The action sci-fi thriller I Am Number Four starring Alex Pettyfer (Beastly), Dianna Agron (Glee), Timothy Olyphant (Justified), Callan McAuliffe (Flipped), and Teresa Palmer (Take Me Home Tonight) should do for aliens what Twilight did for vampires. However, box office sales prove that this movie isn’t the success story that studios hoped it to be, but I was surprised to find that it‘s pretty smart, funny, and action-packed, thus equating for a $10 (or so) decently well-spent!
For those of you who don’t know, the movie centers around “John [who] is an extraordinary teen, masking his true identity and passing as a typical high school student to elude a deadly enemy seeking to destroy him. Three like him have already been killed … he is Number Four,” according to IMDB.
With your typical brand of high school outsiders versus the cool kids, add a science fiction twist, and that‘s the foundation. I entered the movie theater (not opting for the more expensive IMAX version too) with a lot of hesitation (since I hadn‘t seen Black Swan yet), appeasing my boyfriend’s restlessness during the cold winter season. Upon completion, I found that the film offers up a predictable recipe brought to you by Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso, but the special effects during some pretty brutal fight scenes and the fantasy behind John realizing his alien abilities shows off some unexpected artistry behind the movie’s otherwise seemingly transparent façade. What’s more is the sweet humanity that exists in John’s character who falls in love with Sarah (Argon), a small-town cheerleader turned hippy photographer, curious about John‘s strange behavior. In my opinion, I think she steals all the scenes!
The movie’s script was co-written by Spiderman 2 writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, as well as television writer Marti Noxon (Grey’s Anatomy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The story provides an established premise which makes for a sequel or spin-off movie as Palmer’s character, Number Six, is a very sexy and powerful contrast to the rest of the supernaturally-inexperienced cast of characters. Olyphant’s role as John’s protector, Henri, doesn’t leap too much off the screen, but nicely sets John up for the great battle against his native enemies, the Mogadorians. These depictions are borderline campy with gruesome rows of pointy teeth and gilled faces, but as a moviegoer who totally bought into 1998’s The Faculty and Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks!, I can see where the hype came from for I Am Number Four, especially with a Spiderman-inspired formula at the core. Not to mention McAuliffe’s Sam could have been developed more beyond the misunderstood alien-obsessed teen who’s father was mysteriously connected to Henri, and who just so happens to bond with John due to their roles as outcasts in the very cruel world of high school.
Ultimately, if this movie does do anything right it will only help catapult Agron’s movie career outside of the safety net that is Glee, especially after small roles in Burlesque and The Romantics. Not to mention Pettyfer can be currently seen in Beastly, opposite Vanessa Hudgens- a movie that made the top three in this past weekend‘s box office. The English actor has lined up a number of projects, including Now with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, the adventure drama The Mortal Instruments, and is rumored to be attached to The Seventh Son with Oscar favorites Jennifer Lawrence and Jeff Bridges. Also, Palmer can be seen in the 80s party flick, Take Me Home Tonight with Topher Grace.
If none of the big movies recently released are drawing your attention, why not try something a little other-worldly with undertones of action and some harmless romance for a date night? Of course, this wasn’t the best movie that I’ve ever seen, but I walked away surprised with how much fun it was to see the story evolve, and perhaps anticipating what the future will hold for these characters in a possible sequel.
All and all, this is fun adventure of a movie will make you laugh, become curious about the future of aliens in cinema, and get you ready for a wild ride of special effects with a promising young cast. My rating for I Am Number Four is a 6.5/10 (because I’ve seen Event Horizon and that for me would’ve been a -10)!
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