I heard so many good things about this movie. All my usual trusted review sites, the recent Double X Gabfest, a handful of friends. So why was it so disappointing? (Spoilers ahead) I thought this movie would be amazing since I have a thing for assassin movies. Well, news flash: this isn't really an assassin movie. In fact, there's hardly any action at all. And there are plot holes galore. Why Eric Bana leaves his daughter to fend for herself is beyond me. I mean, he could have easily killed the villain himself if he wanted to. And people kept running into obvious set pieces that would be cool for cinematic combat but totally illogical if you're trying to stay alive.
I did like Saoirse Ronan a lot. Her look is perfect, and I'd like her and Bryce Dallas Howard to star in something sisterly together. There are some intriguing parts to the movie, and it dares to be different, but I'm pretty sure I enjoyed reading more about the movie than actually watching it. Maybe my expectations were too high, or directed toward the wrong sort of film, but I think I need to let it wash over me and then see how I feel about it. I'm giving it a higher score based on how much I wanted to like it, but entertainment value wise it was probably just average. I sure wish there was less running around by Hanna. And less scene chomping by Cate Blanchett. And a better wig on her. A much better wig.
Was director Joe Wright's vision of creating "a reaction against a kind of prevailing sexual objectification of young women" successful? I guess so, but would you have noticed if you didn't read about his intentions beforehand? And here's a related piece from Sylvie Kim and Hyphen: "Lust Action Hero: Movie Heroines and Why I Wish 'Hanna' Had Been Asian American."
