Monday Movie Review: I Am Number Four

With the release of sci-fi epic films such as Tron Legacy, I Am Number Four, and Battle: Los Angeles (due in March) Hollywood is releasing its summer blockbusters way before the country heats up. Don't worry, I Am Number Four is a film which knows how to turn up the thermostat. 

The story begins with John, an alien teen from the Lorien planet, just trying to fit into high school life. His plan disintergrates when a lake-side incident involving searchlights shining from his palms causes him to go on the run again. His protector, Henry, and he make an escape to Paradise, Ohio where they try to keep a low profile from the Mogadorian aliens. The Mogadorian aliens want to live on Earth, and the Loriens' presence somehow prohibits them from doing this; so, they have a mission to kill all Lorien aliens. The first three have already been killed in Malaysia, England, and Kenya respectively. With each killing, John receives a scar like that of a large coin branded on one's leg and a searing Harry Potter-esque sensation of pain which causes his powers to make a pronounced appearance; hence, the disco-balls for palms. Upon arriving in Paradise, Henry cautions John to stay home and chill. John seems to have a problem with keeping the attention off himself, and any unneccessary catastophies could give away their location. John simply can't sit still. Not even for a day. He enrolls in a local high school where he meets a lovely girl named Sarah who has a penchant for getting him into trouble. As a matter of a fact, she is the main reason that the Mogadorians catch up with John and Henry. Yeah, John might want to rethink that Facebook relationship status. 

While the movie did suffer from a few flaws like continuity issues, plot holes, a bit of predictability, and absolutely zero racial diversity within the cast, I Am Number Four had a certain charm that other films lack right now. Maybe it's because Four brought the heat to the winter via searchlights and alien gunfire. The movie was loaded to the brim with action, teen emo issues, family dynamics, and romance. There is a reason, however, that most people don't fill a cup to the brim. The overflow with I Am Number Four was a bit much sometimes. There's one moment when John and Sarah deliver an intensely romantic line to  each other just before their first kiss. It was the most unintentionally funny line in the movie, and that's saying something. It's not that Four was a bad film; it just tried so hard to be good that it missed the mark at times. Such is the case when Mark, the ex-boyfriend of Sarah, pulls her into the woods in a deranged scene which resembles something from a straight-to-Lifetime movie. 

While I Am Number Four pulls out all the stops and tries to make an epic sci-fi thriller, its high school roots drag it down far enough that the audience can sometimes forget to suspend its disbelief and just enjoy the cool alien tricks. Overall, it's a fun ride.

willwriteforlove.com gives I Am Number Four ♥♥♥/♥♥♥♥♥

Until the next scene,

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