Movie Review: Hanna

Award-winning director Joe Wright creates a boldly original suspense thriller with HANNA, starring Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Atonement) in the title role.

Raised by her father (Eric Bana of Star Trek), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna’s upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point inher adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

Hanna held its premiere screening at September 23 at the MyCinema in Greenbelt 3, Ayala Malls, Makati City. I was not supposed to watch this because I was busy preparing for my event the next day (separate blog you can read here) but since I have errands to do along Makati, I decided to watch it along with fellow movie bloggers Ruth and Nonoy Floresca, Joriben Zaballa, Myke Soon, Ferdie Bondoy, Earth Rullan and Enzo Luna.

At first, I wasn’t that interested with the film because I’m not really an action movie-type of watcher. And I didn’t like Saoirse Ronan’s “The Lovely Bones” movie. But good thing I did watched it because the movie is actually better than what I expected it to be.

The first scene was actually intense already. And the  succeeding  scenes are past-faced and action packed! Saoirse Ronan’s character as a girl deprived of her  adolescence  is very convincing. She nailed it! She is a killing-machine! And I liked it that it’s not too dark that the movie still managed to inject humor to some of the scenes to showcase Hanna’s clueless and naive personality due to not having and knowing anyone else since birth aside from his father.

Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana also performed well in this movie. They are two Hollywood actors that I admire for their versatility and intense acting in every film they’re featured in.

Over-all, I like Hanna better than Sucker Punch. The suspense, action and story (not to mention the superb acting of its actors) makes this movie worth watching. The movie shows too much violence and a little disturbing, but it is not your typical blood-splashing film ala Rambo.

Hanna stars Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, Cate Blanchett, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng and is directed by  Joe Wright (“Atonement,” “Pride & Prejudice,” “The Soloist”). To know more about the film, please click here.

Although it is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Download & On Demand,  Hanna (distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International)  will be showing exclusively at  Ayala Malls Cinemas  (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma)  starting September 28.