Big Screen Bouts: 'Hancock' vs. 'Wanted'

By Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

In the coming days, we're all going to be hearing a lot about how much money "Wanted" and "Hancock" made over the Fourth of July weekend. But we all know that a movie's worth isn't based solely on box office bucks. For example, in 1999, the highest grossing movie was "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace." But did Jar Jar Binks really capture our hearts? Once we paid the money, it didn't much matter what we thought. But what about the burning questions and varying merits of Angelina Jolie's awesome tattoos versus Will Smith's, er, casual wear? Who had the better catch phrase? And which movie will generate the coolest action figures?

To put it bluntly: which one is cooler?

"Wanted" opens today, and "Hancock" opens next Wednesday, but both films are going for the same comic book fan audience that has already made "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk" hits this summer. "Wanted" has an advantage in opening a five days sooner, but "Hancock" opens on the lucrative Fourth of July weekend. We matched the films up in a variety of categories to truly determine which film will capture hearts and minds and which movie will simply rake in dough. The debate may rage in comic shops and cineplex lobbies across America, but in life, as in "Highlander," there can be only one.

Without further ado, we ring the bell on this first Big Screen Bout.