The Phoenix Network:
 
 
About  |  Advertise
Adult  |  Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures
 
Features  |  Reviews
TheBest2011-1000x50

Review: I Am Number Four

Teen aliens and big battles make for a flashy, if predictable, adolescent fantasy
By PETER KEOUGH  |  February 15, 2011
2.5 2.5 Stars

You might feel you've watched the premieres of half a dozen TV series after seeing D.J. Caruso's flashy adolescent fantasy. Or maybe as many recent films. But despite its lack of originality, I Am Number Four does offer a few rewarding moments. The dog, for example. And Callan McAuliffe's Sal Mineo turn as the bullied nerd Sam. And Kevin Durand's gleeful sadism as the commander of the evil aliens, the Mogadorians. Otherwise, it's business as usual, as alien teen "John Smith" (Alex Pettyfer) lies low with his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant) until he can develop his powers, reunite with his fellow exiles, and whip the Mogadorians' asses. The two hole up in a tiny Ohio town, but had they been watching the Twilight series, they'd have realized that puppy love with a mortal (Dianna Agron) would gum up their plans. Sporting a rousing but over-edited climactic battle sequence and some pubescent double entendres, this might justify an I Am Number Four Number Two.

Related: Review: Inkheart, Old school, Harvard riled by close encounters, More more >
  Topics: Reviews , Ohio, tv, Alex Pettyfer,  More more >
| More
Add Comment
HTML Prohibited

 Friends' Activity   Popular   Most Viewed 
[ 02/17 ]   Baths + Braids + Star Slinger  @ Brighton Music Hall
[ 02/17 ]   Mary Poppins  @ Opera House
ARTICLES BY PETER KEOUGH
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   REVIEW: I AM NUMBER FOUR  |  February 15, 2011
    You might feel you've watched the premieres of half a dozen TV series after seeing D.J. Caruso's flashy adolescent fantasy. Or maybe as many recent films. But despite its lack of originality, I Am Number Four does offer a few rewarding moments.
  •   REVIEW: CEDAR RAPIDS  |  February 16, 2011
    In his fourth film, aspiring maverick director Miguel Arteta ( Chuck & Buck ; Youth in Revolt ) follows Capra deeper into the cornfield with this slyly complex and broadly comic farce about innocence, corruption, and the gray areas between.  
  •   SARA NESSON GETS AN OSCAR NOD FOR 'POSTER GIRL'  |  February 15, 2011
    In the Bible, they beat swords into plowshares. On Martha's Vineyard on July 21, 2008, about two dozen Iraq War vets recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder shredded their old uniforms into paper and turned them into works of art. Sara Nesson, a filmmaker with local roots (she's the stepdaughter of tire magnate Barry Steinberg), had helped organize the event, which was called the Combat Papers Project.
  •   REVIEW: GNOMEO & JULIET  |  February 09, 2011
    Following the blighted example of Gulliver, Kelly Asbury's vapid adaptation takes a great classic and makes it stupid for the kids.
  •   REVIEW: SANCTUM  |  February 09, 2011
    As the helicopter cleared the jungle canopy for the first awe-inspiring, 3D look at the stony maw of the Esa-ala cave system in New Guinea, I thought: sanctum? It's more like a rectum.

 See all articles by: PETER KEOUGH

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2011 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group