Living the McDream

"It's a little cheesy, but that's fine.'' Australian actor Callan McAuliffe is talking from his Los Angeles home about his new film I Am Number Four, the Michael Bay produced blockbuster about an alien in highschool. McAuliffe's character Sam befriends said alien, play by Alex Pettyfer, and the pair team up to fight an evil horde of creatures invading the town. It's a fantastic role for the 16-year-old Sydney lad, who has spent the last year and a half trying to break into the Hollywood market after bit parts in Packed To The Rafters and Blue Water High.

His big break came during a 2009 holiday to LA when he landed the lead role in Flipped, written, directed and produced by industry heavyweight Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally, This Is Spinal Tap). After being called back to audition five times, McAuliffe said he ``didn't think they would want an Australian because of all the travel involved.'' He was wrong.

Not only did he get the part, but the role brought him to the attention of the I Am Number Four casting directors. With just one audition McAuliffe got the part and joined the cast with Pettyfer, Glee star Dianna Agron, Timothy Olyphant and fellow Aussie Teresa Palmer as alien number six.
``It was a fantastic experience,'' he said.
``I came from Flipped straight to I Am Number Four which was an extreme contrast.
``It was a multi-national cast with Alex being British and Dianna and Tim American.
``But having another Australian on set in Teresa was great because at least there was one person to laugh at my jokes.
"Americans, they just don't get our sense of humour, you know?
``She was hilarious and although we would muck around, as soon as D.J. (director D.J. Caruso) yelled `action' we would snap back into our characters.''
McAuliffe said fans of producer Michael Bay will be expecting ``explosions'' and they won't be disappointed, with plenty of stunts and special-effects. And although his character didn't get to do ``any dangerous stuff''', McAuliffe said he did get to shoot a gun.
``It was a real shot gun in special casing to make it look alien,'' he said.
``I did get to do all of my own stunts, which weren't too impressive because my character doesn't get into much action.
``But I was definitely looking forward to shooting that gun the whole time.
``It was an alien gun too.''

Palmer, on the other hand, was not only an alien in the film but got to perform some of the most dangerous stunts herself. The Aussie rising star said she relished the opportunity and played ``an alien who kicks major bad-alien butt'.
``We're getting pursued by the bad aliens, but my character is sick of running away so she turns around and the hunters become the hunted,'' she said.
``I got to do my own stunts and I had someone film this one amazing stunt I did.
``I was attached to a harness which was attached to a 60 foot crane and when they said `action' I had to run and the harness, that was attached to just my leg, would pull me back and I would go flying 60 feet up in the air.
``I had to act like this huge alien, a Piken, was pulling me up and I would be kicking and screaming and trying to stab it with this dagger.''

I Am Number Four is out tomorrow.

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Got your number

It’s a shame I Am Number Four has been promoted as a supernatural romance reminiscent of Twilight, but with Aryan poster children Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron (above) as the teenage lovers. Really, it’s more of an action blockbuster in a similar vein to the hits of Michael Bay, who serves as producer.

It follows John Smith (Pettyfer) who tries to pass himself off as an ordinary teenager but in reality, is actually one of only nine aliens who escaped the planet Lorien when the evil Mogadorians invaded and went Hitler on their race. John and his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant) have spent their lives on the run, trying to elude the Mogadorians who have tracked the refugees to Earth and are killing them off in sequence. The latest town they roll into is Paradise, Ohio.

Henri begs John to keep a low profile as it's vital they don’t repeat a recent incident where his leg inconveniently lit up like a light night at a beach party. John says “I know how to blend in” and demonstrates his master-of-disguise prowess by chucking on a hoddie and enrolling in the local high school. There he meets Sarah (Agron), a cheerleader turned photographer, and sparks fly. Literally, as John’s powers are developing rapidly and between his hands turning into spotlights in class and making street lamps explode, he’s having a hard time staying under the radar. Which is why the high school’s resident nerd and UFO theorist Sam (Callan McAuliffe) catches on to John’s secret and after a big reveal, the pair become allies. Just in time too, as a horde of Mogadorians arrive in town in pursuit of John.Directed by D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, Eagle Eye, Taking Lives), I Am Number Four is what it is; an alien action blockbuster with romance at its core. Kind of like E.T, minus the bicycles.

The film is based on a popular science fiction novel published in 2010, with DreamWorks Pictures buying the film rights a year earlier based on the manuscript. Buffy scribe and producer Marti Noxon has adapted for the big screen, along with Smallville helmers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and the trio do a fine job off crafting a steady building film for their target audience. They know their strong points and whenever the story gets a tad too romantic or slow, they counteract it quickly with action and special effects. Considering this is a Michael Bay produced film, you know the effects are going to be top notch. Thankfully the nonsensical elements of Bayhem productions are mostly absent, with the exception of the entire cast being good-looking and Caucasian. A brunette or multi-racial cast member in I Am Number Four is harder to find than Charlie Sheen’s sobriety.

Plus, as filmmakers Bay and Caruso are about as subtle as unobtainium. For instance, Aussie rising star Teresa Palmer gives a scene-stealing turn as fellow alien number six who, instead of sitting around and waiting to be killed, is actually a kick-ass warrior. She comes in at a crucial moment to help John and his buddies escape the Mogadorians and gets the best line in the film; “Red Bull is for pussies.” But to really drive the point home, she dresses in leather, wears studded gloves and drives a red motorbike. Okay, we get it, she’s sexy and badass. Ease up on the overt symbolism.Performance wise Pettyfer continues his role as the latest action boy template; he slots nicely into any big budget flick but never leaves an impression. Agron is memorable, but her monotone voice is more irritable than it usually is on Glee. There are some genuinely awesome sci-fi moments, mainly thanks to the original looking Mogadorians and their horrific pet creatures. With tattooed scalps, gills where cheeks should be, fangs and a looming 7ft-plus physique, they’re creepy enough as it is. Yet their manner and interaction add an extra `eek’ factor. Their hunter creatures too are fantastically freaky and obviously the result of a dozen dinosaurs and a Predator thrown into the blender. It also packs a clever original score from Trevor Rabin, which helps build tension, and is complemented by a too-cool-for-school soundtrack from the likes of Beck, The Black Keys, Kings Of Leon, Adele and The Temper Trap.

I Am Number Four sets up a sequel perfectly and, depending on box-office results, you can count on there being at least another two films (the author has six novels planned). It’s essentially an inter-species love story, complete with action, suspense and, unlike the Twilight Saga, it actually delivers on its promise of M-rated gore. Sure, this isn’t a film that’s going to change the world. But it’s a sufficiently entertaining meal for the multiplexes. I Am Number Four opens in cinemas on Thursday, February 24.

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