In the icy wilderness of Finland, 16-year-old Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) lives an isolated existence with her father Erik (Eric Bana). Trained from birth to be a deadly assassin by her ex-CIA agent dad, Hanna has been schooled to anticipate the day when she must fight for survival against sinister agent Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett).
When that day comes, Hanna is captured by Wiegler's goons and taken to a safe-house in Morocco, while her father, who is wanted by the CIA for knowing a little too much about their dodgier practices, heads for Germany.
Promptly escaping with a trail of bodies in her wake, Hanna goes on the run, as Wiegler hires camp killer Isaacs (Tom Hollander) to hunt her down. A dab hand at killing and carnage, but completely dazzled by everyday life, Hanna must keep her mind on her mission as she comes ever closer to discovering the shocking truth about her remarkable abilities.
Best known for directing Atonement, British director Joe Wright makes something of a departure with this Bourne-esque action thriller. Far quirkier than your average beat 'em up, this blend of indie sensibilities and genre conventions is an offbeat treat, backed by a thumpingly good Chemical Brothers soundtrack. The prodigiously talented Ronan also impresses as the wide-eyed innocent with a talent for neck-breaking, with Blanchett delivering the same ice maiden schtick she used to good effect in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
A bold and sometimes over-reaching thriller - Wright's attempts to underline the film's fairytale aspects are a little clumsy - Hanna is nevertheless breathless entertainment throughout and a unique take on a well-worn genre.
Hanna is a Film programme that first aired in 2011 and has been classified a 12 certificate.
