Hanna

[2.5 stars] [IMDB Link]

[Amazon Link]
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This is one of those rare, but not rare enough, instances where Netflix predicted I would like a movie, but I came away rather cold. And not just because a big portion of it is set near the Arctic Circle, yuk yuk.

The heroine is the eponymous Hanna, a cute 16-year-old; she and her father (Eric Bana) live alone waaay up north in Finland. From scene one, where she takes out a deer, we learn that Hanna has deadly survival and fighting skills. And also that she and Dad have long been in hiding from the ruthless and evil CIA agent Marissa (Cate Blanchett), who was the proximate cause of Hanna being raised in a single-parent household.

But Hanna wants to break out of the hermit life; reluctantly, Dad agrees. Pretty soon choppers swoop in to take Hanna away and Dad goes on the lam. They follow their own paths to a prearranged rendezvous, with plenty of carnage and quirky characters along the way.

My problem: what would ordinarily be a straightforward dark action flick is painted over with garish artsy pretentiousness. Fight scenes are filled with "look at me" choreography, which is often a marker that the filmmaker hasn't really given the viewer any stake in the outcome. In one place this works (subway station fight), but it's usually just stupid.


Last Modified 2024-01-28 2:23 PM EDT