I Am Number Four

"Three are dead.  I Am Number Four." Quite the dramatic beginning. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Pittacus Lore. It's the story of teen-aged "John Smith", an alien from the planet Lorien. He and eight others like him are being hunted down and killed by another race of aliens called the Mogadorians. I have not read the novel so my commentary is based solely on the film.

The nine Loriens are known as the "Garde" and they all have a unique "Legacy" along with other preternatural abilities. The teenagers are protected by a charm, which only allows them to be killed in a set order. John is Number Four. Each member of the Garde is accompanied by a guardian who's job it is to keep them safe.

I went to see I Am Number Four with a lot of preconceived notions. I wasn't sure what to expect based on others' comments. Was this another Twilight with aliens instead of vampires? Was it a re-imaging of Superman? 

The film makes no secret this is a story about aliens right from the very start. It's the type of story I enjoy because it excuses the audience from a boring, long, drawn-out origin story. You jump right in and witness the death of Number 3 and keep running. As far as being another Twilight movie, there are some similarities. It does involve teen romance. But I found this movie to be a lot cooler and packed with far more action than I have could possibly expected. Although John does fall in love during the story, I found the relationship between John and Sarah to be more "realistic" for an alien and a human and less "fantastically romantic" than Twilight.  

Another Superman? There were similarities here too. John Smith comes from an alien planet and tries to blend in and live a normal life. However, this alien is running for his life and didn't come to Earth to become a costumed superhero.

So much power!

Like superhero movies (Superman, Spider-Man) we are witness to the awakening of his preternatural abilities and the complications that come with them.  I thought I Am Number Four attempted to capture the loneliness and isolation one would feel if you were different from everyone else. It could have succeeded if John Smith wasn't cast as a wholesome, comely boy next door with the build of a star athlete. I suppose there's an irony there at being attractive and yet something of a social outcast.  It's a similar experience suffered by his love interest Sarah who is beautiful yet lives the life of an ostracized loner.

Sarah

Henri

I Am Number 4 stars Alex Pettyfer as John, Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Damages and Hitman) as Henri, Teresa Palmer as Number 6, Dianna Agron (Glee) as Sarah and Callan McAuliffe as Sam. 

I Am Number 6

The movie really takes off when the mysterious Number 6 makes her appearance. She teams up with John to fight back and take on the Mogadorians. The outright destruction from the collateral damage of the battle was staggering.

I Am Number Four sets the audience up for a sequel and I hope the movie does well enough at the box office so we actually get to see it. One of the unanswered questions on everyone's mind is where is Number Five? He isn't shown in the movie at all. I'm sure Number 7 and 8 are being saved for the sequel. 

Doesn't everyone wish they could do this?

The movie kept my attention from beginning to end. I found myself talking to the screen (much to the dismay of other theater-goers) at how incredibly awesome the powers were that Number 4 and Number 6 demonstrated. To be honest, the depiction of some of their powers reminded me of characters from my now all-time favorite video game Mass Effect(2). 

Number 6: walk softly and carry a heavy pistol

I Am Number Four features a blend of heavy weapons and special abilities like Mass Effect(2). Number 6 was a lot like the Vanguard with the Biotic Heavy Charge talent who could pass through solid objects and attack an enemy with a surge of irrepressible speed. One of John's abilities was a lot like the Heavy Throw of the Sentinel where he could deflect attacks with irresistible force. It is conceivable that the author of the book or the screenwriter was influenced by this game.

Is that the tell-tale glow of a biotic barrier?

The movie goes beyond the typical teenage love story and adds elements that appeal to a much wider audience. For the entertainment value alone I'm giving I Am Number Four 4.5 out of 5 fingers.