Movie Review: HANNA

HANNA

2011
PG-13

Hanna is a 2011 action film directed by Joe Wright. The film opens on a young girl named Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) as she hunts an elk in an icy wilderness. After making the kill, she is "ambushed" by her father Erik (Eric Bana) and a subsequent fight ensues. We quickly learn that Erik used to be some sort of special agent, and he is training his daughter for a mission to kill a woman named Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), who killed Hanna's mother. When Erik believes Hanna to be ready, he gives her the option of taking that path in life. After spending some time contemplating the decision, Hanna chooses to take the risk and calls for Marissa to find her. Within a day, Marissa's team scoops Hanna and brings her back to a secret base, from which she soon escapes and believes she's killed the real Marissa and has successfully completed her mission. Hanna begins her journey to Berlin, where she is to meet her father, but a series of roadblocks stand in her path. She befriends a similarly-aged girl named Sophie (Jessica Barden) and her family, but the friendship ultimately puts Sophie's family in peril as well. As Hanna continues her journey, she must fight to stay alive and put together the pieces of the puzzle that solve the riddle that is her life.

I know the above synopsis sounds a little convoluted, but it's the best I can manage considering the circumstances. In all reality, the screenplay is rather original and very inventive, but it's not necessarily going to blow you away. Still, we're given a solid story that's more or less straight-forward. We're thrown a twist here or there, but for the most part, the screenplay is very linear and doesn't deviate from it's course once it's set. I can honestly say that Hanna is the first smash action thriller of the year, even after giving Source Code a glowing review last week. From the opening scene, you're hooked into the film, and it never gives you the opportunity to back out. We've got a ton of pulse-pounding action that'll keep you on the edge of your seat.

The acting ensemble is probably the best we've been given thus far in 2011, and it's spear-headed by the young and ferocious Ronan. For those of you who haven't heard of this acting wonder, you need not look past her 2008 Academy Award nomination for her supporting role in Atonement. Although I wasn't drawn into all that hype, she definitely delivered for me this time around. We very well may have the makings of a new female action star here, but that's neither here nor there for the moment. Ronan brings a strong performance of duality, fluidly switching from tough-as-nails killer to scared-and-defenseless teenager on the fly. This constant changing provides us a broad spectrum for her Hanna, and it makes her performance all the more believable and gives the audience the ability to relate to the character. So kudos, little one, on a fine acting performance.

That's not to say that the supporting characters don't pull their weight. Bana and Blanchett bring their typical greatness to the screen, so there's not much to say there (although, I'm still not sure how I feel about Blanchett's Southern accent, but I won't get into that now). We also have some very good smaller roles from the likes of Olivia Williams and Jason Flemyng, who play the aforementioned Sophie's parents. And Tom Hollander, who most of you will recognize from the second and third installments of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, portrays a very creepy villain that's sure to give you some chills.

I'd also like to tip my hat to the Chemical Brothers for producing a very emphatic musical score for the film. Although it's a little bit out there, it finds a way to fit Hanna perfectly, and it should definitely be commended.

Overall, Hanna might not be a must-see, but it's pretty darn close. If you're itching for some mile-a-minute action, then this is easily your best bet this weekend. Throw in some great performances, and you've got the makings of a very, very good film. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: A-
1.5 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: BLACK HAWK DOWN

BLACK HAWK DOWN

2001
R

I'd like to consider myself a bit of a movie buff. Most of my friends come to me for advice when picking what flick they should watch over the weekend. I can uncannily tell you the year that quite a few movies were released in a heartbeat. I'm not saying I'm the biggest movie fan, but I do have a bit of an obsession. Despite this, there are obviously quite a few movies that I have yet to see. I mean, I'm only twenty-two, and in the course of cinematic history, I find it difficult to think that anyone could have possibly seen every movie ever made. However, I had one friend who wouldn't take my critiques seriously until I saw The Godfather (which now rests at #18 all time for me), and I still get a lot of "How have you not seen that movie?" for any number of films. Black Hawk Down was one such movie, and I know I'm going to take a lot of flack for waiting this long to give it a gander, but worry no more, for I have finally seen it.

Black Hawk Down is a Ridley Scott film that tells the true story of the Battle of Mogadishu, which was a raid aimed at capturing two high-ranking officials serving warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid in Somalia. The film follows the ensemble cast that comprises a group of Army Rangers as well as Delta Force operatives who attempt to make the capture but are pinned inside the city when one of their Black Hawk choppers is shot down. The rest of the movie shows the frantic efforts of the soldiers and the higher-ranking officers to get all of their men out of the hostile area of the city.

The filmmakers placed some lofty expectations on this film by having the opening title card read the following quote from the Greek philosopher Plato: "Only the dead have seen the end of war." That's a rather deep and thought-provoking quote to start a war movie, don't you think? I think it sets the stage for the hope that Black Hawk Down will be a war movie with something more. It was a gutsy call, essentially making the audience say, "Alright, now you better back it up and give us something good." And boy, do they ever back it up.

The first thing you're going to notice about the movie, especially if you're watching it now in 2011, is the huge amount of familiar faces. When the film was released in 2001, a lot of these guys hadn't yet made a name for themselves, but now, we've got some heavy-hitters and A-listers giving fine performances all the way around. To give you an idea of how deep of a cast we've got, let me list the men you should recognize most easily (and why you'll recognize them):

Eric Bana (from Hulk and Troy)
Ewan McGregor (as Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Star Wars prequels)
Ioan Gruffudd (as Mr. Incredible from the Fantastic Four films)
Jason Isaacs (as Lucius Malfoy from the Harry Potter franchise)
Jeremy Piven (as Ari Gold from "Entourage")
Josh Hartnett (from Pearl Harbor and 40 Days and 40 Nights)
Orlando Bloom (from The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean)
Tom Sizemore (from Heat and Saving Private Ryan)
William Fichtner (from Armageddon and The Longest Yard)

Now, I recognized quite a few more people, but they're probably not actors you'd recognize instantly like the ones listed above. Normally, I'd be against having so many recognizable actors in a movie (although that wasn't the problem ten years ago, it left open the possibility for Black Hawk Down to age poorly with too many big-names shoved into one flick), but somehow, it works this time around. We never get a huge, get-to-know-you stage for any one of the characters although some get a little more than others. In a way, the film's screenplay keeps the audience at arm's length from the action, the carnage and the pain, which you can either take or leave. However, the fact that it was written that way helps to counter the fact that we've got a big, big cast and doesn't let the individual stars take over the ensemble piece. That's a huge plus.

The pacing of Black Hawk Down is fantastic as well. For the first hour of the battle, we're nearly going along in real-time with the soldiers while they fight their way to the downed chopper. After that, we have to take jumps in time - otherwise we'd be watching a fifteen-hour movie. Ridley Scott does a great job with directing, never taking his foot off the gas once he's slammed it to the floor. The end result is a high-speed, ultra-realistic war movie that leaves you utterly breathless.

It's difficult to make a war movie that's more than just a glorified action flick. A lot of times, we end up with movies that start out well but simply fall into the same rote shoot-em-ups. Black Hawk Down, however, carries an aura of something more, and I think, going in, the filmmakers knew exactly what they had. Perhaps that Plato quote wasn't as gutsy a call as we would have thought in the beginning.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: A-
Current All-Time Rank: Best - #121
2 Thumbs Up