I Am Number Four
is a classic book-to-movie adaptation; this one just happens to be about a teen-aged
alien trying to stay alive in his adopted home on Earth. I'm always skeptical
of any movie based on a book. They're either done well, or they deviate so
unbearably from the source material that the film is impossible to follow. I Am Number Four manages to toe the line
of being good and bad. The beginning of the film contains every teen literature
stereotype ever conceived. You've got the artsy, quasi-popular girl, the
egotistical quarterback, the long-suffering geek, and the outcast protagonist.
For the first half of the movie, I expected those stereotypes to completely
ruin the whole film, but the second half, thankfully, abandoned much of that
and became quite enjoyable.
My issues with character development aside, the movie wasn't
half-bad. The opening scene is reminiscent of Battlefield Earth, and another scene was very Jaws-like, perhaps as a nod to Stephen Spielberg for his un-credited
assistance with I Am Number Four. The
use of popular current music wasn't the greatest, mostly because it didn't
always feel like it fit with the movie; this, unfortunately, caused some scenes
to seem a little cheesy. The special effects and wire stunts were also a bit deficient.
It's not a huge, glaring issue, but it is occasionally noticeable. The bright
spots were the fight scenes and the dog. If you see the movie, you'll totally
understand about the dog. That Beagle is magic.
If you're thinking about taking a kid to the film, you
should know that I Am Number Four
completely deserves its PG-13 rating. There are a few instances of language,
but some of the visual images are a little disturbing.
I Am Number Four
boasts a primarily unknown cast. Timothy Olyphant is the only actor that I
immediately recognized, although some of the others have appeared in television
series and movies. The acting seemed occasionally wooden, but that can be
blamed on the whole "We're aliens!" thing. My suspension of disbelief was
occasionally stretched to the limit, but if you can watch this movie and just
accept everything as it is, you'll do fine. Watching I Am Number Four makes me want to read the book series since I'm
feeling too impatient to find out what happens. It's definitely worth watching
so long as you can make it through the first half. After that point, everything
is completely worthwhile.
