Hanna 2011 1*

Hanna is a teen (Saoirse - Irish for freedom, sounds like Sasha - Ronan) raised alone in an Arctic -40 Finland forest by her father Erik (Eric Bana), with an encyclopaedic knowledge of languages, unarmed combat, hunting, "adapt or die". Trailer. Outside a frail slender pale blue-eyed blonde wisp; inside strength propels muscle. We fight fear alongside her. 1* disappointed by sad "You didn't prepare me for this"; he was better than some parents.

When she is ready to turn on the signal beacon, CIA agent Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), artificial hard high-heeled redhead, will lead sadistic and skilled operatives to kill them first. Run, fight, run, enemy tortures innocent bystanders, run, fight, death. A brutal action thriller without usual macho male Big Guns shoot Bad Guys, compensated slightly by little girl kicks fierce.

Scenery spans arab Morocco 140 degree desert muzarin, Spanish campfire dance, opera and didgeridoo in Berlin graffiti slum, to Grimm's fairytale theme park. Music calls to her soul; speed excites her; noisy appliances, modern conveniences, and simple social skills confuse her. Even in the beginning in the lab, she doesn't want to kill anyone she doesn't have to, she shakes her head and walks away. Symbolism from the start, girl shoots deer in the head because she misses the heart, is carried to the final scene. (Wo)men are animals who kill anyone different as a threat? Kind of backwards happy ending, especially when sacrifice easily predicted. Why was that inevitable?

Bonus

Alternate ending overlaid incongruous bright (lonely) hope onto a frightening framework.

Deleted scenes proved good editor.

Anatomy of camp Escape from real tunnels in disorienting kaleidoscope to electronic theme

Commentary by director Joe Wright

He intended this film to be a fairy tale, a few intense visual images, implausible unreal acceptable, with a character who discovers music. I did not feel a balance. The ending, walking out of the wolf's mouth, was just wierd. I suspected something I couldn't put a finger on. His "circle motif" was uncomfortable subconscious repetition, never explained.

I recognized actors but couldn't place them, maybe because I'm such a BBC fan. Australian Eric Bana is in Munich, Hulk, and Star Trek films. Fake wig Marissa stand-in is Michelle Dockery, Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey TV series. Sadistic whistling German rogue assassin Tom Hollander was Cutler Beckett in Pirates of the Caribbean. Sophie's mom, Olivia Williams was in TV Dollhouse series. Sophie's dad, Jason Flemyng, was Danny Quinn in Primeval.

A normal child's yearn for adulthood is in an extraordinary setting. Deep emotions convey in few words. As a North American, I missed the British bad-teeth director giving the wicked witch perfect Yankee teeth and taste for blood. Glad to hear producer Leslie also thought Erik should have gone into the snowstorm with a fur coat, not cloth suit. I'm glad I did not recognize a singing to lightbulb homage to Blue Velvet; all I remember about that film is feeling creeped out.

Spoiler:

I was hoping for explanations I did not get. Why did the father have to die? Why did she return to Mr Grimm when she heard the answers to the torture? Why a deer at the end? I disagreed that Marissa was unravelling then wanted to adopt Hanna to atone at the end. Previews hinted she was the mother. Whew. She was bad through and through. I like the premise, little girl wins, not the cost.