MovieChat Forums > I Am Number Four (2011) Discussion > This movie is so bad... also a question ...

This movie is so bad... also a question for those that LOVE this movie.

posted 14 years ago by jmspk
91 replies | jump to latest

Um.. where to start?
Typical high school, 'Twilight' type of movie (I think the Twilight series is horrible too). It is really predictable and cheesy. A good looking guy (John Smith or Number 4) enters school, gets bullied by the football team, then falls in love with the girl that dated the star/leader of the team. The ex-boyfriend gets jealous and tries to win back the girl. Of course he fails, the new guy and the girl hit it off and have a relationship BUT something happens and can't be together for some reason in the end. Haven't we seen this type of scenario one too many times before?? Yet I guess it still works for all these idiots. Furthermore, the aliens look like a complete joke and the special effects are poor.

One part of the movie was just mind-boggling to me.. when the aliens were drawing near John (while knowing this) and is also being chased by the cops, John and Sarah go off to school to develop pictures!!! WTF, seriously?!? You're running away from these 2 groups and you're going to make a pit stop at school to develop pictures?? Can someone give me an explanation to this?

Overall, terrible movie. I wouldn't even rent this with a free rental coupon.
Rating: 2/10

**Update**
New rating: 1/10
Reason: No one can give me a reasonable explanation to the above question.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cathybrandemuehl 13 years ago

Yeah, I think I agree with everything you said especially the thing about developing pictures, but nonetheless, I have seen this movie 3 times and I will see it again because, not to sound vain, but Alex Pettyfer is beautiful.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] IonutRadu 13 years ago

It's difficult , very, very difficult for me to understand how could anybody write such a cheesy book, and almost imposible to think that somebody - some guy(s) in Hollywood - decided to turn that book into a movie.God, this is such a waste of paper, celluloid....

[–] Sherazade 13 years ago

I liked it.

P eople for the
E thical
T reament of
A ishwarya

[–] sunshine0789 13 years ago

he needed a place to hide; her haven is the dark room in the school.

[–] SaberRider85 13 years ago

Watched the movie just now out of boredom.
I didn´t expect much and after a few minutes I was going to shut it off. But what really surprised me was that the "couple" had kind of a chemistry. There are a LOT of action movies like Transformers where the couple dont have a chemistry and the fact that this movie had one really surprised me. Besides that, Timothy Olyphant is almost everytime worth a look. His acting wasn´t really his best but I think it wasn´t his fault because almost all chracters had absolutely no depth. But Olyphant as a kind of Kyle Reese/Yoda mix was actually interesting.
Diana Agron really delivers the innocent Lois Lane kinda girl who falls in love with a superheroalien. Imo is she the one that keeps the movie from falling totally apart. And Kevin Duran is a born evil villain anyway.
I think the story had great potential but the script was so full of plot holes that it´s actually impudent that those writers got paid for it and took the money.
So after all the movie is nothing special (but could´ve been), but with some good actors and some good action sequences. It´s what I call a "sunday afternoon movie".

PS
Sry for my bad english ^^

[–] AlexEvensen 13 years ago

You have no idea how important and fulfilling it is to develop pictures!

-
Dziga Vertov:
I am the machine that reveals the world to you, as only I alone am able to see it

[–] deadcandance-3 13 years ago

Well, i'm sorry, but giving an 1 out of 10 to a film just because no one gave you an explanation to why did they went to high school to develop pictures is just stupid ... im sorry but it is.

I usually hate action movies, i even avoid them. Im 28 years old and love lots of different genres of films, being my favs , horror/terror, dramas, indie films and european cinema ... and i did enjoyed this film.

People should always rate the films regarding their genre ... If you're asking me if this is a piece of art in the cinema industry, of course it's not. But if you ask me if this is a good action film i would say hell yes ... I would never rate a film in comparability to others in the history of cinema.

Try not to be so pretentious in your ratings ... always rate regarding if it's a good film in it's genre or not.

Also i have nothing against beautiful people acting in films, what does that have to if the film is good or not. Regarding the high school bullying i have to say, it doesn't take a center part in the story and even the character jokes with it "i love the classics, upcoming king and the science geek".

It's a very entertaining film, it is what it is, an action film with aliens on it ... even the story is not that cheap and full of explosions from the first seconds to the last ones, the film actually has a structure to it ... great film to watch in a Sunday evening ... very good film in it's genre.

[–] aaron-293 13 years ago

The film development side trip stood out for me as well. It was pretty ridiculous. That being said, this movie was not as terrible as some are saying. I was entertained, but it did require overlooking some obvious flaws.

I love when pretentious film nerds get all serious critiquing a film like this. If you have such a deep understanding of film, why are you wasting your time micro-analyzing "I am Number Four"?

Are there not other movies that are more worthy of such esteemed critique? Or did you already get laughed off those boards? Simple people pick simple targets I guess.

[–] manelvicente 13 years ago

Boy, I'm glad i don't watch as many movies as you people in these boards

I watched it enjoyed it and didn't felt cliched at all, maybe because i don't watch movies or simply because i love these types of movies i only watch super natural or aliens or Japanese giant monster movies their the only ones i really care about all the other genres just don't appeal to me.

But i mean let's exert a bit of common sense here people, how many of you come from the B&W era? i am certainly not, how many scifi/supernatural/fantasy movies have been released since the idea for these genre (not to mention, the capacity to produce such genre) came about?

If anyone commenting on this movie had the slightest idea how old the genre is and how much has been done with the genre over the course of the centuries i'm sure you'd understand why everything everywhere in every *beep* movie feels cliched.

An idea many of you don't seem to grasp is that real life physics and laws (thankfully) don't have to apply to the laws of physics in movies and video games, it's just that awfully bad that we can't break the laws of physics in real life we even have to bear with the people that demand realism in the movies/video games industry... i'm sorry people but if you can't have giant monsters/robots super powers, aliens and all the supernatural crap in real life, at least let us have them in movies and games. If you want realism leave your basement and go outside.

[–] tim_lovell 13 years ago

Firstly, I think the reasons the two seemingly inexplicably went to the school is that
1. John had taken photos, explaining who he was, what he is, for Sarah because he wanted her to know him. they went to the school because she has to develop the photos.
2. They don't know how close the Mogs actually are. They left the house before the Mogs got there. So probably they think the immediate issues, being cops, having been dealt with, buys them time. Sam calls John to tell him the stunt at the house was on YouTube... Then they hear the commotion outside. Then stuff gets real...

As for your axiomatic dislike for the movie, well I guess it is your opinion but I feel you should expand your range in movies. Some part of the sic fi action genre is campy, cheesy romance. The filmmakers only have a small portion of the movie to make you feel for and root for the protagonist and his love interest. Having a third wheel QB who is such a douchebag is important for the viewers to polarize him against John, so we want John and Sarah to be together. Also so the movie can progress, if the QB character was merely disinterested in John or just dismissed him and didn't care about Sarah then plot movers like the red paint in the locker and leading everyone to the school would probably not have happened. we would be stuck with watching John and Sarah ride that haunted hay ride forever.

In any case, a movie with a beagle morphing into a big ass dog like that is completely badass.

I think, for a teen geared action movie adapted from a book it was great. Reading these posts indicates they took some heavy license with some parts of the book but I think it was done well, easily good enough for a sequel.

My biggest issue was with the strength of the doors leading to the stadium. I want doors that can withstand an explosion that left a ginormous crater in the stadium.

Peace out.