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Everyone loves a kid superhero who fights the odds and wins. The plot of these movies don’t have to be particularly gripping, or the script really witty. The superhero just has to have awesome powers, beat the bad guys and have things get blown up. With these requirements, “I Am Number Four” does not disappoint.
An adaptation of the book of the same name, part of a series called the “Lorien Legacies,” this movie is much better than expected. It is entertaining and does not require too much thought. There are some twists, but they are mostly explained two-thirds into the movie.
Protagonist John looks like an average high school teen — aside from his devastatingly good looks — but he has a deep secret. He is really an alien from another planet on the run from a race of evil aliens trying to destroy him and the others like him.
In fact, there are nine others like him, and the evil aliens are killing them in sequential order for some inexplicable reason. He and his assigned protector are just trying to blend in, but bad guys are soon on his scent. With the help of Number Six, he has to fight for his life, the few friends he’s made and the love of his life.
The script was exactly what it was supposed to be. The lines were concise, telling the story well, with little fluff or humor.
The actors delivered the lines in quite a respectable fashion, but they weren’t great. Alex Pettyfer makes his American film debut playing John. People might be quick to say that he only relies on his looks, which are stunning, but in reality he is a decent actor.
Dianna Agron, best known as Quinn on “Glee,” was Sarah Hart, the girl who captures John’s heart. Teresa Palmer, from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” plays Number Six, and she is badass. The actors were nothing stellar, except for maybe Agron, but they definitely did their best.
Director D.J. Caruso has experience with action movies after working on both Shia LaBeouf movies “Disturbia” and “Eagle Eye.” With help from producer Michael Bay, best known for directing the “Transformers” movies, the film’s special effects and overall production were well done.
The biggest disappointment was the villains, looking like very ugly versions of Voldemort. They were clumsy, made weird noises and were not that scary. Honestly, they were just hideous.
They had one moment of actual creepy villain-ness when they horribly murdered a couple of their human allies. But otherwise they were a disappointment.
Though most of the questions were answered by the end of the movie, there were still a couple of lingering questions and possible plot holes. However, if the next book in the series, “The Power of Six,” is made into a movie, then those questions might be answered. Chances are a sequel is a must with this movie’s cliffhanger ending.
Grade: B-
