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Hancock

Date: Jul 16 2008

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Why are superheroes always so super? Like, who decided that anyone with super powers would either fight crime or create it? What if there were a superhero who was just lazy?

Well, that’s not quite the situation in Hancock, but the hero might be better off if it was. Even though he’s drunk and poorly dressed, he continues to fight crime anyway. He gets a bad reputation with the media so he hires a PR agent to make him popular. Mason, for one, is buying it.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Mason

Marni

Mason: So I celebrated my freedom in the traditional fashion, by seeing a Will Smith movie this weekend.

Marni: Because there’s always a Will Smith coming out around Independence Day?

Mason: He is the king of Fourth of July.

Marni: Well, hence Independence Day and…

Mason: Yeah so Hancock.

Marni: Hancock. How was it? Do tell.

Mason: You know, I liked it.

Marni: It looks very intriguing.

Mason: There’s been a lot of buzz going around. There’s quite a heated debate over whether it’s good, whether it’s not. There’s some plot twists that I’m not gonna give away here.

Marni: OK, don’t because I do want to see it.

Mason: Definitely though there’s room for discussion as to whether or not it was good or bad, I think.

Marni: I’ve heard a little plot twist may be unnecessary, but hearing from you, you approve.

Mason: No, it’s interesting. If I were to give you one piece of advice, it would be to go in with your eyes open and just know you’re going to be entertained. It’s a Will Smith Fourth of July movie.

Marni: Action movie. What do you want?

Mason: Mm-hm. But it is intelligent. It’s an interesting addition to the superhero genre that’s being pretty saturated at the moment. It fits in there nicely. And Jason Bateman. I gotta give him props.

Marni: I know. I totally love him.

Mason: He’s just totally hilarious, brings a nice edge to the movie.

Marni: Good. That’s good to hear.

Quizzes

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Lesson MP3

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Discussion

It seems like Will Smith always releases a new movie around the Fourth of July, the day Americans celebrate independence from British rule in 1776. In 1996, Smith starred in a movie called Independence Day. In 1997 Men In Black came out around Independence Day and so did Wild Wild West in 1999. So although the Fourth of July is normally celebrated with fireworks, Mason thinks it makes sense that he saw Hancock on the Fourth this year.

Mason liked it, although it has gotten some bad reviews. Mason doesn’t want to ruin the movie, but he says there’s a plot twist that may or may not be necessary. In any case, it’s an interesting take on the superhero genre.

What kind of superhero would you be? Or would you be a super villain? Does your country have a holiday like Fourth of July? How did you celebrate it this year?