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"I AM NUMBER FOUR" (2011) (Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant) (PG-13) QUICK TAKE: Sci-Fi/Drama: A human-looking extraterrestrial teen moves to a small Ohio town with his guardian and hopes to avoid other aliens who want to kill him, all while he falls for a human classmate. PLOT: Nine human-like children from the planet Lorien arrived on Earth years ago just before their kind's enemies, the Mogadorians, destroyed their planet. Accompanied by a single guardian to protect each of them, the numbered Loriens live all around the world. One of them is "John Smith" (ALEX PETTYFER), a teenager who's just moved from Florida to Paradise, Ohio with his adult guardian, Henri (TIMOTHY OLYPHANT), who poses as his father. The move was due to the fact that the Mogadorian Commander (KEVIN DURAND) and his like have also arrived on Earth, intent on killing all of the Lorien children (who will develop special powers as they grow up), and they've already accomplished that with the first three. As those deaths must occur in order and John is Number Four, Henri wants to make sure he keeps him out of harm's way, but John is tired of running and hiding. Thus, he enrolls in the local high school, posing as an everyday student. But when he finds himself attracted to fellow student Sarah (DIANNA AGRON), he brings about the wrath of her ex-boyfriend Mark (JAKE ABEL) and his thugs who already routinely bully Sam (CALLAN McAULIFFE), the school outcast who believes his father was abducted by aliens. When the Mogadorians eventually track John to his new location, the teen must decide whether to flee again or stand his ground and fight. With new telekinetic powers and the surprise appearance of the more powerful Number 6 (TERESA PALMER), John decides to do the latter, resulting in a cosmic battle in the small Ohio town. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? The teen angle might interest some, but unless they're fans of sci-fi and/or someone in the cast, it's hard to see how much interest there will be with this film. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For intense sequences of violence and action, and for language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ALEX PETTYFER plays an extraterrestrial on Earth, mostly undistinguishable from other teens save for his slowly emerging telekinetic and other superhuman powers. A targeted figure wanted dead by the Mogadorians, he's tired of running and being smother-protected by Henri, and decides to take a stand in his new town. That's especially true after he's met and fallen for Sarah. He uses some profanity and fights the bad guys (that include Mark and his fellow school bullies). TIMOTHY OLYPHANT plays his guardian, assigned to protect him no matter what, thus their constant moving from one locale to the next. He thinks John is taking too many risks, but can't completely control him. TERESA PALMER plays another of John's kind, an extraterrestrial whose special powers are more enhanced than his. She shows up to help protect him and battle and defeat the Mogadorians. She uses some profanity. DIANNA AGRON plays a free spirit in John's high school who once dated Mark the bully but now finds herself interested in John when not pursuing her photography hobby. She must contend with the situation in which she finds herself once the Mogadorians show up. CALLAN McAULIFFE plays the picked on outcast at school who befriends John and wants to know if his (Sam's) father was truly abducted by extraterrestrials. He helps John battle the Mogadorians and uses some profanity. KEVIN DURAND plays the alien leader of the small Mogadorian crew that's hunting down John and wants him dead, along with Number 6 and the rest of their kind. JAKE ABEL plays the school bully who isn't happy with John for rocking his school order or being interested in Sarah (his ex) and thus tries to intimidate him, just like he does with Sam. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this sci-fi drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 8 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. There's brief kissing and some views of teens in swimwear (bikinis and trunks), while a non-explicit but sexually related joke/comment is made. Violence consists of various characters being killed by various means, as well as attempts on the lives of others via various weapons and more (during which property damage also occurs). Bully related contact is also present. Some of that violence has bloody results, and those scenes and various moments of potential peril could be unsettling, suspenseful and/or scary to some viewers. Potentially imitative behavior is present, as are bad attitudes, tense family material and thematic elements (including that involving bullying). Several scenes feature drinking (some apparently involving teens), while some crude humor is briefly present. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's a full strobe effect during a nighttime haunted hayride. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some flying POV over and through a jungle at the beginning of the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Teens might be drinking out at the beach, and then later at night. Sarah's parents have wine with dinner. There appears to be teen drinking at a party. The Mogadorian leader comments on Mark being an alcohol-fueled teen. BLOOD/GROSS STUFF A special mark on John's leg is bloody, while other similar ones appear as scars. A teacher is upset about a photo that Sarah posted on her website featuring the man picking his nose (we see his finger up that in the photo). Sarah's dad jokes that the worst advice he ever got was "pull my finger." John and Sarah go on a haunted hayride attraction at night. During that, they're confronted with several (fake) severed heads, a figure jumping out at them, an electrocution display, and two decomposed looking bodies suddenly dropping down in front of them. John has a slight bloody cut on his head. A Mogadorian lands on the hood of a pickup truck and then stabs something through the windshield and into a person's chest (and maybe through his hand as well), with bloody results on his clothed chest, while he also has some blood on his face. A mortally wounded alien turns grey and then to wispy dust that floats away (like various others throughout the film). We see an unmanned floor buffer spinning around with blood on the floor (presumably from the unseen and now assumed dead operator). John's former beagle turned large dog monster fights a flying monster, smashing it with its large, club-like tail. The flying creature then impales the dog monster several times until the latter bites the flying creature on the neck, killing it (with bloody results on both). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE We hear that the Mogadorians have killed the first three of John's kind and want him and the rest dead as well. A teacher is upset about a photo that Sarah posted on her website featuring the man picking his nose (we see his finger up that in the photo). Mark purposefully shoulders Sam back into a hallway locker. Later, Mark purposefully throws a football that hits Sam on the head and knocks him off his feet and laughs about that. In response, John heaves that football hard enough to hit one of Mark's posse, knocking him from his feet. Sam's stepdad verbally reprimands him in public for something fairly trivial. We see that Mark was watching Sarah's place to see John leave there. When John and Sam open their lockers, ketchup or something similar sprays all over them from inside. We hear that Sarah and Mark were a couple in the past, and that he since told others that she was "a total bitch." Mark's goons attack John at night in the woods, hitting and kicking him, while another goon manhandles Sarah. Sam's stepfather yells at him, "Get your ass in the house now!" John lies to the sheriff about any knowledge of what happened to the man's son (Mark). John gets a call from a kidnapper who has Henri. Two humans have conspired with the Mogadorians to bring them Henri and John. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence," "Blood/Gross Stuff" and "Jump Scenes" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material. John (in swim trunks) and a teenage girl (in a bikini) go out into the ocean or gulf at night. Before anything happens, however, a mark on his leg starts glowing, causing him pain and then to go under the water where he sees wispy underwater images of a Mogadorian figure stabbing number three and then looking at John, sporting sharp teeth (those views are somewhat hard to make out). In their new (old) home, Henri hears a noise outside and pulls a knife, but it turns out to be a beagle outside that John takes in. The appearance of the Mogadorians (gill-like openings on their cheeks, sharp teeth, etc.) could be unsettling to some viewers. John's palms suddenly start glowing in class, prompting him to rush out. The Mogadorians feed many frozen supermarket turkeys to their unseen flying monster that's kept in large trailer. Henri goes down into an old steel mill and finds various alien symbols on the walls and such. One Mogadorian makes a scary face at a boy in an adjacent car, scaring the boy. John and Sarah go on a haunted hayride attraction at night. During that, they're confronted with several (fake) severed heads, a figure jumping out at them, an electrocution display, two decomposed looking bodies suddenly dropping down in front of them, and then a chainsaw wielding figure coming at them (when they're on foot). Henri, John and Sam try to take off in a pickup truck that initially won't start as a Mogadorian approaches. The Mogadorian leader pulls out a small ball-like device that sprouts rotating blades. As another alien holds a human still, the leader puts that ball into the man's mouth that's then held shut (we see the man react, but don't see any blood). Sara slips and starts to fall off a roof, with John using his telekinetic powers to freeze her in midair long enough that he can zip down below her and catch her. A cargo hold opens and two large flying monsters emerge. As a result, the small beagle in Sam's truck suddenly starts to transform into a huge, dog-like monster. GUNS/WEAPONS Futuristic laser-type guns and knives & explosives/Shotgun: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. Number 3 and his guardian are in a jungle cabin when the guardian thinks he's heard a noise and thus grabs a large knife. Just when they think it was nothing, a huge flying creature crashes through the door/wall and yanks the guardian out. In their new (old) home, Henri hears a noise outside and pulls a knife, but it turns out to be a beagle outside that John takes in. There's talk of the atom bomb in old newsreel footage, but we don't see any explosion. The local sheriff wears a standard sidearm. We see Sam with a shotgun he's brought to help John. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Oh sh*t," "My own personal B.S. detector" (said just like that), "U.F.O.s and sh*t," "Sh*t-hole," "Holy sh*t," "Loser," what sounded like "Booshers," "Bro," "Freaks," "Jesus, dude," "Gossip spreads just like eboli," "My bad," "Boring as hell," "Sucks to be you," "Freak show," "A total bitch," "Get your ass in the house now," "Copy that, I'm on it," "Nobody gives a crap," "I'm such an idiot," "Who the hell are they?" "Big-ass linebackers," "Saved your ass," "You should be watching your own ass" and "Who is this tool?" The action and other stunts might be enticing for some kids to try to imitate. John (known as Daniel at the time) does various jet ski stunts, including hitting the wake of a boat and doing an airborne flip. We see Number 6 trashing John and Henri's former place in Florida (to destroy evidence the Mogadorians can use to track them). She ends that by turning on the gas stove, followed by a large explosion as she walks away (a force field of some sort protects her from the resultant blast and flames, etc.). Henri has some sort of tattoo or marking on his upper chest near his shoulder. A teacher is upset about a photo that Sarah posted on her website featuring the man picking his nose (we see his finger up that in the photo). Mark purposefully shoulders Sam back into a hallway locker. Later, Mark purposefully throws a football that hits Sam on the head and knocks him off his feet, and laughs about that. In response, John heaves that football hard enough to hit one of Mark's posse, knocking him from his feet. The Mogadorians have tattoos or similar markings on their heads. John does a back dive off a waterfall and lands on his feet on a large rock below. When John and Sam open their lockers, ketchup or something similar sprays all over them from inside. Number 6 has tattoos or similar markings on her neck. JUMP SCENES Number 3 and his guardian are in a jungle cabin when the guardian thinks he's heard a noise and thus grabs a large knife. Just when they think it was nothing, a huge flying creature crashes through the door/wall and yanks the guardian out. John and Sarah go on a haunted hayride attraction at night. During that, they're confronted with several (fake) severed heads, a figure jumping out at them, an electrocution display, two decomposed looking bodies suddenly dropping down in front of them, and then a chainsaw wielding figure coming at them (when they're on foot). John sneaks up on a house, with a sudden sound being that of Sam who's joined him. Mark suddenly bashes up against a window, startling others. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of ominous, suspenseful and action-oriented music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song has the lyric, "I was made to taste your kiss." PROFANITY At least 8 "s" words (with another said as "B.S."), 1 slang term using female genitals ("p*ssies"), another one using what could be interpreted as male ones ("tool"), 7 asses (2 used with "hole"), 2 craps, 2 hells, 4 uses of "Jesus" and 2 uses of "Oh my God." SEX/NUDITY We see shirtless guys at the beach, along with some shapely teens in bikinis. John (in swim trunks) and a teenage girl (in a bikini) go out into the ocean or gulf at night. Before anything happens, however, a mark on his leg starts glowing, causing him pain and then to go under the water. Sarah's dad jokes that she came about (was born) because of the comment that his (or the eventual mom's) parents would never know (they'd be fooling around). We see John shirtless in the boy's bathroom at school while changing his shirt. John and Sarah make out near her front steps, but her unseen mother keeps flicking the lights on and off, thus interrupting them. We see video playback of John and the bikini girl from earlier in the film. Number 6 shows some cleavage. We see John shirtless in bed. We briefly see a miscellaneous couple making out at a party. John and Sarah kiss. A song has the lyric, "I was made to taste your kiss." SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES In voice over narration, John states he doesn't remember his father and only got a box from him. Sam's stepdad verbally reprimands him in public for something fairly trivial. When John and Sam open their lockers, ketchup or something similar sprays all over them from inside. Sam panics and grabs a photo of himself and his now-absent father, but later balls that up and throws it away in the bathroom when talking to John about his (Sam's) father being gone (he thinks he was abducted by UFOs). There's additional talk about that later in the film. Sam's stepfather yells at him, "Get your ass in the house now!" Henri tells John that the latter's father died for him (John). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT We hear that John is one of the last of his kind and that the Mogadorians are hunting them in order. The thought of extraterrestrials. Teen angst. Dealing with bullies. The comment that a place is only as good as the people you know in it. VIOLENCE Number 3 and his guardian are in a jungle cabin when the guardian thinks he's heard a noise and thus grabs a large knife. Just when they think it was nothing, a huge flying creature crashes through the door/wall and yanks the guardian out. It then chases after Number 3 through the jungle with various close calls and acrobatic avoidance maneuvers (including a dive and then some "flying"). But one of the Mogadorian aliens then grabs him, lifts him up by the throat, and stabs him (impact not seen), causing him to turn gray and then dissolve away into wispy dust. John (in swim trunks) and a teenage girl (in a bikini) go out into the ocean or gulf at night. Before anything happens, however, a mark on his leg starts glowing, causing him pain and then to go under the water where he sees wispy underwater images of a Mogadorian figure stabbing Number 3 and then looking at John, sporting sharp teeth (those views are somewhat hard to make out). We hear that the Mogadorians have killed the first three of John's kind and want him and the rest dead as well. We see Number 6 trashing John and Henri's former place in Florida (to destroy evidence the Mogadorians can use to track them). She ends that by turning on the gas stove, followed by a large explosion as she walks away (a force field of some sort protects her from the resultant blast and flames, etc.). Mark purposefully shoulders Sam back into a hallway locker. Later, Mark purposefully throws a football that hits Sam on the head and knocks him off his feet, and laughs about that. In response, John heaves that football hard enough to hit one of Mark's posse, knocking him from his feet. When John and Sam open their lockers, ketchup or something similar sprays all over them from inside. Sam then rushes Mark to retaliate, but is pushed backwards. Mark's goons attack John at night in the woods, hitting and kicking him. He then throws both of those guys through the air where they slam hard into trees. We then see another goon manhandling Sarah, while John pins another goon by the head back against a tree, hard. He then confronts Mark who tries to punch him. John avoids that, flips Mark, pins him to the ground and nearly breaks his arm, but Sarah implores him not to do that. After leaving Sarah's place, John does a celebratory fist pump, but that and his powers cause a street lamp to blow out. He then purposefully causes that to happen to another light. Thinking Sam has photos of his superhuman powers, John pushes him back against a parked pickup truck. John uses telekinesis to send Henri back hard against a wall (he then falls onto a stack of wood). Henri then attacks and gets the upper hand on John and controls him. John slowly makes his way through a dimly lit house and picks up a large knife. A person then hits him, but he blasts that person back. John then finds Henri tied up, but a man shows up, aiming a gun at Sam as his hostage. John then causes a light to blow out, with Henri kicking the gunman back. As that man reaches for the shotgun, John uses his telekinetic powers to lift and pin that man to the ceiling. After a few moments, he lets him go and the man falls and hits the floor hard. John then ascends the basement stairs, but a blast rips through the door and knocks him back down into the basement. Henri then fights a Mogadorian, with Henri trying to stab him with a large knife. The Mogadorian fires various blasts at Henri as he runs through the basement, followed moments later by Henri shooting the alien several times with a shotgun. A Mogadorian lands on the hood of a pickup truck and then stabs something through the windshield and into a person's chest (and maybe through his hand as well), with bloody results on his clothed chest, while he also has some blood on his face. John then uses his telekinetic powers to blast that alien away. The Mogadorian leader pulls out a small ball-like device that sprouts rotating blades. As another alien holds a human still, the leader puts that ball into the man's mouth that's then held shut (we see the man react, but don't see any blood). The Mogadorian leader yanks the driver's side door off the sheriff's car, yanks Mark's father from the car and throws him back against a post. Number 6 gets into a laser gun battle with some Mogadorians. She then zips around, vanishes, and reappears, and kills her two enemies with slices of her blade (they turn gray and dissolve into wispy material). A flying monster crashes into a school building at night, while Mogadorians fire laser blasts at Number 6 and others. The flying creature comes at John who uses his powers to bash the creature back against a wall. It then bashes him back and tries to stab him with part of its body while he's on the floor. His former beagle turned large dog monster then attacks the flying creature, while Mogadorians continue firing at Number 6, followed by an explosion blowing her aside. Number 6 and John fight two Mogadorians, with various close calls until Number 6 kills hers, and John kills his (both Mogadorians dissolve away). John's former beagle turned large dog monster continues to fight the flying monster, smashing it with its large, club-like tail. The flying creature then impales the dog monster several times until the latter bites the flying creature on the neck, killing it (with bloody results on both). The dog monster then shrinks back down to a wounded beagle. A Mogadorian fires laser blasts at John and his friends. Sam uses a laser gun to blast a Mogadorian, killing him. A flying monster grabs Number 6 in its talon and flies off, forcing John to stop using his powers to pin a Mogadorian back and focus them on the monster that he zaps in midair (Number 6 falls but lands okay). A Mogadorian then blasts John, while Number 6 blasts and kills the flying monster after it crash lands in the football stadium stands. A Mogadorian grabs and lifts John by his neck, but he and Number 6 then cause the Mogadorian's grenades to explode, killing the alien, while Number 6 shields John from the blast. We then see that the football stadium where this battle has occurred is fairly wrecked. Reviewed February 9, 2011 / Posted February 18, 2011