Timothy Olyphant Starred In A Hit Sci-Fi Movie That's Been Lost To Time

Even the best actors star in duds, so Timothy Olyphant shouldn't fret about "I Am Number Four" failing to take off. D.J. Caruso's sci-fi actioner enjoyed a fairly successful run at the box office following its release in 2011, but no one hails it as one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. In fact, "I Am Number Four" was panned by critics, only to become a forgotten relic in Olyphant's filmography.

Based on Pittacus Lore's novel of the same name, "I Am Number Four" is a sci-fi adventure for the YA crowd. It follows John Smith (Alex Pettyfer), a teenage alien who finds himself on the run from those who seek to capture him and others of his kind who were sent to Earth. The extraterrestrials are being hunted and killed in numerical order, with John being the fourth, hence the film's title. Olyphant plays Henri, John's guardian sent from their home planet.

"I Am Number Four" boasts some big names with serious sci-fi pedigree behind the camera. The film was produced by Michael Bay and alien movie maverick Steven Spielberg, who both know a thing or two about making hits. At one point, there were plans to make a sequel, but the negative reaction to the movie effectively killed its chances of coming to fruition.

The late 2000s and early 2010s were a profitable time for teen movies, as evidenced by the "Twilight" franchise, which features romance between humans, vampires, and werewolves. "I Am Number Four" operates from a similar playbook, as it features love blossoming between an alien and a human. It's unknown if the filmmakers intended to leech off the "Twilight" buzz, but some critics accused the film of offering nothing original.

"The sci-fi-teen romance 'I Am Number Four' is witless, insultingly derivative, muddy-looking, and edited in the hammering epileptic style that marks so many films produced, as this one is, by Michael Bay," Entertainment Weekly wrote.

A similar sentiment was echoed by James McMahon at NME, who felt the movie was forgettable. "For the large part it's just dull. It takes an eternity to get going, when it does, it quickly becomes a confusing mush of high-octane fights and chases."

"I Am Number Four" didn't spawn a sci-fi franchise, but the cast members have since returned to the genre. For example, Timothy Olyphant starred in a "Terminator" TV series on Netflix, which is well worth your time if you are a fan of the saga.