September 7, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 23 Saoirse Roman stars in ‘Hanna,’ a cat-and-mouse drama by Dennis Seuling “Hanna” (Universal Home Entertainment), an exciting action drama, is a cross between “Kick-Ass” and any number of spy thrillers. Hanna (Saoirse Roman, “Atonement”) is a 16-year-old raised in complete isolation in the wilderness of northern Finland by her widowed, former CIA-agent father (Eric Bana). He has trained her since childhood to build strength and the survival instincts she will need on the day she must strike out on her own. That day has come. Hanna sets out across Europe, but is eventually detained by CIA agent Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett), the person responsible for Hanna and her father’s need to live in solitude. Most of the film is a cat-and-mouse competition between Hanna and the CIA. Constantly on the run, she is not above using her carefully honed skills to eliminate adversaries. Hanna is the perfect assassin. Experiencing the outside world for the first time, Hanna is simultaneously fascinated and wary of danger at every turn. Though she is well trained in survival techniques, she is woefully ignorant of everything else, including light switches, swimming pools, friendship, and kisses. Therefore, when she must trek across Europe to find her father, the film stretches credibility. Someone so naive could hardly accomplish this formidable task. Ronan projects vulnerability beneath Hanna’s cool exterior, and Blanchett is appropriately mysterious as Hanna’s target. The Blu-ray edition contains featurettes on Ronan’s training, location filming, the creative process of writing and scoring the music, and the film’s original spin on the spy movie. “Hanna” is also available on DVD. “Clash of Empires” (Image Entertainment) takes place in A.D. 120. Rome, China, and Malaysia are set to collide in a power play of epic proportions. War is imminent, and three people figure prominently. A warrior and descendant of Alexander the Great, Merong (Stephen Rahman Hughes) is escorting a Roman prince (Gavin Stenhouse) through the dangerous regions of Asia to meet his bride-to-be, the Chinese princess Menh Li Hua (Jing Lusi). As a daughter of the Han Dynasty, the princess is a great prize. When she is kidnapped, the three are set on a course that could alter the fate of the world. Reminiscent of such ill-fated flicks as “The Conqueror” and “Conan the Barbarian,” “Clash of Empires” is an overly ambitious epic that contains some of the worst performances seen on film in a long time. The plot is convoluted, the characters are broad stereotypes, and the battle scenes are puny. The photography is quite impres- Saoirse Ronan stars in ‘Hanna.’ sive, but that is about the only plus. Director Yusry Kru attempts to make up for the film’s many shortcomings with blood and guts in a desperate attempt to salvage a topheavy, dreary slog. It is available on Blu-ray and DVD, with no extras. “Assassination Games” (Sony Home Entertainment) is yet another film focusing on a cold-as-steel hit man. In this case, it’s Vin- cent Brazil (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a contract killer who will take any job if his price is met. His latest target is Polo Yakur (Ivan Kaye), a lowlife mobster recently released from prison. Roland Flint (Scott Adkins) also wants Polo dead, but for revenge -- not money. Years earlier, Polo raped and beat Roland’s wife into a coma. (continued on Crossword page)