Hanna

I love CIA type shows and Hanna stands in a world of her own in this universe as a very unique and much needed offering. The characters are so complex that it's hard to label even the evil ones as purely evil. Incredible writing and acting. They do a great job of showing human nature and exploring various interpersonal relationships. You see characters that do the most despicable things, hate them, yet still understand how they got there. Some even later turn out to be the good guys.

Various father/daughter relationships are explored - the sacrificial, the nurturing, the abusive, etc. And you see the outcome, the kind of children and adults shaped from each.

You see what unaddressed childhood trauma can do to a highly accomplished, extremely powerful and unbreakable adult, shattering and reverting them back to the traumatized child in an instant. I don't want to give much more here but this story line was intriguing to watch unfold.

If you love shows that really delve into human nature and explore the outcomes of psychological manipulation and grooming/conditioning, you'll get your fill here.

If you love shows that feature school-like settings and/or shows that take place in various countries, you'll love this.

If you love a good action-thriller, emotional roller-coaster drama, great entertainment, great writing and acting, you'll surely enjoy this.

This show deserves at LEAST an 8/10, IMO. I thoroughly enjoyed this and the only reason I can think of for not watching this sooner was because I assumed it was a teen show. Thankfully, I was wrong. It's a great show for adults.

It's finally got around to watching Hanna and have to say I found it pretty entertaining. I never saw the movie so I had no expectations going into it. I know some fans of the movie didn't like it and then there are others who say it was even better. I do know that the series has a very solid 7.6 rating here and the movie a less solid 6.7. Anyway, I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire series and glad they were able to give it a proper ending instead of a cliffhanger. It's only 3 seasons with 22 total episodes so it's an easy binge. It actually watches better as a binge watch instead of waiting over a year between seasons and forgetting what was happening. If you're looking for a solid thriller with plenty of action then give Hanna a try.

It doesn't happen often, but this series gets a 9 from me while the 2011 movie gets an 8. And that's saying something since I'm a huge fan of Saoirse Ronan, who played Hanna in the film version. Esme Creed-Miles is very effective in the role of the highly-skilled yet "fish-out-of-water" Hanna, and the supporting cast are also quite convincing. Perhaps an obvious fact (given that there's much more time available) but I feel that this series fleshes out the various characters more than was possible in the movie, which allowed me to become more invested in them. My only complaint is minor, but the production team clearly spent less money by filming a lot of scenes at night, so I'd suggest watching in a dark room if you want to understand what's going on during those moments. Keep an eye out for future roles played by Esme as I predict she's got quite a career ahead of her. I was also captivated by Rhianne Barreto, who very believably plays Hanna's one true friend. The direction, scoring, location scenery, and cinematography (albeit a bit dark at times) are impressive. Highly-recommended binging material.

I just finished watching season 2 and I really liked it! I won't compare it with the first season because it has been a while since I've watched it but I would say that it felt almost at the same level, although the story took a different direction. But hey, it's a new season! And I really hope that Amazon keeps it up with more and longer seasons. It's a fairly good mix of drama, action, thriller and many unexpected turns. I found myself really caring about what happens to some characters, seriously annoyed about the decisions of others and often on the edge of my seat, so to speak. Compared to so many average and boring shows available today, this is refreshingly entertaining. Esme Creed-Miles did an excellent job, as well as all the supporting artists.

Plot

In equal parts high-concept thriller and coming-of-age drama, HANNA follows the journey of an extraordinary young girl raised in the forest, as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is.

Cast

Esme Creed-Miles leads in a performance that flits between decent and I can't believe they didn't do a retake. Mireille Enos is at a career best, Áine Rose Daly, Dermot Mulroney, Ray Liotta, Joel Kinnaman and a standout performance by Gianna Kiehl.

Verdict

I enjoyed Hanna (2011), though far from flawless it was a well constructed feature and Saoirse Ronan was excellent as was Cate Blanchett. I was hesitant going into this as let's be honest movie to television adaptations have a dreadful track record.

Hanna is wonderful paced, that I'll say out of the gate. If you think the story can't be dragged out across 3 seasons you're mistaken, they do a decent job there.

The cast for the most part are competent though some are more consistent than others, Creed-Miles accent peaks and troughs, this really should have been addressed and not made it to the final product.

It's action packed with a passable enough story and I did enjoy it but though I had no problem binge watching it throughout without boredom I did feel that there was something missing. After much head scratching I came to the conclusion that, I have absolutely no idea what it was! Something just didn't click, the show was enjoyable and was fairly engaging but something just failed to complete the show.

I'd advise people stick with the movie, but on the flipside there are worse shows to throw some hours into.

Rants

IMDB is known for not vetting reviews very well but yeesh, check out the 1/10 ones. People who haven't even watched the show reviewing, people who bailed after an episode thinking they can have an opinion on the show, countless one line reviews and stupidity like "I just finished episode 1 and I have no idea what any of the characters look like. Just sat there listening, staring at a black screen." and "Hate White Men, This is for You!, If you think all men should die, more so white men but Blackmon as well, then this show is for you. Guys, if your wife or girlfriend likes this show, I would sleep with one eye open".

Time for IMDB to start vetting better or the IMDB community to grow up.

The Good

Mireille Enos Gianna Kiehl Soundtrack Great pacing

The Bad

Esme Creed-Miles's performance can be pretty poor at times Not as engaging as it should be.

Something is missing.