Review of I Am Number Four (2011) by Jason R — 12 Feb 2013

I dunno why the meter's at 30%, I thought it was a great for what it was. I'll lay out my one and ONLY qualm first... I know that it takes place in Paradise, Ohio, but shame on the casting directors for failing to provide any ethnicity other than Caucasian throughout the ENTIRE film.

.. I know it may have been a negative stereotype but there was an opportunity to diversify with the broken ol' high school janitor... but even he was anglo. The movie opened up in a beachy area, could be Miami.

.. I missed where exactly, and it couldn't have hurt to throw in an african american or latino kid in there SOMEWHERE... Aside from that I enjoyed the flick. Don't expect a Michael Bay transformers-style pyrotechnic extravaganza from the onset.

In fact despite some cool acrobatics in the beginning, the movie takes its time before the serious action starts... think Bourne Identity's first 20 minutes dragged out to 35/40 min... But I thought it was refreshing that the director chose not to disclose its main character's world/origin through flash back or over-written dialogue/exposition.

The film took its time and unveiled the mysterious through chronological sequences and scene by scene revelation. Once the action takes off it does not let up on the throttle. People who thought the first half of Iron Man dragged will likely have an issue with the pace of the movie but it didn't bother me.

Being in the PG-13 range may nestle the movie into the Percy Jackson demographic/genre, but I felt it was much more satisfying. All in all, no one's winning any awards, but it's a great ride. Side Bar, Teresa Palmer's jump from "Bedtime Stories" to her role here taught me, if nothing else, blonde bombshells are incontrovertibly hotter when mingled with an Aussie accent.

She definitely stole the show, and my heart, within the no more than 20 lines she had.