Living

<< Previous   of   Next >> Associated Press / Columbia Pictures  (click to enlarge) Will Smith stars as Hancock, a disgruntled, conflicted, sarcastic and misunderstood superhero whose well-intentioned heroics might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake, in Columbia Pictures' "Hancock," which opens at midnight tonight. Associated Press / Columbia Pictures  (click to enlarge) Will Smith (left) and Charlize Theron star in "Hancock."   ADVERTISEMENT   "Hancock" Reluctant: Will Smith is a hard-living superhero who has fallen out of favor with the public. He rescues a public relations professional who tries to repair his image. Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman co-star. Rated: PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language. Now showing: Alderwood Mall, Mountlake, Woodinville, Marysville, Oak Tree.   Related Stories • Here I come to save the day 7/1/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 Rise of superheroes follows hard times Judging by the movies, we need a league of them With "Hancock," which zooms into theaters after midnight tonight, Hollywood has gone all meta, giving us Will Smith as a superhero who has lost his mojo. I've already had my brain pummeled this summer by Robert Downey Jr. flying around in a techno-suit, Adam Sandler as an invincible former Mossad agent, Steve Carell as a nerdy indestructible super spy, Harrison Ford as a Teflon 60-year-old archaeologist, Edward Norton as the incredibly angry green dude -- which I admit I missed but saw the ads. I don't know how many more superheroes I can take. Author Peter Biskind, who has written books about movies and culture in the 1950s, '70s and '90s, assures me that superheroes return with bad times. Superman reached iconic status during World War II. The gas crisis and economic malaise of the Carter years begat Superman again -- the Christopher Reeve incarnation. And now, well, given the sub-prime mortgage crisis, the morass in Iraq and oil prices, we need Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and Iron Man, all at once. "Who doesn't want a superhero when the world is in trouble?" asked marketing guru Jane Buckingham of the Youth Intelligence Group, who studies young people. "Who doesn't want somebody to come save the day when the world is a mess?" Rachel Abramowitz, Los Angeles Times

1. Boeing Machinists to picket today after contract talks fail 2. Abandoned puppies ready for adoption 3. Lake Stevens assistant coach collapses 4. Arlington spoils Peak's debut 5. UW vs. BYU game thread 6. Snohomish too much for Kamiak 7. Man sought on felony warrant flees police in Marysville 8. Archbishop Murphy defense bottles up the Lynden Lions 9. Composting company given deadline to trace stench 10. Pickets go up at Boeing as Machinists walk out 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Monroe slams shaky Shorewood in opener • Ferry lane grows one-mile longer • Bringing the world to Edmonds • FEMA turns to media to improve public image • Annexation's frustrations • A run for Charlotte • Annexation's frustrations • Minimalist food bars have local flavor • E-W aims for fifth straight league title • Leisure Time Events - September 2008 • September 2008 • State needs to establish north county campus to meet growing technology ... • Future software programs may be based online • Visit two unusual Paine Field aviation museums for historic and futurist ... • Mothers launch Kids ‘N’ Clay pottery studio to provide children with cre ... • AWB elections Web site debuts • Construction begins on Korry Electronics’ plant