There’s always a shortage of good films this time of year, and February and March are typically the dumping ground for films that distributors may not have high hopes for. A movie like I Am Number Four would seem to belong in the summer season when teen-oriented blockbusters are usually released, but the lack of star power and lack of familiarity with the origin material, as well as the overall poor expectations of the studio for the film may have resulted in a February release to avoid the bigger summer movies. I wasn’t surprised to find out that I Am Number Four is adapted from a teen novel as everything in movie theatres lately seems to be adapted or based on something from another medium. Clearly, hopes were that this would be the beginning of a successful movie franchise, a new hybrid of superhero films and Twilight, and a series of books have apparently already been proposed.
The basic plotline is clearly and blatantly derivative of the basic Superman story, and unsurprisingly, two of the writers of this film are Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of teen TV series “Smallville”. The parallels between the film and Smallville are there for all to see for people familiar with the show and its equally bland lead. Taking a cue from the unimaginative and uninspired title, the film’s narrative continues in the same vein. A young teenage alien with the alias of John Smith possesses supernatural powers he doesn’t fully understand or comprehend, and is one of the last survivors from the planet Lorien. A story like this needs its villains, and a ridiculous race of evil aliens named the Mogodorians fill that role. They have ambitions to rule Earth, but before they can do so, they must eliminate John and several other fellow Loriens. The film begins with John enjoying himself at the beach when he experiences things he has never felt before as he senses the death of Number Three. Why the Loriens have to be killed in a certain order is not really explained in the film itself, neither is the back story of the Loriens explained in any way beyond a very brief summary of events in the beginning of the film. One gets the impression that the filmmakers were banking on the film perhaps garnering enough interest for filmgoers to buy the book or for filmgoers to already be fans of the book.
John and his guardian Henri live a life on the run, and they must keep a low profile at all costs. They move to the peaceful town of Paradise, Ohio, and Henri doesn’t even want John to go to school at first. But all John wants is to have a normal teenage life and because he realizes he’s next on the Mogodorians’ list, this desire for normalcy increases even more as he begins to establish friendships and experience love for the first time. The film’s last half is action packed and is suitably fast paced enough and laden with enough special effects and giant CGI monsters that it will satisfy the target audience. This film is clearly oriented for young teenagers, and based on the casting of the lead, for teenage girls in particular. Clearly, something had to be made to fill the void that Twilight has left before it returns to movie theatres.
D.J. Caruso’s latest directing effort is nowhere near as entertaining or engaging as Disturbia or Eagle Eye, and both those movies have fared considerably better in the box office. And while Shia La Beouf (star of the two aforementioned movies) is not my favourite actor, he does have a certain charisma and affability to him that is completely lacking in Alex Pettyfer, and this film may have stood a chance if it had an engaging and interesting lead. Stone-faced and callow in his performance, Pettyfer maintains the same demeanour and facial expression throughout the film, with the appropriately and perfectly placed grime and blood on his face being the only changing constant in his performance throughout the film. The under-used and underrated Timothy Olyphant was the only positive I could take from this film, and he is perfect in the role of the aging guardian and acts as good counterbalance to the impetuous and stereotypical rebellious teen played by Pettyfer. The rest of the cast consists of typical stock characters, the nerdy fellow social outcast and only friend who he must protect, the blonde love interest who’s the only one who understands him, the jock bully ex-boyfriend...you get it. It’s all been done to death before and a lot better than it’s done here.
Nothing could save this movie from its completely lack of originality or spontaneity, and we all know exactly what’s going to happen well before the end credits. This isn’t always necessarily a failing of a film, but it is in this case where the journey to that end is definitely not worth the watch or the wait. Devoid of any kind of originality, I Am Number Four is a simple crowd pleaser that brings nothing new to the table and will be quickly forgotten long before the big summer blockbusters come out.
C
Trailer:
Movie info:
Runtime: 109 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Durand, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron
Director: D.J. Caruso
Screenplay: Alfred Gough, Miles Millar & Marti Noxon
Cinematography: Guillermo Navarro
