The Film:

Strong modern female heroines are nothing new. Kick-Ass, Resident Evil, and Sucker Punch are all examples of flicks starring adrenaline fueled hotties that can take a guy down in mere seconds. Hanna falls into this category. Director Joe Wright took what could have been nothing more than a gimmick and turned it into a stylish, action packed thrill ride that sucker punched me into submission.

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a 16-year-old girl who was raised in a desolate forest by her father (Eric Bana), and trained to be a deadly assassin. She spends her days learning hand-to-hand combat, hunting, and studying many different languages. She has been training for the moment when she would face her mother’s killer, a vile Intelligence Agent named Marissa (Cate Blanchett), and face her she does.

There are sure to be many comparisons made between Hanna and the Bourne series. The close and quick fighting style, the searing action sequences, and the fearless hero searching for the truth. But what sets Hanna apart from other similar films is its strong visual style. Joe Wright isn’t scared of long shots, experimenting with uncomfortable angles, or taking chances on a heart pumping score (The Chemical Brothers). I was completely engulfed into Hanna’s world. I was elated when she found a friend in scene stealer Sophie (Jessica Barden). Her character is never in question and her goals are always clear. Watching her hunt her prey, while at the same time learning about the world around her is intoxicating.

An amazing cast that proves their worth and then some are lead by a fearless director, and turn a somewhat interesting idea into an unforgettable movie. Sure, there are a few holes in the plot, and some questions go unanswered, but none of that matters in the end because these small issues are swallowed up by Hanna herself. This is a film that deserves cult status and repeat viewings. It is absolutely a killer film.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Universal explodes the film on HD. Sharp, detailed, the picture is as good as anything on the market. The DTS track is as killer as Hanna. Deep bass, a pulsating score, and constant surround activity, it’s no other word than stellar.

Commentary: Director Joe Wright goes solo here, and offers up a a great track. He barely takes a time out to breathe, giving us a snappy, speedy chat about every facet of the film’s production. It’s a wonderful listen.

All extras are in HD.

A slew of tiny featurettes in Adapt or Die, Central Intelligence Allegory, Chemical Reaction, and The Escape of Camp G are rapid interesting making-ofs that cover the score, action, and characters. They’re all from 3-8 minutes, but offer plenty of insight info, making them better than an EPK.

Deleted Scenes don’t offer much, either does the Alternate Ending. Some Trailers and an EPK making-of round out the extras.

The Film: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Sadly, the film transitions fifteen years later: enter the nubile Cataleya (Zoe Saldana, Avatar). Her sexy drunk act gets her thrown into the clink, which we soon learn was her intention all the time. Here she channels Houdini to kill her 22nd victim. Falling to her own hubris, she leaves a calling card, an image of an orchid her father gave her before his death. Saldana has a killer face-and-bod, but her acting is Brigitte Nielsen (Point of No Return) one-dimensional, which is fine until the action slows down. Her romance with an almost catatonic Danny (French actor and former Alias star Michael Vartan) puts off such a big snore one needs a sleep-apnea mask.

Many of the over-the-top killings from director Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3) pay homage to Robert Rodriguez, and especially Machete, in their cinematography. In fact, Machete actress (and hot bod) Michelle Rodriguez would have been a better choice for the heroine, for she not only smokes up the screen, but also displays some acting chops. Nonetheless, Killer Film aficionados will enjoy this film, better than most of the pabulum presently on the big screen.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Here’s the extras:

Audio Commentary with Director Joe Wright

Adapt or Die: Featurette that reveals the training and acting process Saoirse Ronan went through to become Hanna.

Central Intelligence Allegory: The filmmakers and cast reveal their approach to the film.

Chemical Reaction: A look at The Chemical Brothers’ creative process of writing and scoring all of the music in the film.

The Wide World of Hanna: Featurette focusing on the filmmakers as they travel to Finland, Morocco and Berlin to scout locations.

Anatomy of a Scene: The Escape from Camp G

Hanna Promo

Alternate Ending

Deleted Scenes

Sadly, no cover art has been released yet.

Source: Blu-ray

Jock is known for his work on Losers and Judge Dredd comic series.

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a 16-year-old girl who was raised in a desolate forest by her father (Eric Bana), and trained to be a deadly assassin. She spends her days learning hand-to-hand combat, hunting, and studying many different languages. She has been training for the moment when she would face her mother’s killer, a vile Intelligence Agent named Marissa (Cate Blanchett), and face her she does.

There are sure to be many comparisons made between Hanna and the Bourne series. The close and quick fighting style, the searing action sequences, and the fearless hero searching for the truth. But what sets Hanna apart from other similar films is its strong visual style. Joe Wright isn’t scared of long shots, experimenting with uncomfortable angles, or taking chances on a heart pumping score (The Chemical Brothers). I was completely engulfed into Hanna’s world. I was elated when she found a friend in scene stealer Sophie (Jessica Barden). Her character is never in question and her goals are always clear. Watching her hunt her prey, while at the same time learning about the world around her is intoxicating.

An amazing cast that proves their worth and then some are lead by a fearless director, and turn a somewhat interesting idea into an unforgettable movie. Sure, there are a few holes in the plot, and some questions go unanswered, but none of that matters in the end because these small issues are swallowed up by Hanna herself. This is a film that deserves cult status and repeat viewings. It is absolutely a killer film.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Raised by her father (Eric Bana of Star Trek), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna’s upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

“Like” Hanna on Facebook here, follow it on Twitter, and visit the official site here. The film is rated PG-13.

Critically acclaimed electronic duo The Chemical Brothers have teamed up with film director Joe Wright to score Wright’s boldly original adventure thriller Hanna, which stars Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan, Eric Bana, and Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett.

The soundtrack is exclusively through iTunes, in advance of the film’s April 8th nationwide theatrical release through Focus Features.

Check out the tracks “Container Park”:

Container Park by The Chemical Brothers by Hannamovie

And “The Devil is in the Beats”:

The Devil Is In The Beats by The Chemical Brothers by Hannamovie

Here’s the Facebook page for more info on Hanna.

Look out for the film on April 8th, along with Saoirse, the film stars Eric Bana and Cate Blachett.

Source: IMPAwards

Hanna (Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Ms. Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

Source: THR

Hanna (Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Ms. Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

Source: IMPAwards

A Prophet

Hanna (Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the smarts of a solider; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Sweden . Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

Hanna, written by Seth Lochhead and directed by Joe Wright, is expected to come out sometime in 2011.

Producing will be Scott Nemes, Marty Adelstein and Leslie Holleran with Focus Features attached for distribution of the film. Bana can be seen in several films released last year, including Funny People and Star Trek. Ronan can still be seen in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones which is still screening in some theaters nationwide.

The story follows a 14-year-old Eastern European girl (Ronan) who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine. She connects with a French family, forms a friendship with their daughter and goes through the pangs of adolescence. When the girl is dragged back to her father’s world and discovers that she was bred as a killing machine in a CIA prison camp, she must fight her way to a free life (THR).

Directing the film is Joe Wright who previously worked together with Ronan on Atonement. Ronan can still be seen on the big screen in Peter Jackson’s novel adaptation of The Lovely Bones and will be seen sometime in 2010 in the 1940 based movie entitled The Way Back.

The project is described as having shades of “La Femme Nikita” and the “Bourne” movies. The story centers on a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine. She connects with a French family, forms a friendship with their daughter and goes through the pangs of adolescence. When the girl is dragged back to her father’s world and discovers that she was bred as a killing machine in a CIA prison camp, she must fight her way to a free life.

Currently Joe Wright was in the middle of pre-production on the novel adaptation called Indian Summer until it got put on an indefinite hold. Apparently there were some battles with the budget that went and helped bring the feature on hold.