My Movie Reviews: I Am Number Four (2011)

John Smith/Number Four (Alex Pettyfer) and Number Six (Teresa Palmer) in I Am Number Four

The film is based on the novel I Am Number Four, written by Jobie Hughes and James Frey, with an adapted screenplay by Al Gough, Miles Millar, and Marti Noxon. The film was produced by Michael Bay through DreamWorks and was released February 18, 2011.

THE CAST

Alex Pettyfer as John Smith/Number 4
Timothy Olyphant as Henri
Dianna Agron as Sarah Hart
Kevin Durand as Mogadorian Commander
Teresa Palmer as Number 6
Callan McAuliffe as Sam
Jake Abel as Mark

SYNOPSIS

John 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.

TRAILER

MY THOUGHTS

I actually don't have a lot to say about this film besides the fact that I am greatly disappointed. Like most critics have said about this movie, it was like a film full of senseless action. The acting, however, was not frowned upon by me. The acting was very well executed in my opinion, but the plot of the story left absolutely too many questions unanswered. I have not read the book and unfortunately don't plan to read it any time soon. The way this story left off was also a bit awkward. SPOILERS: Number 6 and John connect the mystical rocks and suddenly realize where the remaining four Loriens are. The two leave the current town with Sam and John promises Sarah he won't forget her and that he will be coming back. John/Number 4, Number 6, and Sam leave the town and head out on their new adventure as the credits roll. SPOILERS END. The film ends with us wondering, if the Evil aliens are dead... why do they have to go on an adventure? What new threat possibly awaits? I mean really??? I mean come on... Twilight Saga: New Moon's cliff hanger may have been a little pointless (since most of us have read the books and know that Bella eventually marries Edward), the series itself is not pointless. Another thing about the series that makes no sense is that the rights for the film were bought a year before the book even came out. WHY? For all we know there could never be another book written in the I Am Number Four Saga. At least when Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga became film series, there had been a certain amount of books released to even begin a series (Harry Potter was in its fourth book by the time the film series started and The Twilight Saga had just released its final book of the series the same year the film series started). But I am Number Four was different. Obviously before the book was even published, the first film was under way (I'm really not dogging the story, but if the budget of a film is 50 million and the Gross is 38 million in the US Box office in it's first week... there is a serious problem and something was not clearly thought through). That being said, Hollywood really jumped the gun with I Am Number Four.

Unfortunately, this will be my first negative movie review. I give I Am Number Four an unfortunate: ★★★★★ 2 out of 5 Stars