Hanna (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] "I just missed your heart". Well Hanna you certainly didn't miss mine. The premise of this relaxed thriller is primarily revenge but the film was strangely emotional and the slow pacing and… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] "I just missed your heart". Well Hanna you certainly didn't miss mine. The premise of this relaxed thriller is primarily revenge but the film was strangely emotional and the slow pacing and largely suitable soundtrack just enhances it's overwhelmingly powerful ability to do so. It's that emotion that made me love this film. It's hard to make an action thriller and have a constantly fascinating lead character. This is all as a result of the superb acting by Saoirse Ronan with an absolutely perfect supporting cast. Eric Bana is flawless in all of his scenes on screen and honestly I can't think of anything negative about it. Hanna is highly remarkable and one of the best thriller's i've seen in a while. The action sequences are perfectly shot, the direction isn't flimsy and it thrills and engages the audience with absolute ease.

• paul s

  
  Take an interesting twist on the well worn revenge action film, toss in some very artfull cinematics, a mesmerizing performance by Saorse Ronin in the title role; add a quirky yet effective turn by Cate Blanchett as the villain of the piece and you have... a film that still somehow… More
  Take an interesting twist on the well worn revenge action film, toss in some very artfull cinematics, a mesmerizing performance by Saorse Ronin in the title role; add a quirky yet effective turn by Cate Blanchett as the villain of the piece and you have... a film that still somehow fails to equal the sum of its parts; though it's hard to say why I wasn't more absorbed into this film of a young girl trained almost since birth to be an assassin. Perhaps it's because the culture shock part of the film was overplayed - young Hanna, for all her skills (knowing all about a lot of things but having no practical experience with them - like electricity for example), is too often portrayed as a fish out of water, a overused theme that quickly becomes tiresome. The film starts well enough, giving you ample time to get the feel for Hanna's secluded life in rural Finland, being "homeschooled" by her father - though I had issues with his reading simple texts to her while she is able to speak a dozen languages. This is explained, sort of, when the CIA gets involved, but remained irksome. There is a backstory that I'm not going to reveal, only to say that the whole CIA black ops thing is really a poor motivation for the actions of agent Mirissa, played as an ice queen by Blanchett- though she is wonderful in the part. Perhaps it is all this murkiness that bothers me - falling back on the old CIA cover up for things they shouldn't have been playing with in the first place takes the viewer down a very familiar path, already done to death by Bourne and M.I. franchises. That this film has some really nice action sequences and some artsy fartsy film shots is all fine and well, but doesn't hide the fact that at it's core this film has been done hundred of times before. Too bad, as the director seems to have a firm handle on what is being presented, and the acting is solid... but the script, especially during the girl meets the real world segments, and the final action packed quarter of the film, could have certainly been tighter(though I have to admit the use of the quirky derelict amusement park was wonderful). I also found that the film's ending, echoing the beginning, was a bit over the top - as if the screen writer got this brilliant, last second idea that it would be really cool to have Hanna say the same words at the end that she says at the beginning - only problem is that it comes off very juvenile and let's your mind think "oh come on, you couldn't have come up with something better? How about "Hasta la vista, baby"? Yeah, maybe that'll sell in the heartland.

• Alexander D

  
  It's pretty easy to tell that HANNA was written by two different people, because both writers had polar opposite interpretations of the mood. The fact that the film begins in the wilderness with the same tone as it does when it ends on an amusement park ride should immediately… More
  It's pretty easy to tell that HANNA was written by two different people, because both writers had polar opposite interpretations of the mood. The fact that the film begins in the wilderness with the same tone as it does when it ends on an amusement park ride should immediately tell you something about it. HANNA is thrilling altogether, but there seems to be hidden jumps between the more ingenious points and the silly points that are intended to get your heart racing. It seems, slowly but surely, we may officially have a new subgenre for spy movies. These are the ones that feature female secret agents. Two years ago, we had SALT, this year, HAYWIRE, and last year, we had HANNA. Let's hope that when women become cinematic spies more often, they model after Ronan's character here. Though the film may bear the certificate from the MPAA, let me warn you this is NOT a real PG-13 movie. The intensely, carefully, quickly assembled violence Saoirse Ronan puts on is quite brutal. Tied in with her vengeful attitude, it works out well--her character as well as the film in general.

• Albert K

  
  "Hanna" is a much more methodically slower paced but meticulously detailed film. The tension that the story built up, crept up on me throughout the film. By the end, "Hanna" succeeded to get me involved and propelled me through the exciting action sequences with… More
  "Hanna" is a much more methodically slower paced but meticulously detailed film. The tension that the story built up, crept up on me throughout the film. By the end, "Hanna" succeeded to get me involved and propelled me through the exciting action sequences with the help of an engrossing score. Saoirse Ronan as the title character was marvelous; she was captivating in every scene. To say "Hanna" is a uniquely stylized movie is an understatement. Its reminiscent to the German movie, "Run Lola Run". The visuals grasp your attention and has very vibrant colors. "Hanna"'s not a movie for everyone; it is different from many thrillers but the subtly that "Hanna" carries makes this film one of my favorites of 2011. Really enjoyed this movie. Loved it.

• Tyler C

  
  Watching this on its HBO premiere reminds me of how criminally underrated this film is.

• Matthew S

  
  The first 30 minutes sets up a tall order, but the last half doesn't follow through. This movie is "Jungle to Jungle"/"Tarzan" meeting "Bourne", where our young heroin, isolated in the arctic forests, wants to experience the world that she has only… More
  The first 30 minutes sets up a tall order, but the last half doesn't follow through. This movie is "Jungle to Jungle"/"Tarzan" meeting "Bourne", where our young heroin, isolated in the arctic forests, wants to experience the world that she has only read about, all while the CIA is trying to kill her. The catalyst for the CIA response is a switch her father tells her to flip to let the CIA know their location (and that they are indeed alive). I cannot understand any logic behind her father wanting this to happen or why Hanna didn't just say no and leave the forest on her own. She is clearly capable of handling herself - she demonstrates this a few hours after flipping the switch. The logic behind the premise gets even more hairy as Hanna uncovers the reason she is being hunted. Still, there are a lot of good action and non-action scenes with Hanna experiencing human relationships for the first time, and the unique soundtrack was an event itself.

• Joe M

  
  Apart from the usual "The CIA is evil" stereotype it manages to emerge as a surprisingly well executed action suspense thriller with deeper character development than traditional movies in it's genre.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Fun and engaging thriller, good cast. There's of course several things that rub you in the wrong way, why would a top female goverment agent recruit the help of an euro-trash german bar owner, and his useless skinhead goons? You would think that she would try to get someone far… More
  Fun and engaging thriller, good cast. There's of course several things that rub you in the wrong way, why would a top female goverment agent recruit the help of an euro-trash german bar owner, and his useless skinhead goons? You would think that she would try to get someone far more skilled to catch a genetically build super female soldier. There's a nice sense of tension, and the action sequences are directed with a good eye for them, no jerky asspergers camera here. Way above your average hollywood action thriller.

• Josh M

  
  Hanna is a refreshing take on the international high tech thriller genre. The story is absurd and defies credulity, but it's so full of unexpected visuals and surprising scenes that I watched the whole thing with rapt interest. It's about a genetically modified child… More
  Hanna is a refreshing take on the international high tech thriller genre. The story is absurd and defies credulity, but it's so full of unexpected visuals and surprising scenes that I watched the whole thing with rapt interest. It's about a genetically modified child who's been bred to be an international spy and murderer who's kept cloistered in the Arctic by her spy father (Eric Bana, solid as a rock) till she becomes a teen. This girl has never seen electricity in action, but speaks every known language and can kill any wild animal (and any human) that she faces with her super human strength and intelligence. Idiotic, but so well executed and visually interesting that you won't care. When Hanna hits the world, she's hunted by Marissa, the CIA hack who created her, an evil Kate Blanchett in her worst ever movie role (and I love her in everything else). She is such an over the top cackling villainess, that she stops being interesting. Even that doesn't matter, because young Siorise Ronan is mezmerizing and the main reason to see this film. The idea of a super genius who's also a naive lamb in the woods is illogical and almost impossible to pull off, but this gifted kid (Atonement) does it. This kid never met another human being besides her fur clad dad, but she has such powers of perception and intuition that when she goes into civilization, she anticipates everyone's moves, two moves ahead, except when it's not convenient for the plot and then she's totally at sea. There is so much originality and imagination brought to the genre, that Hanna's silly fable like quality is outweighed by all that's good about this. If director Joe Wright could make this one succeed, imagine if he had a great script to direct? (Well, he did Atonement, so another great script, go Joe!)

• Chris W

  
  Well, what we have here is basically one of the Bourne films, but with a 16 year-old girl. There's a bit more to it, but that's a pretty good way to generalize it. Hanna has spent her whole life living in isolation in the Finnish wilderness. Her father Erik is ex-CIA and has… More
  Well, what we have here is basically one of the Bourne films, but with a 16 year-old girl. There's a bit more to it, but that's a pretty good way to generalize it. Hanna has spent her whole life living in isolation in the Finnish wilderness. Her father Erik is ex-CIA and has passed down to her his knowledge of comabt and survival, making her a skilled assassin, preparing to send her out into the world to assassinate a ruthless intelligence operative Marissa Wiegler, a woman with some dark secrets. What sets this movie apart is the character of Hanna herself. She is a formidable weapon, but none of her training/home schooling included any real information about the world or any kind of socialization. The middle section of the film, when Hanna is on the run across North Africa and Europe, is really the most interesting because it shows her discovering the world, and having to learn on her own things that everyone should know by the age of 16, and how to really become more human. It's kinda like the scenes in Terminator 2 where John tries to show how the terminator how to better pass himself off as a human. So yeah, this movie is a mixture of spy thriller intrigue, pulse pounding action, and a coming of age character study. I think director Joe Wright described it as a drama with some action scenes, or something along those lines. This is a lot of stuff to try to blend together and make work ,and for the most part, it does. It's not the most original film, but it is nonetheless a very solid and stylish attempt at making old new. The cinematography is top notch, complete with some great landscape shots, and some cool sequences involving lots of pulsing lights and flashy colors. Wright is known for his use of long takes, and that applies here, though unlike what he did in Atonement (of which I've only seen just a few scenes) his use of them is far more restrained and not self indulgant or pretentious. The score is done by techno duo The Chemical Brothers and, though I'm not a big fan of techno, I do kinda like it, and it works decently here, though some of the sequences do comes as like a music video at times. As far as acting goes, this is another piece of evidence to show why Saoirse Ronan is an actress that is one to watch and should have a long career ahead of her. The role of Hanna is a tough one, and she does really well and is convincing with both the intensely physical side of things, but more importantly with the more human side as well. She can both kick ass and perfectly pull off the effects of isolation and lack of socialization. Eric Bana is decent enough as her father Erik, and Cate Blanchett takes what could have been a routine and boring antagonist role and breathes a bit of life into it. Tom Hollander was decently creepy and intimidating as one of the men hunting Hanna, but sadly underdeveloped and flat. All in all, I enjoyed this quite a bit. It's stylish, holds your attention, and gives depth and substance to the well worn action revenge thriller. It's not totally original, but it's very solid. I do have some complaints, though. The little British girl was really annoying and got on my nerves way too often, Blanchett's accent stuck out and seemed unnecessary, and some of the symbolism seemed a bit more obvious and forced than it should have. I also could have used a few more crazy and kinetic action scenes, but that's a minor quibble. All that aside, this is a pretty good film and it gets the job done better than most other action films as of late. As far as the rating, I give it around a very strong B to a light B+

• Brad W

  
  Hanna was an incredible action film that I truly consider an original good movie. The plot was a little shaky at first but I started to get into it after a while and caught a few huge themes here and there, very interesting stuff. The cast was also really good, Saoirse Ronan was… More
  Hanna was an incredible action film that I truly consider an original good movie. The plot was a little shaky at first but I started to get into it after a while and caught a few huge themes here and there, very interesting stuff. The cast was also really good, Saoirse Ronan was cool and good, eric Bana was great with the time he had, and Cate Blanchett was haunting as the films villain. The camera work was a huge problem, it was really weird and dumb at times. The movie is overall good, I recommend it to most action lovers.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast:Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng, Jessica Barden, Michelle Dockery, Vicky Krieps Director:Joe Wright Summary: Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenager raised and trained by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA operative, to… More
  Cast:Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Tom Hollander, Olivia Williams, Jason Flemyng, Jessica Barden, Michelle Dockery, Vicky Krieps Director:Joe Wright Summary: Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenager raised and trained by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA operative, to become a highly skilled assassin. But when she's sent on a deadly mission across Europe, Hanna takes to an English family and starts longing for a normal life. She must first solve the puzzle of her mysterious past, however. My Thoughts: "The movie 'Hannah', was a great thriller. The idea of the film is fresh and original which really made it more enjoyable. Saoirse Ronan is a force to recognize. She is a very talented young actress. Saoirse was very good in the movie. Very impressed with her acting skills. Eric Bana was also really good in the film. This is the first time I think I've seen Cate Blanchett play the 'bad guy'. She did it well. Jessica Barden was great as well, she was very funny in the movie. The film itself is an intense, dark, unsettling suspense thriller. I thought the pacing of the movie was good. Great concept, acting, direction makes this a film to see at least once."

• paul o

  
  Pros MUSIC- Techno! Action Cinematography The filming location had much diversity A great revenge film Cons Bare story Subtle flaws

• Max C

  
  A scathing post-modern take on action films, fairytales, family, culture, and exploitation films. Nothing is sacred as Wright transforms everything he touches into a grotesque. The substance is in the style.

• EightThirty .

  
  12/10/2011 (PS3, MP4)

• Lewis C

  
  Hanna is a (mostly) awesome action fairy tale that's unlike anything else that came out this year. I love everything Joe Wright has done as a director, and with a great cast like this (Eric Bana, Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett), Hanna already has a lot going for it before the… More
  Hanna is a (mostly) awesome action fairy tale that's unlike anything else that came out this year. I love everything Joe Wright has done as a director, and with a great cast like this (Eric Bana, Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett), Hanna already has a lot going for it before the first frame rolls onto the screen. With that said, it's not perfect. It feels a little superficial, as we never get anywhere below skin-deep with any of the characters (but, isn't that the case with most fairy tales?). The story of a dangerous person on the run from some other very dangerous people seems more novel than it actually is when it's a young girl as the main character. And there just seemed to be a little something missing that could have put this movie right over the top, especially with the ending, which seemed a little underwhelming. Still, I liked Hanna. The action scenes are great, there's a continual sense of the surreal that makes the entire movie memorable, and the soundtrack is the best since Tron: Legacy. Good stuff.

• Dan S

  
  A fast-paced, kinetic thriller concerning a young assassin (Saoirse Ronan), trained by her ex-CIA agent father (Eric Bana) over time, believing her mother to be killed by a big bad CIA agent (Cate Blanchett), a deed that must not go unpunished. Although occasionally over-reaching its… More
  A fast-paced, kinetic thriller concerning a young assassin (Saoirse Ronan), trained by her ex-CIA agent father (Eric Bana) over time, believing her mother to be killed by a big bad CIA agent (Cate Blanchett), a deed that must not go unpunished. Although occasionally over-reaching its stylistic ambitions while failing to properly win the audience over with its big "revelation" near the 3/4 mark, this is still an effective thriller perfectly paced by director Joe Wright, with phenomenal turns all-around from his cast (even Tom Hollander makes a mark). I just wish the big reveal would have had a little more brains and a lot less stupid, then I might have fallen in love with this film in the same way I did with, say, "Run Lola Run", another break-neck paced film. It is good to see Wright trying something new here, given his way over-rated "Atonement" was a tedious bore and this film is completely at the other end of the spectrum of his directorial scope. In addition, this film has some really gorgeous settings, as well as wonderfully choreographed fight scenes. Ronan is a treat as the title-character, she's one to watch out for in the future.

• Melvin W

  
  Hanna: I just missed your heart.  "Innocence can be deadly." A lot different then I thought it was going to be, but also better than I could have anticipated. Hanna is always interesting and never boring. From start to finish, it is an exciting and fun movie. This also has… More
  Hanna: I just missed your heart.  "Innocence can be deadly." A lot different then I thought it was going to be, but also better than I could have anticipated. Hanna is always interesting and never boring. From start to finish, it is an exciting and fun movie. This also has made me a full fledged fan of Saoirse Ronan. She kicked all kinds of ass in this movie. Her character reminded me of a darker, more serious and slightly older Hit Girl. You wouldn't think Ronan would be able to pull this off as well as she does. In the title role, the movie depends on her and she doesn't disappoint. It doesn't hurt that Cate Blanchett is in the film either. Hanna is a beautiful and extremely smart 16 year old. She has lived with her father in the forest her whole life, training in order to not die at the hands of Marissa. She's never heard music, watched tv or talked to anyone besides her father. But she can snap your neck, cut your throat and completely beat the shit out of you. Throughout the movie, Hanna learns more and more about herself, her mother and her father. And Hanna, as well as the viewer soon comes to realize her existence is more fucked up then it even looks. The movies very stylized. This can either turn the viewer off or make them love the movie all the more, depending on taste. It made me love the movie all the more. I thought everything about this movie was extremely cool, even its forced humor. I've heard people criticize such scenes as Hanna's date. While I can see why the scene could have you shaking your head; I just thought it was funny. Hanna is one of the coolest movies I think I have ever seen. I didn't think it would be able to pull it off with a PG-13 rating, but it worked extremely well. It's violent, but not bloody, which makes it much more accessible to all viewers. I think I'm in love with this movie.

• Tim S

  
  This is the most maddening I have seen in awhile. I loved the first section of the movie introducing us to the characters. Then came the middle half which went from good to eye roll inducing to even a couple of "really?!?!" moments (I hated everything about the double date… More
  This is the most maddening I have seen in awhile. I loved the first section of the movie introducing us to the characters. Then came the middle half which went from good to eye roll inducing to even a couple of "really?!?!" moments (I hated everything about the double date that Hanna has with her newfound friend). A thing that kept me watching were the performances of Bana and Ronan who are both very effective. The usually effective Blanchett does the ridiculous accent that disappears and reappears every other scene and it was really off-putting. I also thought the killer she hired was a little too weird for weird's sake. The definite thing you can say about this movie is that it looks really great and you have to give it to Joe Wright. This guy has moments in each of his films that are really compelling filmmaking wise and I think I will always be interested in what he is doing. The reason the movie annoyed me is the same reason it enthralled me with style over substance, but I LOVED the ending.

• Sajin P

  
  After having the misfortune of watching "The Lovely Bones", I lost the heart to watch any more Saoirse-Ronan starrers. Maybe that played its factor when I found the movie, "Hanna" as flat-out rubbish. A good example of how effectively trailers can sell even the… More
  After having the misfortune of watching "The Lovely Bones", I lost the heart to watch any more Saoirse-Ronan starrers. Maybe that played its factor when I found the movie, "Hanna" as flat-out rubbish. A good example of how effectively trailers can sell even the dumbest of movies.

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