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Alien adolescent John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) exhibits some unusual powers in “I Am Number Four.” |
It’s not easy being teen.
Especially if you’re also an extraterrestrial humanoid who has klieg lights in your palms and possesses Harry Potter-like powers to move objects by sheer will.
D.J. Caruso’s fun but derivative teen angst fantasy “I Am Number Four” has the look and feel of a really expensive TV series pilot for the Sy-Fy channel.
So, it’s something of a pleasant surprise that Alex Pettyfer brings unnecessary seriousness to his role as John Smith, a tormented alien adolescent on the run from an intergalactic hit squad of tattooed creatures called the Mogadorians.
As John explains during a painfully lengthy voice-over history lecture, he is No. 4 in a group of nine alien survivors of a savage Mogadorian assault. Now, John and his father-figure protector Henri (Timothy Olyphant) are hiding out in a small Ohio town, apparently waiting for John to graduate high school and develop his alien powers before setting off to locate the other Nine. (Read more…)