Hanna is a hard film to pigeonhole. It’s a mix of intense action and has elements of old fairytales (grim ones of course), unique and stylish camera work and stunning visuals. The three main performances are all top-notch with young Saoirse Ronan the standout as an icy killer. Her father (played well by Eric Bana) and a sinister agent named Marissa (played with a crazy zeal by Cate Blanchett) round out the characters.

Hanna is about a 16 year old girl who lives in the icy wilds of Finland with her father. They are on the run from various dark forces and Hanna’s father Erik teaches her the skills she needs to survive, and kill if necessary. It’s hard to describe the scope and appeal of the movie except to say it resembles an artsy European picture mixed with some of the crazy energy of Luc Besson’s better work. The energetic vibe is further amped up by an amazing Chemical Brothers score. Their killer beats accentuate the odd camera angles and blistering action scenes and create one of the most unique mixes of sound and fury in recent movie history. Hanna has a few extras including an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and a commentary from director Joe Wright.

Director Joe Wright (Atonement) has created an original, explosive action picture with a dash of arthouse pretension, and a nutty use of fairytales (Blanchett emerges out of nowhere from the mouth of a gigantic plastic wolf head at one point) into a stew of something new and fresh. Hanna comes highly recommended.

Grade: B+

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