Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Disney – 109 minutes – 2011 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 1.85:1 – Dolby DTS 5.1 Audio Mix – DVD – Digital Copy

Because of the success of I Am Legend, the wave of “I Am…” movies was inevitable. Though the premise is miles away from Mr. Smith’s blockbuster hit, the mouse house goes for a younger audience with I Am Number Four, which is basically the TV show Smallville meets Twilight meets Harry Potter. There was plenty of hype surrounding this film when it hit theaters earlier this year, but it came and went so fast that it may not have found its target audience. I Am Number Four is now available on Blu-ray from Disney, and though it’s not the start of an epic that it’s hoping to be, it does offer some entertaining thrills.

THE MOVIE

The film starts off with a bang as a teenager, who we learn is Number Three, is killed by a pack of alien bad-asses called The Mogadorians, led by big brute with a crazy set of teeth called the Commander (Kevin Durand). As soon as Number Three dies, a teenager in another town, simply named “John Smith,” (played by Alex Pettyfer) screams in pain as a fiery symbol brands in his flesh. This is the third of these symbols to appear on his body and he knows that one of his own has perished. Now that he is Number Four, the enemy will seek him out next.

John is the last of an advanced extraterrestrial race called The Loriens who are hiding on Earth. He has been assigned a protector named Henri (Timothy Olyphant) who helps him learn the proper use of his super human abilities, and keeps moving him from town-to-town to avoid being targeted by The Mogadorians, who must kill their prey in a numerical order to submit them into extinction.

John tries to fit into his new school and meets a girl, Sarah (Dianna Argron) and a wimpy kid named Sam (Callan McAuliffe) whose father supposedly disappeared via an alien abduction. When The Mogadorians attack, John realizes that he is not alone in the fight as a lethal lady joins his battle, and he learns that she is Number Six (Teresa Palmer). Together Number Four and Number Six with a little help from some friends must work together to defeat the enemy Commander and his death squad or the fate of The Loriens will be darkened.

Directed by D.J. Caruso, I Am Number Four avoids going into any deep characterization and keeps things moving with non-stop action. This makes sense being that the film was produced by Mr. Action himself, Michael Bay. Based on the novel of the same name by Pittacus Lore, (who are actually Jobie Hughes and Oprah’s nemesis James Frey using pen names). The idea was to create a series of books and movies to keep the adventure going and meet the other Loriens, such as Number Five who is not mentioned in this movie.

The one big issue with the movie is that the lead actor seems wrongly casts and is playing the role like he’s James Franco. He’s not having any fun with his part and that holds the audience back from having fun too. Because of this, other characters such as the enemy Commander and Number Six stand out more. There is nothing original about I Am Number Four, and it’s just basically a mesh of other better movies, but even with all the flaws, the Michael Bay pacing and big action finale will keep you watching.

VIDEO

Offering a full 1080p image in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, I Am Number Four looks good on Blu-ray, but it wasn’t filmed in a very stylized manner, so it looks like a TV show. Colors are bright and skin tones are even, but there are hints of grain in the night scenes. The visual effects shots, particularly in the film’s finale, really benefit from the glossy tone, and look great on a large screen TV. Overall, this is a solid transfer, just as long as you accept the material for what it is.

AUDIO

I Am Number Four delivers an excellent sound experience with a Dolby Digital DTS-HD 5.1 mix that will blow your speakers through the wall. Caruso and Bay have stuck a lot of action into a film that is only less two hours, so things are exploding and people are screaming constantly. Dialogue is well balanced and fortunately doesn’t get overshadowed by the action. If you have a home theater system you will really reap the rewards of the sound because all of your speakers will get a full workout. What this movie lacks in substance, it makes up for in sound design tenfold.

EXTRAS

The pickings are very slim in the bonus material section; there’s not even a Director’s audio commentary track, which is odd because Disney usually gives you a lot more content for newer tittles.

This three-disc combo pack offers the Blu-ray version and the DVD version of the movie, as well as a Digital Copy disk.

The film’s Director introduces six deleted/extended scenes, running twenty-minutes, but none of them add any new levels to the movie. For Raiders of the Lost Ark fans, one of the deleted scenes features the awesome Karen Allen.

Becoming Number Six is behind the scenes look at the training actress Teresa Palmer went through to become a lethal extraterrestrial warrior.

Rounding things out are an unnecessary Blooper reel and a selection of Trailers.

BOTTOM LINE

I Am Number Four didn’t win the audience that the Harry Potter and Twilight films have in their grip, but for what it is the film is entertaining enough. The Blu-ray offers good picture quality and excellent sound, but the bonus material is very anemic. Will we ever know who Number Five or any of the other hidden Loriens are? It’s possible because Hollywood loves sequels, whether the film is a mega hit or a mediocre one.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.0

Video: 4.0

Sound: 4.5

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 3.0