Movie Reviews

Hanna the Movie

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Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Hanna (Ronan) had been raised by her father Erik (Eric) and has learned from her first cognitive awakening to be ready for any peril life will throw her way. The embryonic phase of the film showcases Hanna's training to be a hunter, practicing ninjitsu (the art of stealth), and learning how to appear innocent and vulnerable while in fact preparing for a deadly strike. Hanna is on the verge of becoming an adult, and after living in a Finlander forest for most of her secluded adolescence, she is ready to fulfill her destiny. The logical next step is to choose the moment when she would push the broadcast beacon and send a signal to CIA operative Marissa (Blanchett) who has a special connection with her. As Hanna prepares for her inescapable capture, Erik melts away into the forest to await his part in Hanna's ultimate mission. The stage is set for a vicious showdown.

Once in captivity at a European CIA facility, Agent Marissa watches as Hanna portrays herself as innocent and distraught, only to transform in the blink of an eye into a cold-blooded killer. Hanna manages a daring escape that requires intelligence, cunning, dexterity and incredible timing. This is what she has been trained to do her whole life. I found myself uncertain whether to laugh or to take Hanna seriously. There is something hysterical about watching a pristine teenage girl on the verge of womanhood obliterate professionally trained men.

So begins a chase from Finland to Morocco, and back to Germany. Hanna is at all times running for her life and expecting to reunite with her father. She anticipates she will find safety and happiness. Along the way our junior heroine encounters new types of people, makes new friends, experiences listening to music, watches television, and interacts with regular people for the first time. These are all dizzying stimuli at first. The world is not what she would want it to be, and that is why Erik trained her to have no hesitation in defending herself. Being mistrustful and having a sense of awareness at all times is her road to security.

At heart Hanna is the story of a genetically architected child that lived to the maximum of her surrogate father's expectations. On the flipside, she failed according to her would be taskmaster, Marissa. Hanna may have been trained to be a lethal killer, but the genetic experiment, or project Galinka, failed and left her with a beautiful heart and a normal amount of humanity. Marissa proves herself sadistic and heartless, while Erik spends years grooming Hanna to be both a weapon and a charming woman. The real story is how Hanna reacts to becoming part of the outside world away from her childhood shelter. Though often times dizzying and peculiar, Hanna has a deep sense of international intrigue. Though the ending of the film may be rather pointless and disappointing, it does not detract from the spectacle that is Hanna. This picture is a keeper for the weekend indeed.

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