FILM: I Am Number Four (dir: D.J. Caruso, 2011)

"I play a lot of X-Box."

I Am Number Four requires patience, as the rather lethargic first half sets up an unusually high number of narrative strands for a 'young adult' movie which paves the way for an interesting second half and a rip-roaring FX-heavy finale. This film provides a much stronger basis for a movie franchise based on popular novels than other recent attempts such as Percy Jackson and Cirque Du Freak and also creates more interesting characters than the Twilight dullards. Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron are solid as the central couple, although Pettyfer acts more effectively when not speaking (his monotone American-ish accent is languorous) and he handles the action sequences well. Timothy Olyphant gives another watchable performance as Number Four's protector in a cruelly-underwritten part, and of more interest than the leads are two engaging performances by Teresa Palmer as the kick-ass Number Six and Callan McAuliffe as Four's bullied high-school sidekick Sam. Trevor Rabin provides an evocative score, and the whole look of the film is of a higher quality than might be expected from this kind of film. After a very lively climax (silly CG monsters aside), I Am Number Four capably sets up the next chapter which - if box-office allows - has potential to be very interesting indeed.