Hanna (2011)

A sixteen-year-old girl who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.

Director:

Joe Wright

Writers:

Seth Lochhead (screenplay), David Farr (screenplay)

Stars:

Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana

8 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Saoirse Ronan	...	Hanna
Eric Bana	...	Erik Heller
Vicky Krieps	...	Johanna Zadek (as Vicky Kreips)
Cate Blanchett	...	Marissa Wiegler
Paris Arrowsmith	...	CIA Tech #1
John Macmillan	...	Lewis
Tim Beckmann	...	Walt
Paul Birchard	...	Bob
Christian Malcolm	...	Head of Ops
Jamie Beamish	...	Burton
Tom Hodgkins	...	Monitor
Vincent Montuel	...	Camp G Doctor #1
Nathan Nolan	...	Camp G Doctor #2
Michelle Dockery	...	False Marissa
Jessica Barden	...	Sophie

Storyline

Hanna (Ronan) is a teenage girl. Uniquely, she has the strength, the stamina, and the skills of a soldier; these come from being raised by her father (Bana), an ex-CIA man, in the wilds of Finland. Living a life unlike any other teenager, her upbringing and training have been one and the same, all geared to making her the perfect assassin. The turning point in her adolescence is a sharp one; sent into the world by her father on a mission, Hanna journeys stealthily across Europe while eluding agents dispatched after her by a ruthless intelligence operative with secrets of her own (Blanchett). As she nears her ultimate target, Hanna faces startling revelations about her existence and unexpected questions about her humanity.

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Plot Keywords:

assassin | female warrior | title at the end | rogue agent | split screen | 

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Taglines:

Adapt or Die

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some sexual material and language

Details

Official Sites:

Focus Features [United States] Official Facebook

Country:

USA UK Germany

Language:

English French German Italian Arabic Spanish

Release Date:

8 April 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hanna

Filming Locations:

Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,370,549, 10 April 2011, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$40,259,119, 7 July 2011

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$63,782,078, 7 July 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Focus Features, Holleran Company, Sechzehnte Babelsberg Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The large oval shaped tunnel through which Hanna escapes (with large vertical louvers) is a wind tunnel for testing full sized aircraft. It's actually only 40-50 feet long, if that.

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Goofs

When Hanna first escapes the CIA base in Morocco, she is amazed at an electric light and overwhelmed by the boiling of an electric kettle. Yet a couple of days later, unaided, she can Google "DNA" and find out all about genetic engineering. Seems unlikely.

This is addressed in one of the deleted scenes which can be viewed on the DVD. When she walks into the internet café, she actually does receive assistance from an employee in how to use the computer.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Hanna: I just missed your heart.

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Crazy Credits

Words are spoken during the credits. At the end of the first song: "Music: A combination of sounds with a view to beauty of form and expression of emotion". And after the end credits: "Schlaf weiter" (sleep on).

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Martin Short/Saoirse Ronan/Harry Connick Jr. (2015)

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Soundtracks

Atasa Doul Kayalan
Written by Fatima Tihihit

User Reviews

Not what Focus wanted, but still very good

From the trailers and descriptions of the movie that Focus has been releasing, I got the idea that they really wanted this to be Bourne with a teenage girl in the main role. What they got was an dark-comedy action film that is also a coming-of-age story. Focus might not have wanted the movie they got out of Hanna, but I think it's terrifically entertaining.

The first thing I talked about with my friends after we got out of the screening was the great job that Saoirse did of carrying the film, though she had some very entertaining supporting characters as well (the British family she meets up with is incredible). Another thing that really worked with the film was its soundtrack--the Chemical Brothers did a great job with their songs, matching the fast pace of the action scenes and setting the mood for some of the quieter scenes.

There were a few problems with the film, though, especially when it came to character development. Though the character of Hanna was well-developed throughout the film, the primary supporting characters were pretty weak. Hanna's father (Eric Bana) and the CIA officer trying to kill her (Cate Blanchett) are never really given purpose, so I was never able to invest emotionally in either one.

That brings me to another low-point of the film, Cate Blanchett. I typically love Ms. Blanchett, but in this movie, she does not work. Her southern accent is laughable (when it is there, sometimes it disappears altogether)and I never got the feeling that she was a stone-cold killer. I'm not a casting director or anything, but it felt like they got her for her name rather than for her ability to play the character well.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie, even with its faults; there are times when it feels like it is trying to be too many movies at the same time, there are some strange editing choices (you might feel motion sick after you leave the theater from all the spinning shots), and the script seems like it could have used a little more polishing to put some more detail into the story to make it a more complete film. When the film works, though, it really hits a stride that makes it an enjoyable experience.

Don't be fooled by the descriptions and trailers, this isn't just an action film, but a film with heart, comedy, and yes, an awesome ass-kicking teenage girl. It might not be for everyone, but if you are thinking about seeing it, I'd recommend taking the time to go to the theater.

7.5/10 (rounded up to 8 because it's more than just a 7)