Review of I Am Number Four (2011) by Jenni B — 28 Nov 2012

There is an interesting idea in "I Am Number Four", it unfortunately never pans out and decides to settle for typical teenager schlock. The film follows an alien and his caregiver who are being hunted down by an alien race because they fear that they will be able to stop the overtaking of Earth.

The acting is bad. It is really hard to be submersed in a film when all of your actors and actresses look like they are getting ready for a Vogue photoshoot. The only actor who is putting any effort in this, which is subsequently wasted, is Timothy Olymphant.

It is a shame to see him act in this film, especially when no one else seems to want to. The writing is bad as well, with the dialogue being riddled with cheesey one liners which are then delivered by equally bad acting.

It makes for a rough combination to sit through. The effects, both visual and practical, are nice enough to look at, which is just about the only thing this film has going for it. The pacing is also poor, bouncing between sci-fi and a teenage love drama.

It never balances the two, and stumbles greatly because of it. In the end, it turns into an alien vs. alien fight with lasers and monsters, and that is about all it is worth. There is even an open ending that looks hopeful for a sequel, but after this attempt, it would be better to just scrap it and move on.