Hanna is trained from birth in the woods by her spy father (played by Eric Banna) to exact revenge on a high level CIA operative (played by Cate Blanchet). In her early teens Hanna deems herself ready and sets the plan in motion. The movie alternates between intense action scenes and moments of discovery to a girl who has learned everything from a book but has experienced very little (outside hand to hand combat training). 
 

Despite all of the high caliber actors that populate the film’s supporting roles, it’s Saoirse Ronan’s film and she shines in the spotlight. It’s unbelievable the amount of young actresses in the last year that have delivered top notch performances, and Ronan’s may be the best yet. She is completely believable in every way in an extremely complex role that has her performing as a super assassin, a confused teenage girl, and a deprived child who is seeing the world for the first time due to her secluded upbringing. 
 

Director Joe Wright made an art film out of an action movie. He spent a lot of attention to detail in every way and there wasn’t a single lazy moment in the film. From camera angles, to lighting, to editing he made every scene interesting without being distracting. The writers also went against the Hollywood conventions when it came to several parts in the movie. This kept the story fresh and the impending sense of danger real. There is a mounting cost and urgency in the search for Hanna unlike lighter action films. 

Hanna is a serious film and it keeps a quick pace. Although the film does not have the large explosions and huge FX action scenes, it’s hand to hand combat is far more intense than its large budget competition. Hanna uses great performances and strong characters instead of expensive effects and it works great. It’s an expertly crafted movie that is interesting and captivating right to the last shot and definitely worth your time.

FILMS LIKE HANNA : The Professional, Bourne Identity and Run Lola Run

Justin Buettner is Style's resident movie dude! How did he get this role? Well, he graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor of Arts in film Production and a duel minor in Animation and Business with an emphasis in the entertainment field. He later went on to work on several independent films in various key roles including writer and later worked in the special effects field as a motion capture artist. He has since relocated to the Sacramento area with his family and continues writing for small independent films in addition to his movie reviews for Style Magazine.