I Am Number Four Parent Guide
Hitting all the expected chords, including a romantic interest between a high school girl and a nonhuman, the script feels like a repeat of a repeat.
Parent Movie Review
If I Am Number Four doesn’t feel like a plot you’ve seen at least a half dozen times in the last year, then you probably don’t watch a lot of movies. This is a by-the-numbers script with themes from Superman, X-Men and a little bit of Twilight all wrapped up together.
Having said that, I Am Number Four doesn’t deserve a total bypass—particularly for older teens. The movie stars British actor Alex Pettyfer (once ranked number 21 on Glamour magazine’s sexiest men list) as an alien from a decimated planet. He, along with eight other children and their guardians, were rushed to Earth during their civilization’s dying days. Taking on the handsomest of human characteristics, they have gone undercover to avoid being killed by the Mogadorians, a group of tall, tattooed, trench coat clad, interplanetary killers who are hunting them down numerically.
Unfortunately for John Smith (Pettyfer), one, two and three have been murdered. He is number four. Because of that, he and his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant) are constantly on the move, reinventing an identity in every location they land in. But Henri’s job of protecting John becomes increasingly difficult thanks to the Internet where kids upload pictures of their friends and classmates anytime they want. With John’s good looks, he regularly appears on high school web pages.
Following a supernatural event at a beach party in Florida that is immediately posted on Youtube, Henri and John are forced to move again, settling temporarily in the small town of Paradise, Ohio where John meets Sam (Callan McAuliffe) and Sarah (Dianna Agron). Both of them are outsiders in their own way—Sam because he believes in the possibility of aliens, Sarah because she dumped the school’s quarterback and has suffered the repercussions of her decision ever since.
In Paradise, John tries to keep a low profile—something that is hard to do for a boy who loves showboating and standing up for the underdog. But avoiding attention doesn’t last long when his hands start glowing in the middle of science class. Unbeknownst to him, he has just entered a kind of extraterrestrial puberty where his superpowers suddenly manifest themselves, as do the Mogadorians.
The high intensity battles that ensue include the use of gigantic guns and curved knifes that cause stabbing victims to turn to ash and blow away. And though Henri and John are aliens, they still bleed very human-looking blood when they are injured during hand-to-hand combat. Oversized alien creatures, the local sheriff (Jeff Hochendoner) and an explosive Number Six (Teresa Palmer) also get drawn into the fray that ultimately plays out in the local football stadium, leaving the gridiron in a deplorable state for the next home game.
Hitting all the expected chords, including a romantic interest between a high school girl and a nonhuman, the script feels like a repeat of a repeat. Yet other than the mandatory violence needed to fight off alien invaders, the film contains a marginal degree of content that may cause parental concern for older teen viewers. As well, there are some positive depictions of a stable and happy home life, something that John longs to have.
The most disappointing element happens in the final moments of the movie where three characters (I won’t tell you which ones) set out to search for others like themselves. While this inadequate ending leaves the film wide open for a sequel, riding off into the sunset is a scenario that seems best reserved for Westerns.
Directed by D.J. Caruso . Starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron. Running time: 110 minutes. Theatrical release February 18, 2011. Updated July 17, 2017
I Am Number Four
Rating & Content Info
Why is I Am Number Four rated PG-13? I Am Number Four is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for intense sequences of violence and action, and for brief language.
Violence: Huge, hideous alien creatures and tattooed killers descend on a small town intent on murdering the newest transfer student. Their fights involve hand-to-hand combat, explosives, guns, knives and a small gadget with rotating blades that mutilates a person’s internal organs when ingested. Other characters are chased, choked and burned. Some are also attacked, shot, thrown against the wall and briefly kidnapped. Students are bullied at school. Buildings are burned or blown up. Grisly scenes of bloody victims and decapitated heads are depicted in a carnival’s haunted house. A man bleeds profusely after being stabbed. Other depictions of blood and injuries involving people and animals are briefly shown.
Sexual Content: An obsessive boyfriend tries to win a girl back. Kissing and embracing is shown between teens. Brief, mild sexual innuendo is also included.
Language: The script contains nearly two-dozen profanities, scatological slang and terms of Deity.
Alcohol / Drug Use: An adult couple has drinks with dinner.
Page last updated July 17, 2017
I Am Number Four Parents' Guide
Why is John so taken with Sarah’s home and family life? What does he appreciate about them that she doesn’t? What positive rituals do these members engage in? How would you feel about turning in your cell phone during dinner?
Henri reminds John that many people have sacrificed for his safety and wellbeing. Why doesn’t John initially appreciate those individuals? Who has sacrificed on your behalf?
What dangers does John face after having his picture posted on the Internet? What repercussions may occur for others who have their image uploaded? Should an individual have to get permission from his or her friends before putting their picture on the web?
Home Video
The most recent home video release of I Am Number Four movie is May 24, 2011. Here are some details…
I Am Number Four releases to home video on May 24, 2011.It is available as a single Blu-ray, or in a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy Combo Pack. Both packages offer the following extras:
- Becoming Number 6
- Bloopers
- 6 Deleted Scenes with optional commentary
Related home video titles:
Alex Pettyfer also stars as a popular but arrogant playboy who is cursed until he can find someone to love him in Beastly and as a young teen who becomes a spy after the death of his uncle in Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker. Actress Teresa Palmer who plays Number Six in this movie can be seen in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Bedtime Stories.
It’s never been easy for aliens to fit in on our planet but many have tried including Superman and the detained creatures in Monsters vs. Aliens. Other human beings with special powers are feared and shunned when they try to employ their skills to help society in X-Men.