HANNA: ADAPT OR DIE

Hanna isn't a typical teenager. She doesn't own an Ipod, lip gloss or skinny jeans. But those aren't the things that make her atypical. She lives with her father, rouge CIA agent, in icy Finland and has been raised as a soldier, trained in combat, to survive in extreme circumstances. When we meet Hanna and her father, "the plan", her life's goal, etched in her head since birth is finally ready to be carried out and all she has to do is press a button. Launch into action uber-tense Marissa (a fantastic Cate Blanchett) with her Texas twang and steel cold heart who becomes both the hunter and the hunted. The story twists and turns and is a heart pounding race to the finish. Unfortunately the end ends with a whimper and not a bang, but it is the right ending to this girl's journey. Saoirse Ronan is stunning as a young woman who is both full of knowledge and naivete at the same time. At times she is like a wild animal and at others she is just a wide eyed teenager seeing all that the world has to offer for the first time, both good and bad. Eric Bana as her father is too full of heart and yet disconnected in that CIA operative kind of way. However Blanchett is a woman who is as tightly wound as they come. I will never brush my teeth again without remembering her. Her protagonist is about as cold hearted, cold blooded and steely as possible. This is a truly engaging film.

KILLERS: THE MOST ADORABLE NEWLYWEDS PACKING HEAT (NOT!)

Jen Kornfeldt: How weird is this going to get?

Because some things you cannot unsee.

...Like this movie for one. Just another silly movie in a long line of silly movies trying to find some kind of charisma that matched Angelina and Brad had in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. By any means this is not a good film. It is full of inappropriate reactions and predictable behaviors and everything is treated way too lightly because the rest of the film certainly does not follow the comedy genre. It makes no sense why they meet in the first place. So basically, the film is about this worldly suave highly capable expert enforcer (Ashton Kutcher) who accidentally runs into "Jen" (Katherine Heigl) somehow manages to fall in love with her and starts a whole new life putting his past behind him. Although we all know that a past like that does not stay secret for long. The ending is convoluted and if possible even more silly than the beginning. This movie was basically painful to watch. Catherine O'Hara and Tom Selleck as Jen's parents offer up a little bit of substance to enjoy. Additionally when the bonus features offer 17 alternate endings I get a little suspicious that they didn't quite know where they were going with the film in the first place. All in all it was a movie that should be missed at all costs.

HITMAN

HITMAN WELL EXECUTED HIT
"Agent 47: Nika... Nika Boronina: Yes? Agent 47: Stop talking or I'll put you back in the trunk." Agent 47 (Timothy Oliphant) has literally been born and bred to be a top-notch assassin for the government (hense the bar code on the back of his head). One of his most risky assignments goes awry and suddenly he is the #1 target of choice for Interpol, the Russian Mob and other hitmen. So of course he must track down the people who set him up and make everything right in the world. He runs into Nika Boroina (Olga Kurylenko) when she is used as bait for a trap. They make a cute couple. What sets this story apart from the others, aside from it's tight choreography, is the banter of these two back and forth. He is on a fast track to accomplish his work and is surprisingly not the least bit interested in her romantically, although he does have a fondness for her. He doesn't have super-human powers, but he is so well prepared he should get a Scout patch for his efforts. This movie is slick and loud and stylish. There is something just a little off about Oliphant, but I liked him. I think Billy Zane would have been an interesting cast, but perhaps his show of emotion would have been too much for the character. It isn't the most original movie I've seen, however, it is still a good film and the characters and plot are interesting to watch. The way that he understands the reaction to something then he plans for that and uses it for his own actions. It's like he never reacts, he acts. Yes, it's a subtle note, but the one that kept this film above average.
PICK: Loved the characters, loved the action pace and scenes, nicely done.