Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
I AM NUMBER FOURMovie Reviews
Science fiction thriller about a gifted young man attempting to elude the enemy forces that have already killed three other similarly gifted people. Cast:Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Kevin DurandDirector:D.J. CarusoRelease Date:February 18, 2011DVD Release:May 24, 2011From:DreamworksRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 44 min
I Am Number Four played to weak reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Michael Phillips wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "...a bombastic combination of 'Twilight' romance and 'Transformers' destruction and decibel levels... it's sold by weight and volume." • And Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...moody and broody to the point of occasional near-coma..." More Reviews Below...
I Am Number Four Positive Reviews (39 Reviews, reviews below)
Mary Pols, Time: POOR "There are gaping holes in logic throughout... The attitude seems to be, We'll get to your silly questions in the sequel. In the meantime, let's blow stuff up."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 857 words, 02/18/11
David Germain, Associated Press: MODERATE(cg) "...mostly familiar stuff, presenting the latest teen outsider coming into possession of his latent superpowers just in time to battle evil forces intent on world chaos."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 741 words, 02/17/11
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: POOR(cg) "...witless, insultingly derivative, muddy-looking... edited in the hammering epileptic style that marks so many films produced, as this one is, by Michael Bay."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 278 words, 02/25/11
Scott Bowles, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...so cobbled with bits of other sci-fi and comic-book movies, there's little to distinguish it. And that's not nearly enough to save a peach-fuzzed superhero."(See all of Scott Bowles's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 493 words, 02/18/11
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: WEAK(cg) "...very loud, very fast paced, and very derivative.... cherry-picks well-known material and presents it with the intelligence and elegance of a fifth grade drama production."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 819 words, 02/19/11
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: POOR "...just your average high school movie with below-average drama.... turgid schedule filler is only marginally more fun than a week's worth of detention."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 02/18/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...a Superman-come-lately tale of puppy love, extraordinary powers and puberty that's duller than a chalkboard and less powerful than an extraneous Jonas brother."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 417 words, 02/18/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...doesn't even belong in the same category as the melodramatic 'Twilight' mediocrities. Those films come from the heart in some way."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 02/18/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...a bombastic combination of 'Twilight' romance and 'Transformers' destruction and decibel levels... it's sold by weight and volume."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 403 words, 02/18/11
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...nothing but a million little pieces from prior superhero series and the 'Twilight' saga.... generic... a transparent mass-market product..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 209 words, 02/16/11
Bruce DeMara, Toronto Star: WEAK(cg) "...a tepid, intermittently entertaining product.... feels very predictable... none of the performance are particularly finely wrought or convincing..."(See all of Bruce DeMara's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 02/18/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...manages to ascend to the level of competence, striking a nice balance between the competing genres, keeping the high-school angst almost real and the special effects credibly muted."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 627 words, 02/18/11
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...a routine sci-fi flick... The ho-hum effects, which involve leaping monsters and many oversized guns, look borrowed from the FX department of 'Relic Hunter.' "(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 02/17/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "...clunky dialogue... puts the burden on its special effects (passable) and the chemistry between Pettyfer and Agron."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 546 words, 02/18/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "They're young, they're darned attractive, and their hands glow an eerie neon blue when they're in trouble.... a franchise I won't mind seeing progress to a second movie."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 494 words, 02/18/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...manages to balance the telling of the tale with fierce attacks from the dastardly Mogadorians, equipped with plasma rifles and giant, jaw-snapping beasts."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 366 words, 02/18/11
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "The characters may be thin and some situations obvious, but the movie zips along at a breathless pace, juiced by exciting action sequences and some spectacular visual effects."(See all of Randy Cordova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 411 words, 02/18/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...moody and broody to the point of occasional near-coma... represents an acceptable holding action until the next installment of 'Twilight' rolls around."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 737 words, 02/18/11
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "...an Excedrin Extra Strength movie.... D.J. Caruso never has done one that was this dull before. Or this needlessly loud.... if you do go, be sure to give yourself two aspirin."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 536 words, 02/18/11
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "It opens well, closes with a bang and has lots of soppy adenoidal dialogue in between. Too many googly eyes. Not enough energy or imagination."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 02/18/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: WEAK(cg) "...delivers none of the spectacle of a competent sci-fi film, none of the emotion of an effective teen romance and none of the giggles of a kitsch fiasco."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 406 words, 02/18/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...nothing but a million little pieces from prior superhero series and the 'Twilight' saga.... generic... a transparent mass-market product..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 209 words, 02/16/11
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "For all that I enjoyed 'I Am Number Four' while I was watching it, I'm also confident I'll have forgotten I ever saw it within the year."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 620 words, 02/16/11
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...despite its lack of originality the film does offer a few rewarding moments.... a rousing but over-edited climactic battle sequence and some pubescent double entendres..."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 163 words, 02/17/11
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: FAIR(cg) "D.J. Caruso ('Disturbia,' 'Eagle Eye') directs all this with a solid eye for thrilling battle scenes, but with little interest in escaping the cheesy overemotiveness of the script..."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 385 words, 02/17/11
Richard Larson, Slant: WEAK(cg) "...a slick conglomeration of other popular successes which should totally work in theory, but just as Frankenstein discovered about his monster... it has no soul at all."(See all of Richard Larson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 986 words, 02/16/11
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...a routine sci-fi flick... The ho-hum effects, which involve leaping monsters and many oversized guns, look borrowed from the FX department of 'Relic Hunter.' "(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 02/17/11
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: POOR(cg) "High school is hard. High school is even harder when you're a secret alien from another planet in hiding from big scary guys with enormous feet and weird tattoos..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 02/18/11
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: POOR "...just your average high school movie with below-average drama.... turgid schedule filler is only marginally more fun than a week's worth of detention."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 02/18/11
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: WEAK "...a flashy, lunkheaded sci-fi extravaganza... posits the existence of amazing extraterrestrial life and plays out with all the gravity of a 'Dawson's Creek' episode."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 769 words, 02/16/11
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: POOR "...just your average high school movie with below-average drama.... turgid schedule filler is only marginally more fun than a week's worth of detention."(See all of Jeannette Catsoulis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 02/18/11
22.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
I Am Number Four's reviews are separated by an average 22.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
I Am Number Four (39 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:I Am Number Four's reviews cover 79.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 20,494 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 526 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
I Am Number Four Coverage, Volume & Length (39 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 2.7 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
I Am Number Four's reviews on average broke 2.7 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is I Am Number Four's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
I Am Number Four (39 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
