A ballet of bullets and a symphony of violence, Wanted is a flawlessly orchestrated action masterpiece that is so hip, stylish and smart you won’t feel the need to apologize for being so giddy over a summer blockbuster. Helmed by Timur Bekmambetov, his explosive foreign touch proves yet again that the director just might be the most important thing to come out of Russian cinema since filmmaking pioneer Sergei Eisenstein.
Apathetic accountant Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) finds his life turned upside down when he is abducted by a group of super assassins called The Fraternity. Having existed for a thousand years The Fraternity works to restore balance to the world by ridding it of evildoers, and as it turns out, Wesley’s long lost father was a member of the elitist group. Having the ability to control their adrenaline as it pumps through their bodies at over four hundred beats-per-minute, these trained killers can manipulate nearly every law of physics. Having inherited this same power, Wesley is trained to become apart of The Fraternity in order to hunt down and execute a rouge agent that assassinated his father before the killer, named Cross, has the chance to pick off any more of the group’s remaining members.
Already known by film aficionados as a visionary talent to watch, director Timur Bekmambetov has made a stunning Hollywood debut. While the story takes a departure from the graphic novel, tonally Wanted is everything an action junkie could want from summer movie cinema. If Fight Club spun into an out of control world of assassins rather than a tale of overly aggressive split personalities, you’d probably get an idea of where Wanted is coming from.
Filled with a tremendous cast of actors, including a sumptuous Angelina Jolie and a muscular James McAvoy being supplemented by screen legends like Morgan Freeman and Terrance Stamp, Bekmambetov has directed his talent to work off each other’s reactions more so than overly populating the film with useless dialogue. While there is still more than enough jabber to explain the complex and constantly twisting plot, you can really see the actors working off one another, making each emotional beat more dramatic and joke far funnier. Perfectly highlighting this concept is Jolie who, except for one powerful monologue, barely utters more than a few words at a time, yet makes every gaze at McAvoy’s Wesley count.
However the true star of Wanted is not any of the picture’s principal players, rather the film’s impressive display of violence. With his unique visual style Bekmambetov puts on display some of the most ferociously gorgeous action ever put to celluloid, and for once the high points of the preview barely touch the surface of the film’s biggest set pieces. Completely sleek and over-the-top, the violence portrayed in Wanted is so visually driven one could almost call it sexual in nature. Beautifully lensed, Bekmambetov uses nearly every camera trick in his arsenal to capture the orgasmic chaos. Ramped up speeds, gorgeous slow motion, aggressive pulsation filters and some of the most fantastic rack focuses ever seen make Wanted a visual feast that will leave you breathless.
Sergei Eisenstein forever changed how images are juxtaposed to create meaning through montage, or editing. Nearly a century later another Russian pioneer, Timur Bekmambetov, is well on his way to recreating the action film as we know it. In a genre where it becomes increasingly difficult to out due one another, Wanted has brought the bar to a whole new level of intensity.
-Joe Russo, MoviePulse
Genre: Action/Adventure, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller, Crime/Gangster, Adaptation
Running Time: 120 min.
Theatrical Release Date: June 27th, 2008 (wide)
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality.
Directed By: Timur Bekmambetov
Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Common , Kristen Hager
SCORE= 10/10
Hrm… I wonder how Movie Pulse characterizes a “Perfect 10” movie. Personally, I’d save the 10/10 for movies that just could not be improved in the slightest. I do find it difficult to believe that the movie is perfect.
It’s a bad joke, but I have to make it. The mentioned “rack focuses” in the review, and all I could think of was that the movie has Angelina Jolie… Talk about a rack worth focusing on 🙂
Hi Tim,
I think everyone has their own definition of a “Perfect 10”. Here is mine:
There is no such thing as a perfect movie. Every film has flaws. Being a filmmaker myself I can attest to that. You can always find things you can change, do better. That’s just part of the process.
In my book a 10/10 is given to a film that succeeds in every department, tells an entertaining story and succeeds in raising the bar or pushing the envelope for its given genre. Wanted accomplishes all three of these goals.
I saw it again today and I wouldn’t change my opinion. Wanted is a 10/10 in my book.
I liked the movie and think it would make a great double header with Crank.
While there is still more than enough jabber to explain the complex and constantly twisting plot, you can really see the actors working off one another, making each emotional beat more dramatic and joke far funnier.
I’d agree that the actors did a great job, but I found the story anything but complex and twisty.
There was no mentioned made of the fact that the film bears little similiarity to the original story. Does the quality of ‘adaption’ not impact on the enjoyment of a film?
David, it certainly did for me.
I am a massive fan of the source material, while I enjoyed Wanted, some of the changes really annoyed me. They felt forced so that the film could be more palatable to the Hollywood audience. I do however freely admit that the source material could never be adapted faithfully onto the big screen. It is just way to controversial.
For those that haven’t heard the story of why the movie is different from the graphic novel, here it is in a nutshell: the movie and graphic novels were pitched at the same time, and both were picked up. During production, the story for the graphic novel was changed to become what it is now, but the movie didn’t. And, due to the nature of the two mediums, the graphic novel came out first. So, in reality, the movie is actually closer to the original pith than the graphic novel.
Ah that explains a lot but I don’t understand why the comic had to be so different from the movie script then. Eseentially I’m asking the same question in reverse now.
Really Mark, that sounds unlikely, can I see the source of that information.
Actually, it was either in the last “Slice” podcast (#166)or the voicemail show (#165): can’t remember which.
I never read the graphic novel so I didn’t have any preconceived ideas about the movie story. So here’s my general thoughts on Wanted:
1. Its mindless summer action entertainment.
2. Its more style then substance. This isn’t a bad thing if you turn off your brain and go on the ride like it was a roller coaster at a Six Flags park.
3. Its not a 10 out of 10; more like 7 out of 10, good but hardly great.
4. It feels like an odd combination of the Matrix meets Fight Club.
5. Its a movie that I might watch with friends and one minute comment on how cool one scene was filmed and then the next minute comment how stupid the plot element that justified that scene was thought out.
This was the worst movie I have seen in a long time. I could say I was entertained but I don’t want to give any credit to the makers of this movie. I laughed in awe at the people who were actually enjoying this trash.
The fact that weavers and a loom of fate engaged all of you is saddening. He attacked with the rats that exploded and using the entire 6 weeks of training in which he learned how to fight and the all of the history of the “fraternity.”
Wow it sucked.
I think this is good movie, I said that because I made wrong conclusion in the beginning that the person that I thought bad guy actually in the middle of this movie is wesley father and also the opposite…
I got message from this movie… a pathetic person (from people sight) still have something in his/her life, God always create every person unique… so just believe in God and yourself that you are special…
But to become that special person with such gift like wesley need hard practise and training…
So I still think this is one of good movie cause part of it I can get some new insight…