3 Teen Sci-Fi Movies Similar to 'I Am Number Four'

"I am Number Four" is the story of a young alien who masquerades as the human John Smith (played by Alex Pettyfer.) One of nine specially powered members of his race, John is accompanied by his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant) and they are constantly on the run from those who would destroy him and those like him. Somewhat surprisingly there aren't as many sci-fi action movies aimed at teens out there as one might think. Most sci-fi films are either targeted for adults, partly due to the heavy overlap with the horror genre. There are plenty of PG-13 sci-fi movies out there to be sure, but few of them tell a story of teenagers and aimed at teenagers the way that "I am Number Four" does. There are a few out there though. For those either excited to see "I am Number Four" or who enjoyed it and want more, here's a few choice movies to check out.

"X-Men"

Human beings have always thought of themselves as the pinnacle of evolution. However evolution doesn't stop, in fact sometimes it can take drastic leaps forward. In the world of "X-Men" there are a small percentage of individuals who manifest strange and superhuman powers at puberty. These people are dubbed mutants, feared and misunderstood by most "normal" people. Some mutants, such as the benevolent Professor Xavier, strive to bring humans and mutants together in peace. Others, like Magneto, see no chance for peace and would rather fight the humans openly than risk being oppressed by mankind.

While it's true that much of the X-Men team are full blown adults, the first film in the series had a special focus put on teenager Rogue. Played by Anna Paquin, Rogue has possibly the most personally horrifying power of any mutant. By coming into physical contact with another person she literally drains their life-force away, and in the case of other mutants she also temporarily gains their powers in addition to her own. She nearly inadvertently kills her boyfriend when she kisses him right when her powers first manifest. The iconic character of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) serves as a guardian figure for Rogue, somewhat similar to Henri's relationship to John Smith in "I am Number Four." The X-Men franchise as a whole has always done a good job at capturing the outcast nature of mutants, something that most teenagers can identify with. With an actual teenager being such a central part of the film in the first outing that feeling is most tangible in the original movie.

"Titan A.E."

In the future the human race has expanded beyond the orbit of Earth and reached out to the stars, though Earth is always thought of as home. An energy based race called the Drej fear that the human's ingenuity and imagination will cause them to rise as the dominant galactic life form. The Drej launch an attack that obliterates Earth, in an effort to break the spirit of the species. Some years later a young man named Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) is just trying to scrape by in the universe which has no use of him. But before fleeing the doomed Earth his father had pointed him towards an invention that may be the salvation of mankind. Teaming with a rag tag crew Cale sets out to find the mythical Titan spacecraft that his father was working on before the Drej hunt them down.

In a way this movie a bit like "I am Number Four" in reverse. Rather than an alien taking refuge on Earth, this story follows the story of a human being in a galaxy of aliens. Though it's animated the target audience was definitely meant to be those in their teens. The film is heavy on action and the lighter aspects that would normally dominate an animated movie are toned down or dispensed with altogether. It's also quite a visually stunning piece of work. As it typical of Don Bluth, the character animation is gorgeous and fluid, but there's also an excellent use of CGI backgrounds and space-ships throughout the film that works extremely well.

"Spider-man"

Peter Parker (played by Toby Maguire) is a very bright but socially awkward teenager. He's not particularly fit, he's ridiculed at school, and he has no chance of getting with the girl of his dreams. All of that changes however when on a school trip to a laboratory Peter is bitten by a genetically enhanced spider and undergoes a bizarre transformation. Peter discovers he has the powers of a spider and initially uses those powers for profit. However a sad twist of fate leads him down a new path, one in which he will use his powers to help those in need. Peter Parker becomes a menace to some but a hero to most, he becomes Spider-man.

It's impossible to talk about teenagers with extra-ordinary powers without bringing up 2002's "Spider-man." Even though "X-men" came out first this was the movie that truly kicked off the boom of super hero movies that audiences are still enjoying. Peter is a bit more of a loner and on his own than the hero of "I am Number Four" but he too finds himself being hunted by an equally powerful adversary. Later entries in the series would see Peter grow older and more adult situations (having his own apartment, needing a job) would creep into the proceedings. This first entry is all set during Peter's high school years and seeing a geeky teenager become a super hero is wish fulfillment fantasy at its most basic, and its most entertaining.