I am number four, 2011

I am number four, 2011
Director: D.J. Caruso
Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron



Stage: Local theatre, colloseum.


I am number four in short: Extraordinary teen John Smith (Pettyfer) is a fugitive on the run from ruthless enemies sent to destroy him. Changing his identity, moving from town to town with his guardian Henri (Olyphant), John is always the new kid with no ties to his past. In the small Ohio town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected, life-changing events-his first love (Agron), powerful new abilities and a connection to the others who share his incredible destiny.

Preps: A friend of mine drags me to the movies. I haven't been there for a while, so I don't really care what she will pick. She claims this one to be a good sci-fi. Let's see.


Reality: Well, this isn't a sci-fi movie, just to be clear at the beginning. But it's a good high school adventure - I am not sure, but maybe we should come up with a new genre, that includes vampire movies and similar ones. This piece definitely reminds me of the Twilight saga. Does it come from the same root? Doubtfully, however it does circulate in my mind, everything about teenage vampire movies. This piece is again, located in an unknown city, filled with young high school teens, waiting for some action. And voila, it comes in a shape of extra terrestrial survivors from another planet, that are being chased by another bunch of ET's. The humans here are more in the role of an inhabitant of a certain planet (or playground) of these aliens and the chase until the death is on, while the viewer is pushed with an indefinite romance between an alien and earthling in shape of a lovely (yet wacky) girl.

It just happens every now and then, when I am in the middle of the movie, that the mind drifts away to this concept of a wild goose chase and an impossible romance. The concept is so similar to the Twilight, that in my honest opinion, if you are a fan of that saga, you will absolutely adore this piece. Nicely put together, a strong posture in terms of adventure chase/fight/battle scenes and good versus evil. However in this case, the saints are the one to be rescued. This is the distinctive competence in aspect of Twilight. There you should first adopt the idea of liking vampires and then the fact that they could have feelings too. Here you have an adorable kid that strives for true love and wants to be a member of a regular family instead of the one he's having, being tired of the chase and wants to settle forever (isn't it funny how we never are satisfied with the things that are ours and always want to have something that neighbour has (even if as in this case, it comes in a shape of a cheesy dinner with parents that are cracking unfunny jokes and making a positive attitude towards the family spirit - if you buy that, of course).

The ending of this piece is pretty predictable, yet another flash arrives in a shape of an avenger (the number 6), and the dog, transforming into chimera (or being chimera and transforming from a dog to a poisonous animal). It brings the last breath out of the spectator and yes, I recommend it to all of those, that die when watching something similar to lately popular vampire teen movies. Could it really be a new genre that we are seeing here? Most probably.


My personal rating: 7,5 (a very highly positioned movie in its genre and a good combination of teen love, striving for something new and unusual, yet old and traditional when trying to settle in. Fresh and new cast, new faces and a good act).

I am number four on IMDB