Review of film: "HANNA"

2010, 03-30:

Review of film:  “HANNA”

                                   Like “HANNAH MONTANA” via TARANTINO...

This is an “ODD” little film, almost akin to a “take your daughter to WORK” day, where the “job” is VENGEANCE...

... Hanna (SAOIRSE RONAN) is a 16-year-old girl tracking an animal in the forests of Finland...  She’s soon attacked by a man named Erik (ERIC BANA).  They get into a knock-down, drag-out fight with each other...  And then, you realize Eric is her FATHER...

...  It seems he (an ex-CIA agent) has been working all her life to “TRAIN” her in protecting herself & to also be an ASSASSIN able to confront those who have been “stalking” them for years...  She has unusual strength and endurance, and “how” she got the “basis” of all that is part of the many “SECRETS” interspersed thru the film...

...  Saoirse is pursued by agents sent by a CIA leader named Marissa (CATE BLANCHETT).  One of them involved in the operation is CIA Tech 1 (PARIS ARROWSMITH) & another is her aide, Lewis (JOHN MacMILLAN)..

...  Bit-by-bit, we see Cate is in-effect a “ROGUE” secret agent doing a lot of things “under the table”, according to her OWN personal “agenda”...  Saoirse is imprisoned, but her past preparation helps her ESCAPE from her captors...

...  We see she’s runaway in MOROCCO, and “attaches” herself to a touring British family traveling by van thru the area...  (Altho Saoirse has long golden blonde hair that’d normally make her stand out like a “sore thumb” in the Islamic culture there, all the local males seem basically “blind” to her presence--  one of a number of plot weaknesses in the movie...)

...  Anyway, Cate arranges for some “off the normal payroll” slimeball types to track down & “OFF” Saoirse (as others are going after ERIC for the same purpose in Europe)...  This leads to a bunch of  violent, no-holds-barred FIGHTS between the various parties as they travel around...

...  Saoirse knows little about her real “BACKGROUND”, as she’s been “home-trained” by Eric who hasn’t revealed much...  As she runs around & meets people who know Eric, she learns a lot more about herself & him, & a lot of it is very UPSETTING to her...

...  Will Saoirse find out her true “history”?...  Will Cate & her goons FIND Eric and Saoirse, & if so, what will HAPPEN to them?...

...  There are some good “creative” elements to the story, almost of a sort of “SCI-FI” basis...  But, they are at times “overwhelmed” by the EXCESSES of the action, the story, and the music score... 

...  To me, there wasn’t enough given the audience about the “conditions” of CATE  & her “relationship” to Saoirse (which is one of the most intriguing elements brought forth in the overall story)... 

...  And, while that is too “little”, the level of violence (which my friend Tim commented reminded him of a TARANTINO “hand” in the film) is often OVERDONE...  Meanwhile, only slight attention is paid to what is likely to “BECOME” of Saoirse & “her” story... 

... The film is well acted & has a certain “stylishness” to it, especially involving the many “ACTION” scenes in the thriller...  But, too MUCH of it is “style” over “substance” (what with weaknesses in plot & “resolution”)...  That in part is why I’m just rating it at 7 out of 10 stars...

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