Wanted (B or 3/4 stars)
25 yr. old Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is 'Wanted' by an assembly of assassins called The Fraternity. After discovering that his long lost father was a recently murdered assassin, Wes is recruited into his dad's old organization to avenge the death and follow in his father's footsteps. Once a trampled-upon nerd, this 'new life' gives him a chance to actually BE somebody. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch), 'Wanted' offers some high voltage action sequences, thrilling special effects, and an underdog to root for. It's just as shame that most of the last 1/2 of the film couldn't sustain its brilliant 1st 1/2.
Young Wesley leads a lowly life. He's never known his father. He resides in a crappy apartment. He's working as a mere accounts manager. His obese boss berates him (because he's so mild-mannered, he's an easy target for ridicule). And he's just found out that one of his best friends is sleeping with his girlfriend. To make matters worse, upon picking up prescription drugs for his panic attacks, he's approached by a mysterious woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie); who not only tells him that his father just died, but that he must 'duck for cover' before the same man who killed his dad kills him! Hence starts the 1st of many incredibly edited action scenes (Fox/Wesley battle their foe as they drive through oncoming traffic, construction sites, etc.).
The deadly Fox takes him to headquarters of a 1,000 yr. old secret society of assassins to meet their leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman). Sloan explains that this society is for a small faction of the population who have an innate knack/aptitude for killing. Sloan's goal is to awaken the sleeping giant that's inside Wesley (thanks to his assassin father's genes) & kill the very man who killed daddy-o, Cross (Thomas Kretschmann). With a burgeoning purpose for life, Wes is all too happy to train & transform into a lethal enforcer of justice. Some of the best scenes include Wesley's intense, ass-kicking training sessions with Fox. Similarly entertaining are his recovery sessions with The Repairman (Marc Warren). But just as things are going swell, Wes starts to realize that there's more to this organization than meets the eye. Grappling with his newfound sense of self, and some disappointing news, he must decide where to properly allocate his retribution.
The 1st half of the movie is exceptional, setting a tone, and humanizing Wesley so that we can pull for him (in almost any circumstance). Because we relate to him, it makes it easier for us to suspend our disbelief (hey, this IS a comic book adaptation) when Wes can slow time and shoot bullets that bend around curves. Logic goes out the window, but we become aware of this very early on. Wesley is an average guy who's discovered (along with us) that he's a sort of superhero. James McAvoy is the bleeding, beating heart of this film. I don't know any other actor of late who could nail an English period piece such as 'Atonement', and then nail a geeky American in a summer blockbuster. Watching McAvoy start as a humiliated milquetoast and evolve into a fine-tuned killing machine is impressive.
To me, Angelina Jolie & Morgan Freeman 'do their jobs' here, but it's nothing extraordinary. Jolie excels at oozing sex appeal. And her dominatrix-style fighting is spine-tingling; but she's a supporting character here. Freeman is authoritative as usual. His all-knowing glances and one-liners can cut through us -- but again, nothing extraordinary. Along with McAvoy, the best aspect(s) of the film are its over-the-top, super violent, well-choreographed action stunts/segments. Cars race, flip, & explode. Humans run atop speeding trains. And if you can stomach it, there's some beautifully orchestrated bursts of blood & guts (reminding me of last yrs. 300). 'Wanted' delivers the goods as a straight up, mind-numbing summer blockbuster. It's brutal (almost to a fault), sexy, & unapologetically relentless.
But it does have its drawbacks. McAvoy is so good that it's easy to be fooled by the film's lack of intelligible plot. Not only is it not as defined as it could be. But certain plot points go from A to C (where a much needed B was in order). And while I was never bored, some silly exposition mars the pacing, at points. The 1st half of the film is SO wonderful, that you hope is can sustain itself ... not quite. Still, I have to give credit where credit is due; and most of 'Wanted' entertained me. It's a guilty pleasure film for those who enjoy any individual part of what's being seen on the screen. People will either love, hate or be indifferent to its simultaneous thrills, preposterousness, nihilism, & style. For me, 'Wanted' is visually & viscerally interesting enough to warrant a marginal passing grade.
Young Wesley leads a lowly life. He's never known his father. He resides in a crappy apartment. He's working as a mere accounts manager. His obese boss berates him (because he's so mild-mannered, he's an easy target for ridicule). And he's just found out that one of his best friends is sleeping with his girlfriend. To make matters worse, upon picking up prescription drugs for his panic attacks, he's approached by a mysterious woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie); who not only tells him that his father just died, but that he must 'duck for cover' before the same man who killed his dad kills him! Hence starts the 1st of many incredibly edited action scenes (Fox/Wesley battle their foe as they drive through oncoming traffic, construction sites, etc.).
The deadly Fox takes him to headquarters of a 1,000 yr. old secret society of assassins to meet their leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman). Sloan explains that this society is for a small faction of the population who have an innate knack/aptitude for killing. Sloan's goal is to awaken the sleeping giant that's inside Wesley (thanks to his assassin father's genes) & kill the very man who killed daddy-o, Cross (Thomas Kretschmann). With a burgeoning purpose for life, Wes is all too happy to train & transform into a lethal enforcer of justice. Some of the best scenes include Wesley's intense, ass-kicking training sessions with Fox. Similarly entertaining are his recovery sessions with The Repairman (Marc Warren). But just as things are going swell, Wes starts to realize that there's more to this organization than meets the eye. Grappling with his newfound sense of self, and some disappointing news, he must decide where to properly allocate his retribution.
The 1st half of the movie is exceptional, setting a tone, and humanizing Wesley so that we can pull for him (in almost any circumstance). Because we relate to him, it makes it easier for us to suspend our disbelief (hey, this IS a comic book adaptation) when Wes can slow time and shoot bullets that bend around curves. Logic goes out the window, but we become aware of this very early on. Wesley is an average guy who's discovered (along with us) that he's a sort of superhero. James McAvoy is the bleeding, beating heart of this film. I don't know any other actor of late who could nail an English period piece such as 'Atonement', and then nail a geeky American in a summer blockbuster. Watching McAvoy start as a humiliated milquetoast and evolve into a fine-tuned killing machine is impressive.
To me, Angelina Jolie & Morgan Freeman 'do their jobs' here, but it's nothing extraordinary. Jolie excels at oozing sex appeal. And her dominatrix-style fighting is spine-tingling; but she's a supporting character here. Freeman is authoritative as usual. His all-knowing glances and one-liners can cut through us -- but again, nothing extraordinary. Along with McAvoy, the best aspect(s) of the film are its over-the-top, super violent, well-choreographed action stunts/segments. Cars race, flip, & explode. Humans run atop speeding trains. And if you can stomach it, there's some beautifully orchestrated bursts of blood & guts (reminding me of last yrs. 300). 'Wanted' delivers the goods as a straight up, mind-numbing summer blockbuster. It's brutal (almost to a fault), sexy, & unapologetically relentless.
But it does have its drawbacks. McAvoy is so good that it's easy to be fooled by the film's lack of intelligible plot. Not only is it not as defined as it could be. But certain plot points go from A to C (where a much needed B was in order). And while I was never bored, some silly exposition mars the pacing, at points. The 1st half of the film is SO wonderful, that you hope is can sustain itself ... not quite. Still, I have to give credit where credit is due; and most of 'Wanted' entertained me. It's a guilty pleasure film for those who enjoy any individual part of what's being seen on the screen. People will either love, hate or be indifferent to its simultaneous thrills, preposterousness, nihilism, & style. For me, 'Wanted' is visually & viscerally interesting enough to warrant a marginal passing grade.