The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Hanna’ isn’t your typical teenager

It doesn’t take more than watching the trailer for “Hanna” to know it is not your everyday action film. After all, its protagonist is a 16-year-old girl, and a 16-year-old killing machine. Raised by her ex-CIA father Erik Heller (Eric Bana) in a cabin in the woods of Finland, Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) was crafted to be the ultimate assassin. A relatively brief sequence at the start of the film shows the grueling exercises her father puts her through daily, including waking her in her sleep with a pistol against her head. Throughout all of these trials, we hear Hanna say “I’m ready.” Ready for what? It turns out all of Heller’s training has been to exact revenge against one woman — Marissa Viegler — played with cold brutality by Cate Blanchett. Without giving much away, Viegler has wronged the Hellers and Hanna’s entire young life has been dedicated to vengeance.  “Hanna,” which was directed by Joe Wright — previously known for much less action-packed films like “Atonement” (2007) and “Pride and Prejudice” (2005) — presents an intriguing mix of film genres. It is first and foremost an action thriller. But due to the age of the protagonist, it functions as a sort of coming-of-age tale too. Hanna may know how to kill a man in hundreds of different ways, but we come to find out she has no idea what electric lights are. She also has never had a friend, and she manages to discover the importance of both lights and friends throughout her journey. One of the best things about “Hanna” was the score. Created by big beat originators The Chemical Brothers, the music lent a powerful energy to all of the intense action in the film. Action which included, believe it or not, an incredibly original car chase scene and lots and lots of murder. Frankly, it is unbelievable that “Hanna” got away with a PG-13 rating. While not very gory, it boasts an extremely high body count, not to mention a scene of Hanna basically fileting a man alive. Overall, “Hanna” was an incredibly fun ride. While it is unlikely to change anyone’s life, it will certainly provide a lot of entertainment to action movie fans, particularly those looking for something a little more imaginative than your run-of-the-mill shoot ‘em up thriller.

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Hanna’ isn’t your typical teenager