I AM NUMBER FOUR: 3 STARS
Based on a teen novel written by Jobie Hughes and Oprah's least favourite writer James Frey, "I Am Number Four" is a stealthy mix of "Superman" and "Twilight" with a hint of "X-Files."
Brit-it-boy Alex Pettyfer is Number Four, an Earth-bound alien who fled his home planet of Lorien along with nine other ET children. They are the last of their kind, but are hunted by the Mogadorians, a gang of marauding aliens who, after destroying Lorien, now have their sights set on Earth. Just as Four begins to develop his powers—think Superman—he falls for a human girl, Sarah Hart ("Glee's" Dianna Agron), and finds himself battling the Mogadorians not only for the survival of his kind but the human race as well.
"I Am Number Four" is a fresh story that feels like an echo of other teen stories. From "Superman" it takes the idea of an exile from a dying planet sent to Earth to live in disguise among humans. Where Clark Kent could leap over buildings with a single bound and see through walls, Four has a kind of fluorescent stigmata, powerful beams of light that shoot from his palms.
From "Twilight" it borrows the high school romance angle, complete with rivalries, but this time it's a girl with a Scar Jo vibe and a bullying quarterback instead of an angst ridden brunette and a lovelorn werewolf.
From the "X-Files" it takes the murky atmosphere and a couple of conspiracy nuts.
The only thing missing is a lightning bolt shaped scar on Four's forehead to make the teen homage complete.
Having said all that, despite feeling like a pastiche, "I Am Number Four" is rather enjoyable.
Director DJ Caruso gives the story and characters time to grow and develop their prerequisite outsider credibility—a crucial element in teen entertainment these days—and blends in more wild action than, say, "Twilight."
It still feels calculated but by the time we get to the chaotic conclusion—complete with flying fanged creatures that look like the offspring of Godzilla and Mothra—and the inevitable sequel set-up, "I Am Number Four" has established itself up as something, if not completely original, at least entertaining.
UNKNOWN: 1 STAR
There is one sure fire way to know that "Unknown" is an action film and not some sly spy documentary starring a man who looks a lot like Liam Neeson. It comes late in the movie and it's a blink-or-you'll-miss-it moment when Neeson, playing Dr. Martin Harris, studies his passport. His date of birth is listed as 1964. Fiction. Pure fiction and off by about twelve years. Unfortunately that's not the only thing off about this dull excuse for a psychological drama.
The fifty-nine-year-old actor plays Dr. Harris, a biochemist who travels to Berlin with his wife Liz (the thirty-two-year-old January Jones) to attend a convention. Everything changes following a car accident. When he wakes up from a four day coma his identification and identity is gone. His wife doesn't recognize him and worse, she's with another man who claims to be Dr. Martin Harris. Alone in Germany he recruits an illegal Bosnian immigrant (Diane Kruger) and a private eye (Bruno Ganz) to get to the bottom of this mystery.
A couple of years ago, Neeson tore Paris apart searching for his kidnapped daughter in an enjoyably trashy Euro-thriller called "Taken." "I'll tear down the Eiffel Tower if I have to," he said, veins bulging in his forehead. The trailer for his latest flick, "Unknown," promises more of the same, but instead delivers almost two hours of Neeson shouting "I am Dr. Martin Harris!" at anyone who'll listen as the movie limps from one dreary set piece to another. It's endless minutes of co-incidences, Cold War references and dramatic pauses.
Neeson, as usual, is convincing, or I should say, as convincing as this script will allow him to be, but is let down by a script that has him delivering melodramatic lines like, "Do you know what it feel like to become insane?" and a co-star in January Jones who is quickly proving that Betty Draper may be a career high for her.
Despite a car chase or two "Unknown" isn't an action film, nor is it Euro-trashy enough to be as fun as "Taken" or interesting enough to succeed as a psychological drama.
YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER DVD: 3 ½ STARS
For me the beginning of any Woody Allen movie is like a warm hug. The familiar font, jaunty jazz theme and alphabetized credits are an important part of my movie going lexicon as are Allen's familiar themes concerning fate, sex, love and death. He has essayed these subjects before and revisits them again in You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. Set in London, the only thing that really sets this apart from his NYC films is the accents. It's a mix of light comedy and satire buoyed by great performances from Gemma Jones, Josh Brolin and Lucy Punch.
WAITING FOR SUPERMAN DVD: 4 STARS
The premise of "Waiting for Superman," the new documentary from "An Inconvenient Truth" Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim, isn't a new idea. We've heard for years that America's public school system is broken, letting down the very people it was designed to help—the kids. It sounds standard, yet what Guggenheim reveals is anything but.
His unflinching camera follows a number of students as they navigate their way through the landmine ridden terrain of a school year. His careful analysis of the state of education reveals some disturbing truths by putting a human face on it. By and large he leaves out the politics and allows the stories of the children to become the focus leading up to a climax—a lottery system to win a place at a better school—that will have you on the edge of your seat.
"Waiting for Superman" is riveting stuff, and for Canadians, a cautionary tale.
