Girl, gun, grandiosity

In the solid revenge thriller “Hanna,” the titular character is tasked to assassinate a target connected to her past. Raised by a superb ex-CIA operative, Erik (Eric Bana), the 16-year-old Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) soon leaves her secluded home in Finland, where she was rigorously trained in hunting and killing. Her first and only mission is to eliminate the cold-blooded--and plaque-free!--CIA agent, Marissa (Cate Blanchett), Erik’s pursuer and the unrepentant killer of Hanna’s mother.

Her first contact with the outside world carefully planned, the seemingly vulnerable Hanna is detained at a CIA facility in Morocco, where she soon demonstrates her lethal abilities in tight (if overly arty) action sequences. Believing her mission accomplished, Hanna escapes and befriends a vacationing family, before proceeding with her planned reunion with her father in Germany. Marissa, however, has plans of her own that just might ruin their pre-organized itinerary.

Ronan previously worked with director Joe Wright in “Atonement,” their comfortable synergy still obvious in “Hanna.” Ronan continues to improve as an actress, able to convey precious nuances that make her ideal for the unique role. From home-schooled innocent to methodical executioner, Hanna is made intriguing by the emphatic Ronan.

The film has science fiction elements that somewhat diminish the character’s mystique by explaining away (and a little belatedly) that Hanna was truly designed for such tasks. The revelations and their repercussions are pretty by-the-numbers, but overall, “Hanna’s” distinctly strange coming-of-age aspects and spirited action scenarios blend splendidly.

“Hanna” is an Ayala Cinemas exclusive opening today, Sept. 28.