Hanna Review

Once upon a time there lived young girl deep in the woods with her father far away from civilization. All her life her father has trained her to survive in the harsh snowy environments as well as how to fight. Her closest relation to modern civilizations was through books read to her by her father and her imagination. When she reached an age of maturity she begs her father to see the world, but he warns her of an evil witch named, Marissa who wants to find her and hurt her. But Hanna's curiosity cannot be contained any longer. Her father places a switch in front of her and tell her that once she switches it on Marissa would come after them relentlessly and without remorse till the say she dies. Hanna flicks the switch and she is quickly hurled into modern day where she has to use the skills she has been taught her entire life to survive the every growing threat of Marissa while discovering the world for the first time. 

If Hanna sounds a tad like a traditional Grimm fairy tale that's because it sort of is. A stylistic take on a simple thriller formula, reminiscent of the Bourne films, that is mixed with moments of comedy and break neck action as Hanna goes on her quest to bring down Marissa so that she and her father can live peacefully. Hanna travels a large part of the world and discovers things completely new to her to find Marissa including crossing a dessert, befriending a traveling family and is captured by Marissa's thugs. As Hanna travels across this modern day "Wonderland" she must not only fight those who choose to harm her but she must also discover the world for the first time, electricity, television, music and ... boys. Most of the moments not involving intense kinetic action is filled with sweet moments of discovery as Hanna sees, feels, and hears the world in all its wonder.

With fantastic cinematography and choreography and an immensely pleasurable adrenaline pumping score by The Chemical Brothers, Hanna takes a simple formula and kick starts it with great performances. Saoirse Ronan as Hanna is not only incredible calm and cold in her demeanor but also shows incredible vulnerability and innocence in this new world she is being pulled through on a mission she has been feed as a bedtime story her entire life. Her father, Erik Heller played by Eric Bana is very likable as a father simply trying to protect his daughter but who also just so happens to be a skillful  cold-blooded assassin. Marissa is played by the ever dedicated Cate Blanchett who has such an intensity she scares you in a scene where she is brushing her teeth, yikes! Eric Bana has an incredibly choreographed fight scene that shows off perfectly the kinetic energy the movie has as well as the confidence it has in its direction with a single long take of Heller taking on 8 thugs at once in an underground tunnel, its brutal, exciting and suspenseful. Hanna herself is quite adept at kicking ass as she so wonderful shows off in numerous sequences of high speed action, with her agility and master marksmanship being put to great use throughout her plight against Marissa.  

Later in Hanna's travels she runs into a hermit type man who is an old friend of her father. He lives in an abandoned theme park which has not to subtle references to the mystical Wonderland from "Alice in Wonderland". This mans preferences for dancing foolishly and serving tea is very obviously evoking the Mad Hatter from said famous fairy tale. He helps Hanna take refuge and protects her in a key moment, but Marissa always seems a few steps ahead. As the tension builds and more and more people are hurt so Marissa can get to Hanna, Hanna takes it upon herself to confront Marissa and end her evil reign. Again the cinematography is on display as Hanna and Marissa run and fight throughout the abandonment amusement park which nature has claimed back and is falling apart.

Hanna may not be anything new but its definitely something special. Through and through Hanna is a breath-taking, heart-pumping thriller with a fantastic score, great action set pieces and neat visuals that make a lasting impressions. Hanna is a true modern fairy tale and a hell of a roller coaster ride. 

(4 out of 5)