Hanna

So it seems to me that what attracted Joe Wright to Hanna was not so much the opportunity to film action scenes (not that he couldn't, not by a long shot), but rather the chance to plunge a girl with perfect encyclopedic, yet theoretical knowledge into the maelstrom of civilization and see whether she would make it or not. And that's what I liked most about the film. In the end, it wasn't so much about revenge, spies or super soldiers. I was most interested in the main character, played by the devilishly likable Saoirse Ronan, her getting to know the real world, getting close to people and so on. The music, I must say, was not great, but the visuals with long shots and many excellent scenes (both the fight scenes and human scenes, like the conversation under the duvet) trumped everything. (24/03/2013)

This action B-movie/Grimm fairytale cross about a girl assassin in the hands of Joe Wright turns into a visual gem. His direction is perfect and when I say perfect, I mean precise in all ways. In places he raises Hanna into an art form. Such a pleasure to watch. The story suffers from imbalance. The sequence with the “normal" family should have ended up packed in a container at the port together with a couple of other things. Saoirse Ronan’s acting is flawless, as always. Eric Bana as her slugger dad manages to show his best moves even in the little room he get (the one-shot scene after getting of the bus is genius). I hated that whistling bad guy from the moment that he began to whistle that revolting melody, and Cate Blanchett didn’t do anything special in this movie. The action scenes were a joy to watch. Adapt or die. (17/06/2011)

Progressive, superb work by the director, an excellent soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers and a goodlooking cast meet a mediocre B-movie script. Hanna could have been the most intriguing action blockbuster of the year, if someone had bothered to back it up with a correspondingly interesting story. The story that it does have is no better than that of Salt, for example. Nevertheless, it remains a cool, dynamic experience. If Tom Cruise wished to truly revive the M:I series, he should have entrusted Ghost Protocol to Joe Wright! (08/07/2011)

Hanna is quite a peculiar film. Initially, I didn't know what to make of it at first, but as the story unfolded, my initial satisfaction started to fade with each revelation. It bothered me that the filmmakers seemed to think I was an idiot, judging by some of the scenes. At one point, Hanna has what seems like an almost orgasmic encounter with a lightbulb, and struggles to turn off a kettle, but shortly after, she's casually surfing the internet in a Berlin café. It felt a bit off. There were more illogical moments like that, but I seem to have a soft spot for genetically modified assassins. If the screenwriter had chosen a mutant boy as the main character, I likely wouldn't have given it more than one star. / Lesson learned: Tell me how heavy the deer was, and Eric will tell you who you are. (07/07/2022)

As a fan of Joe Wright, a huge weight has been lifted off my heart. After the surprisingly average Atonement, he finally proves that he doesn't only need British history by his side and that he can also bring a "made-to-order" script to the screen with elegance and powerful impact. Hanna can be cold and distant like the Finnish wilderness, but within seconds can switch and suddenly become completely personal and filled with tension. In combination with the teenage perfectionist Saoirse Ronan and the rhythm of the Chemical Brothers' soundtrack, an experience that is hard to replicate is created. 85% (13/07/2011)