My fondness for all things Dianna Agron is fairly well documented. Anyone who follows me on Twitter, reads my blog or has spoken with me about television for an extended period of time knows that I think she’s just about the greatest thing since sliced bread. She is pretty, she has an incredibly unique tone to her singing voice and she is one of the only reasons I continue to watch Glee. So, when news broke last April that she would be starring in D.J. Caruso’s I Am Number Four, my interest was instantly piqued. 

Based on a novel written by James Frey and Jobie Hughes, I Am Number Four tells the story of a John Smith, one of nine Lorian children sent to Earth on the eve of their planet’s destruction. For the first nine years of his life, John lives amongst the human population of Earth with little complication. He and his protector Henri both look human and Henri is a trained warrior with superior survival skills. But, when the nomadic alien race who ravaged their planet comes to Earth and begins killing off John’s brethren, he and Henri begin moving around from city to city, trying desperately to stay under the radar.

Early on in the film, it is established that the Lorians must be killed in a specific sequence, though the reasoning behind it is never really explained. Nor is it explained how John knows that he is fourth in this predetermined order. Alas, he is. So, when “Number 3” is murdered in Kenya, John and Henri quickly pack their things and leave Florida for Paradise, Ohio. While in Paradise, John befriends a conspiracy theorist named Sam, falls for a girl named Sarah and comes to realize that he’s been gifted with certain powers.

As John, Alex Pettyfer is perfectly serviceable. A model turned actor, whose first few films bombed at the box office, Pettyfer has been linked a number of high profile films lately. And while he does very little here to prove that he’s deserving of such work, he certainly has the look of a leading man. 

The script, which comes from Marti Noxin and Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar, bares a number of similarities to the Superman mythos. More than that, it also has a number of things in common with another series that aired on The WB, Roswell. As such, I Am Number Four may have worked better as a television series. As a weekly TV show, the writers could have parsed out the story more carefully, instead of speeding through John’s back-story to get the action as quickly as possible.

However, shooting the story as a feature afforded it a much higher budget, which Caruso makes good use of. Caruso, whose previous films include Disturbia and Eagle Eye, has carved out a directorial niche for himself over the last few years. Like Michael Bay, who served as a producer on this film, Caruso makes blockbuster action movies. His films are usually rather pulpy, but nevertheless fun. And, ultimately I Am Number Four is no exception. All of film’s the fight scenes looks tremendous and even some of the quieter moments are delicately lensed to foster a genuine sense of intimacy between John and Sarah.

The film’s biggest issue is Theresa Palmer’s “Number Six.” Prominently featured in most of the film’s promotional spots, Palmer doesn’t even show up until the last twenty or some minutes of the film, save for an awkward scene towards the beginning. And, because she arrives so late in the film’s runtime, her character is never truly fleshed out. Presumably, we’ll learn more about her in the film’s tentatively planned sequel, but that doesn’t excuse the recklessness with which they treated her character here.

To bring this article full circle, I need to briefly discuss Dianna’s role in the film. As Sarah she’s expectedly (at least by me) wonderful. Granted, she benefits from a much better role than that of Palmer’s, but she also shades in the areas left blank by the script. Her vulnerability and natural disposition make it easier to believe that Sarah could fall for someone like John. Bottom line, she’s the one to watch in this film, not Pettyfer.