Poetic Film Review: I Am Number Four (2011)
In twilight's hush, where shadows play,
A decade's dawn, and Hollywood's way,
A new path found, a lucrative stream,
Young adult fiction, a winning dream.
Twilight's success, a beacon bright,
Guided studios, through the dark of night,
To novels of wonder, of magic and might,
A built-in fan base, a treasure in sight.
But not all series, born of this trend,
Were created equal, some would soon contend,
I Am Number Four, a film of science fiction's fire,
Directed by Caruso, with a story to acquire,
From Pittacus Lore's novel, a best-seller's might,
A pseudonym's veil, for authors in the night,
Frey and Hughes, with a past of controversy's stain,
Yet the novel succeeded, and sequels did obtain.
The film's protagonist, John Smith, an alien so fine,
With powers hidden, and a heart that does entwine,
With Sarah Hart, a love that does unfold,
And Sam Goode, a friend, with a story to be told,
But the Mogadorians, with evil's darkest night,
Pursue John, with a vengeance, a relentless fight,
The stage is set, for a battle to abide,
With superhuman powers, and a hero's stride.
Despite the premise, intriguing and grand,
The film relies on concepts, already explored in the land,
A protagonist with powers, hiding in plain sight,
A narrative worn, without originality's light,
Jumper and Push, similar films, that did not thrive,
A formula repeated, without a spark to survive.
The production, ambitious, with Bay's polished sheen,
But questionable choices, that do make the film unseen,
The script, a mimic, of Twilight's romantic sway,
A subplot poorly executed, with chemistry gone astray,
The casting, a misstep, with Pettyfer, too mature to play,
A lack of depth, in the villain's role, with Durand's overplay,
Olyphant's character, a mentor, lost too soon,
A narrative, that does meander, without a clear boon.
Yet Caruso's direction, in the second half, does shine,
With action sequences, and CGI effects, so divine,
Teresa Palmer, as Number Six, a heroine so bold,
A late introduction, but a character, worth more than gold,
The film's box office, decent, but critics, unkind,
The plans for a sequel, shelved, and left behind,
The landscape shifted, and the trend did wane,
Young adult fiction, no longer the studio's gain.
But still, the Lorien Legacies, a story to be told,
A new adaptation, perhaps, in a streaming series, to unfold,
A chance to redeem, the mistakes of the past,
And bring to life, the characters, that did not last,
In a new era, with a new vision, and a new sight,
The story of John Smith, and the Mogadorians' fight,
May find its way, to a new audience, and a new light,
And the essence of the novel, may finally take flight.
(Note: The review in its original form can be read here.)
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