DJ Caruso (Eagle Eye, Disturbia) helms this sci-fi action-thriller about an extraordinary young man with a very ordinay name - John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed... he is Number Four.
Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events - his first love (Dianna Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.
I Am Number Four is the latest example of Hollywood’s on-going insistence on raiding bestseller lists to find works of 'young adult fiction' – preferably one with a long-running mythology of a supernatural/fantasy nature – that’ll sustain a potentially box-office-topping franchise over the course of several instalments. But this sci-fi saga by 'Pittacus Lore' (really two writers: James Frey, Jobie Hughes), with its recycled grab-bag of high school and superhero/alien conventions, doesn’t look like it’ll be around for much longer than one film. Almost exasperatingly predictable and derivative from the get-go, I Am Number Four is soulless factory-line junk that might even struggle maintain the interest of its core audience – the Twilight set – from numbing over-familiarity; one is too often reliving moments from Heroes, Roswell, The Faculty, Transformers, et al to enjoy the film.
There’s the brooding alien hero (Alex Pettyfer) who’s trying to fit in with normal teen life but has an obligation to his interplanetary peeps; the blonde babe (Dianna Agron) he falls for but can’t tell about his not-of-this-earth origins; the weirdo picked-on kid (Callan McAuliffe) whose father has been abducted by aliens, and lest we forget, those dentally challenged alien heavies who look like they’ve pinched their wardrobe from Neo’s closet. Director DJ Caruso, who’s done passable work in the past putting young people in peril (Eagle Eye, Disturbia), fails to make anything here feel of any consequence, even though he shows some gusto in staging those football-field-decimating laser battles and CGI monster melees. Might have worked better on TV as a Joss Whedon show that gets cancelled after one season.
By Aaron Yap, Flicks.co.nz
this is a really good movie, i would recomend it to anybody
This is a movie well made but has a light storyline.I enjoyed it overall but don't expect too much.It has appeal for the younger movie audience.The aliens were a bit of a joke.
if your into action packed, sci-fi special effects this movie is for you, the story-line isnt the best but then its made for teenagers. I dont know why all these critics are hating on this film when they gave avatar 5 stars when its basically the same thing, in fact it ripped of Pocahontas.
Was everything I was expecting, which can be good & bad. Hopefully they will keep the momentum going when they do a part2 (heres hoping) Great action with a good bit of female G.I Jane to match the G.I Joe. Left the cinema feeling money well spent.
I really enjoyed this movie and wanted to write my first review I'm a man of few words and they are "Go see this movie"
What we have here is a witless attempt to merge the "Twilight" formula with the Michael Bay formula.
Let's see if I got this right. Somewhere out there in another bit of the galaxy, a race of photogenic goodies called the Loriens were attacked and wiped out by the bad guy Mogadorians.
Understandably, I Am Number Four has already drawn comparisons to Twilight – both are based on successful teen novels about a loner girl and a stranger with secret powers; both heavily feature a handsome man’s abs – but the similarities are only in the broad sense. Where Twilight’s focus is all about the desperation of all-consuming romance, I Am Number Four is (eventually) more interested in the secret and the possibilities that might present.
The movie is a mixed bag, with many of the elements fun and intriguing, but since this is also a Michael Bay-produced movie, CG monsters and cartoon bad guys gum up a third act.
Sluggish and derivative, I Am Number Four is another elaborate puberty metaphor with superpowers substituting for testosterone.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 3rd Mar 2011.
Release date: March 3rd 2011.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
