In a summer of somewhat dismal attempts at blockbuster gold, a real contender has finally stepped up to the plate. Hancock stars Will Smith as a drunken, surly superhero just searching for some understanding. When he saves the life of Ray, a down-on-his-luck PR executive (Jason Bateman), it sparks a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change his bad press and poor public image.

But in a bizarre twist, Hancock’s new buddy has a wife with a secret of her own. It seems that Mary (Charlize Theron) has a little history with her husband’s pet project.

Hancock is directed by Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights). Berg is great at macho male stories with surprising heart. Unfortunately, Hancock does veer down a few dark and creepy roads every now and again.

It suffers from not knowing if it’s a summer comedy, an action flick, a comic book movie or a drama. Random plot points and corny dialogue pop up at the most unexpected times. Still, Berg manages to reign it back in before it gets too annoying. Smith and Theron also have a good amount of chemistry together, given the nature of their onscreen relationship.

Grade: B

Hancock releases in theaters July 2.