith and Bateman have great comic chemistry, and I liked this darker, more humorous take on the standard superhero. But then a twist involving Ray's wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), sends the movie down a much more conventional (and less interesting) road. Smith remains as magnetic as ever throughout, but at the end I kept thinking about what could have been. The two-disc DVD includes an unrated cut of the film along with the theatrical version, plus a slew of featurettes about the making of the film. (PG-13; Sony, $34.95)

"Wall-E" (three-disc special edition) - "Wall-E," the latest computer-animated film from the geniuses at Pixar, is a wondrous achievement - sweet, smart and beautiful to look at. A small, trash-compacting robot named Wall-E (think of a mechanical E.T.) appears to be the only "living" thing on a barren planet Earth that's overrun with garbage. A robot named Eve arrives from the heavens to scan the planet for any live vegetation, and Wall-E develops an instant crush. When Eve discovers a plant growing on the Earth's surface, it sends the two robots on an exciting and touching odyssey to save the future of the planet. This three-disc set (two discs of content, a third with a downloadable copy of the film) comes packed with bonus features for adults and children alike. Family movies - and family DVDs - don't get much better than this unconventional and brilliantly executed gem. (G; Walt Disney, $39.99)

"Chungking Express" (The Criterion Collection) - "Chungking Express," a joyous, vibrant look at the roller-coaster love lives of two young Hong Kong cops, is one of the signature films of the 1990s, and for my money, one of the most romantic movies ever. Gifted director Wong Kar-wai imbues this story (actually two separate vignettes) with a palpable sense of youthful longing that haunts the mind for days, and he's helped by a gorgeous cast that includes Tony Leung and the captivating Faye Wong. If you're unfamiliar with Wong Kar-wai's work, stop cheating yourself and see this movie. By Criterion's standards, this DVD is light on extra features, but what's here is great: a scholarly commentary and a nice interview with Wong and his cinematographer, Christopher Doyle. (NR; Criterion, $39.95)

Also out this week - "Fred Claus" (Warner); "Space Chimps" (Fox); "Bottle Rocket: The Criterion Collection"; "Meet Dave" (Fox); "The Spy Who Came In from the Cold: The Criterion Collection"