Hanna
Hanna
Raised by her father, an ex-CIA agent, in the wilds of Finland, Hanna's upbringing has been geared to making her the perfect assassin. Sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys across Europe, eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative. As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 14, 2025
Joe Wright direct’s this Bourne Identity clone starring Saiorse Ronan as the CIA weapon gone rogue. Having spent the entirety of her childhood training in the wilderness with her father, Eric Bana, the day of Hanna’s mission finally comes and she sets out on her own on a quest of self-discovery, survival and vengeance. I really liked the setup of this film. From the opening scene to the moment she first breaks out of custody was really excellent. Hanna’s journey takes some detours along the way that make the middle portion of the film drag considerably. It make sense for her journey. A fish out of water, she’s experiencing many things she’s only ever ready about. She’s finding friendship and companionship, when she’s only ever known isolation and solitude. This could have been a taut 90 minute action thriller, but at 1 hour 51 minutes, it’s pacing grinds to a halt at times. Wright’s direction of the action felt clunky by today’s standards. There’s not bad, but at times it felt like watching actors rehearsing an action scene they’re about to shoot. Their movements all seemed telegraphed and slow. But I may just be used to fast paced gun fu action thanks to John Wick and his many imitators. There is a decent mystery that unfolds. It’s not altogether original but it works for the story. Cate Blanchett is a suitable foe and the bookends at least provide for a satisfying conclusion.
One of the better Joe Wright films I’ve seen recently. It entertained, but it’s not one I’d probably ever revisit. My oldest son thought it was decent, but my youngest two got pretty bored and actually tapped out about 2/3rds of the way through. Kids….sigh…. I have’t distilled in them the obsessive need to finish a movie once they’ve started it…..yet.