I Am Number Four | Review
‘I Am Number Four’ is yet another film that involves aliens on Earth, but with a unique twist. John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) is one of nine aliens inhabiting Earth, and these nine can only be killed in sequence. From the title you can safely assume that John is the fourth of the nine aliens. Though the film has its flaws, it’s entertaining enough to establish itself as an above-average science-fiction thriller.
The nine aliens were sent to Earth from their home planet, Lorien, after it was invaded and destroyed by another alien race, the Mogadorians. John and the other eight aliens were destined to be special guardians for their home planet, and each one has their own unique power. Each alien is also assigned a protector, with John’s being Henri (Timothy Olyphant).
John and Henri constantly move and change their identities in order to escape from some Mogadorians who have come to Earth in search of the nine Lorien aliens. These Mogadorian soldiers have already killed off numbers one, two, and three, and John is next. Paradise, Ohio becomes the new home for John and Henri, and this is where John meets his soon-to-be allies, Sam Goode and Sara Hart. Sam (Callan McAuliffe) is just a normal high school student who believes in aliens because his father, who is currently missing, did. At school, Sam is constantly bullied by a fellow student, Mark (Jake Abel). Sara, an talented photographer and ex-girlfriend of Mark’s, quickly befriends and develops a romantic relationship with John.
For good or for bad, ‘I Am Number Four’ jumps from one storyline to another frequently. One storyline involves the romance between John and Sara, while another involves John’s growing friendship with Sam. A third storyline deals with John dealing with the Mogadorians while trying to stay hidden and under-cover. There are times, though, where all three of these storylines inter-mingle and come together as one.
The design of the Mogadorians is something to question about in the film. These alien soldiers look like crappy, rip-offs of Harry Potter’s Voldemort, with their pale skin-tones, bald heads, and weird noses. The Mogadorians have gills on their faces, uninspiring tattoos on their heads, and dress in all black like they’re working a government agency or something. Oh, and they also pay for their turkeys instead of stealing them. That’s how evil the Mogadorians are. Honestly, the Mogadorians are barely menacing in the film, and all they have are big guns and some huge alien creatures.
Alex Pettyfer is simply “okay” as the lead of ‘I Am Number Four’. Pettyfer acts wooden and stiff for the most part, though there may be a scene or two in which he puts somepersonality into his role. Not much can be said for Dianna Agron; she portrays her character of Sara Hart in almost the same way as her character, Quinn, in the television series ‘Glee’. In both roles Agron speaks with soft dialogue and awkward reactions. Timothy Olymphant and Callan McAuliffe, however, showcased solid performances as Henri and Sam, respectively. Timothy Olymphant, who stars in ‘Justified’, effectively portray the protective, rational, and parental qualities of Henri. Callan McAuliffe does a good job at expressing Sam’s torment and emotional lifestyle from Mark’s bullying and the situation with his missing father. ‘I Am Number Four’ doesn’t feature any outstanding acting, but it at least has some performances good enough to keep the film from totally flopping.
‘I Am Number Four’s’ plot doesn’t have anything to praise, and it’s quite derivative of other films and television shows involving super-powered misfits on Earth. The film’s familiarity could be attributed to the fact that its screenplay was written by those who worked on the Superman television series, ‘Smallville’. The romantic aspect of the film is quite similar to the one(s) in the ‘Twilight’ series, though the one(s) in ‘Twilight’ is a lot more interesting. The mythology of ‘I Am Number Four’ is fairly unimportant in comparison to ones from the ‘Harry Potter’ or ‘Lord of the Rings’ series. Though the overall plot of the film is lacking, the action in the film, particularly in the final twenty-or-so minutes, is probably the most interesting and entertaining part.
The film features average CGI and special effects, but the culmination of it all in the final act of ‘I Am Number Four’ more than makes up for the average-ness. The final act was just so fast-paced and exhilarating that it didn’t matter how absurd parts of the film were; it was just fun and entertaining. The final act is where Number Six (Teresa Palmer) is featured the most in the film, and it’s worth the wait. Number Six is an exceptionally skilled fighter, and she makes John Smith look terrible. The fight scenes featuring Number Six is what made the final act so fun and wildly entertaining. Though she may have a semi-annoying Australian accent, Number Six is, without a doubt, the best part of the film (John’s dog, Bernie, is also a highlight of the film). The film should have just been titled “I Am Number Six.”
‘I Am Number Four’ is an above-average sci-fi film that successfully appeals to the typical teenage audience. Sure, the lore, the acting, and the plot could use much more work (and explaining), and there were plenty of cliche’s in the film’s dialogue (“It woke me from my sleep,” “I can’t stop thinking about you”) and plot (the romance, as well as the under-developed antagonists and background of the main characters), but the film was still entertaining. I went in expecting the film to be terrible, since the trailers made it seem like a bad superhero television show, so the fact that ‘I Am Number Four’ wasn’t exactly terrible allowed me to enjoy it more than I should. The film is the third work by director D.J. Curoso that I’ve seen, after ‘Disturbia’ and ‘Eagle Eye’. In comparison to these two films, ‘I Am Number Four’ is much, much better than the disappointing ‘Eagle Eye’, though not as entertaining, thrilling, or charming as ‘Disturbia’.
Two and a half out of four Kents.
PS: For those who disliked ‘I Am Number Four’ who believe a 2.5/4 rating is too high, or for those who loved the film and believe the rating is too low, don’t fret. I’ve already stated my reasons for liking and disliking the film in the review. I had trouble determining whether or not the rate it a 2 or 2.5. But because a 2 is considered “Fair” or “Average,” and a 3 is considered “Good,” I decided to give ‘I Am Number Four’ a 2.5 because it was above-average, while, at the same time, it wasn’t that good. I’ve already admitted that the film was absurd and dumb, but fun and entertaining. I stand by my word.
PSS: Two of the most memorable scenes in the film include the dinner scene at Sara’s home, and the Haunted House/Forest scene. The dinner scene was fun and had some humor, even though it only lasted for about 2 minutes. The Haunted House scene was fun because the audience was able to experience the fun of the pop-outs and scares, too.
PSSS: ‘I Am Number Four’ started getting good by its third act, and it sets itself up for a sequel (just as the book is). If a sequel(s) is made, I’m hoping the filmmakers improve the storyline and the special effects. I’m excited for the sequel mostly to see what the other four aliens have in store.
