I Am Number Four (5/10)

This unfortunately was another one of those movies that I thought would have such high potential only to be disappointed midway through. What a shame.

I loved the concept. I loved the idea of it. That was from the trailer. So when the movie started and we saw how 1, 2 and 3 got killed without much explanation other than another race just wanting to decimate them; that was the beginning of the let down.

First, the movie was too long. I will say, however, that the story took its time to develop. That's always something I can appreciate. But the pacing was just wrong. Nothing much happened in the first three-quarters of the movie and that was a big wrong move. 

Second, the first three-quarters were turned into this teen-angsty romance that I did not expect. It's almost like Twilight!

Third, the writing of Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, who usually worked on TV series, had too much development going on that each scene wasn't able to play out properly. 

Fourth, the writers almost turned this into Smallville.

And lastly, director D.J. Caruso, who I thought was brilliant in Disturbia, couldn't fix the shortcomings in the writing. Though he did do enough in the directing all the special effects in the final act.

And speaking of which, the only good thing about the movie was in the last twenty minutes or so - that's when we finally got to see Teresa Palmer bursting out. From then on, everything was just a pleasure to watch.

If only the movie had that kind of momentum throughout; but heck, wishful thinking.