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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

[8.25/10] Hanna (2011)


Hanna (2011)

Brief review: Although it has a couple of dull moments, and a few rather unnecessary scenes, Joe Wright's latest flick is a fast-paced, intense and fantastically-crafted thrill ride, that delivers the goods. "Hanna" is nothing short of captivating, visually, due to Wright's dynamically versatile, yet sophisticated direction, the beautifully washed-out color palette of the cinematography, and the various stunning locations used in the film. Furthermore, "Hanna" 'sounds' as cool as it looks, thanks to Chemical Brothers' original music score, filled with intense electronic beats that prepare the viewer for action. Speaking of action, "Hanna" is not only wonderfully-choreographed, but also creative and edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Acting-wise, "Hanna" succeeds vastly because of its top-notch cast. Saoirse Ronan is a true force of nature in her difficult role as Hanna, who discovers the world for the first time. Her sweet, innocent look contrasts with her daring, fierce spirit, and despite her superhuman strength and abilities, Ronan is thoroughly believable as the title character. One of the finest actresses working today, Cate Blanchett, delivers an outstanding performance as the cold-blooded Marissa, and the insanely underrated Eric Bana gives another solid performance as the bold, protectful father of Hanna, Erik.

Overall summary: Thanks to its unique premise, brilliant execution, impressive variety of settings, and Saoirse Ronan's show-stealing performance, "Hanna" is not only a true breath of fresh air into the genre, but also one of the most clever and spectacularly entertaining action thrillers of the past few years.

20 comments:

filmrruss said...

I completely agree. There were some scenes that were unnecessary and disrupted the flow of the film, but overall fantastic. Loved the music, loved the premise, Saoirse is a very capable young actress, Cate's character was great, and Bana was fantastic; especially in the tracking shot into the U-Bahn station!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Glad to see you back here, Russ. I thought you completely forgot about me :)
I loved "Hanna" despite those negatives you mentioned. Saoirse was absolutely fantastic, and I predict a great future for her. Cate is one of my all time favorite actresses and she did a brilliant job yet again. Bana deserves more credit than he gets, and yes, the action scene in the station was spectacular.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The movie was really unique - art house meets action flick. For me, it worked!

Ricky said...

Looking forward to this one.

filmrruss said...

Sorry Dude, I haven't forgotten about you, I just haven't seen any of the films you've reviewed recently. Also I read a lot of posts through Google Reader, and I'm not sure that would enter me in your top 10 members list.

However, in other news, by your recommendation I have put Unknown on my LoveFilm list. Also I've just had a tweet from Momentum pictures saying that Trollhunter is finally coming to the UK; but not until September!

Ty said...

Definitely agree with your review! Hanna was one of the better movies of 2011!

Unknown said...

Super spectacular review! I'm asha,ed to say I have not seen this yet, but I hope to very soon. You have made me even more excited to see it. i had plans to take my friend's daughter when it was released, but things got crazy and we never went. I think Hanna is an important flick for young girls. They need to see girls kicking ass as hard as the guys do. Total equality because women can be just as savagely brutal and tough as the men. I could see Hanna growing up to be like The Bride. :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, you described it perfectly. It worked for me, too. I was impressed.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Ricky, I bet you're gonna love it! :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Russ, it's okay mate, don't worry about it ;) You are already on my top 10 members list, so whether through Google Reader or not, you visit is still counted. :)
"Unknown" is far from amazing, but it's kind of a crowd\-pleaser. In other words, I think many people will find it entertaining. I hope you will, too.
"Troll Hunter"? Really? Yay, finally! :) Looking froward to your review of it.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Ty, glad you agree, buddy. So far, one of the best films of 2011. :)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

"Super spectacular review!" - Wow, thanks, sweetheart! :) The film itself is like 100 times more spectacular than my review, so you have to check it out as soon as you have the chance. :) I agree, a film like this one has to be more appealing to young girls than, for instance, "Hannah Montana" :) Well, maybe one day, when Hanna grow up, she could be the new Bride :)

Maynard Morrissey said...

wow, seems like you really loved it! Wanted to see this in theater but for whatever reason, I forgot about it - damn!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I have a feeling your reviews are more exciting than some of these movies. They're so well written. I just perused several of your recent reviews and am glad to know Kung Fu Panda has great scenery. That's the one I will most likely see.
Cheers,
Robyn

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Maynard, I did. It was kind of an artsy action :) I didn't see it in theater either, but that didn't ruin the experience. ;)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Robyn, thank you so much for the compliment. Glad you think my reviews are well-written. :) "Kung Fu Panda 2" is the best of all the films that I've reviewed recently. Thanks for the comment. :)

FilmMattic said...

Great cinematography, terrific score and Saoirse Ronan's breaktrhough performance make it a must watch, as you nicely put. Sadly, I have not watched it...yet. Once it hits netflix, I'm all over it. Thanks for accelerating my interest in seeing it.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Matty, you summed it up perfectly. You have to give it a shot as soon as you can.

Maynard Morrissey said...

Finally watched it a few days ago and really, really loved it. Great tension, great action and Saoirse is such a beauty.
8/10 from me!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Maynard, glad to see you liked it. IMO, it's one of the most underrated movies of the passing year. Saoirse is as beautiful as her name is. :)