Violence-filled 'Wanted' delivers satisfying action and effects

Published: June 27, 2008

"Wanted,” directed by Timur Bekmambetov of the "Night Watch” films, is a visually arresting, over-the-top paean to violence. Based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, the film takes a different slant than does the source material but manages to improve on it.

Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a down-on-his-luck loser in a dead-end job. He knows his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend, but he can't motivate himself to do anything about it. Wesley is sleepwalking through his life, until he meets the Fox (Angelina Jolie).

The Fox tells Wesley his father, whom he never knew, was one of the world's greatest assassins and that another of those assassins is after Wesley.

This begins the slam-bang action portion of "Wanted,” as Wesley finds himself introduced to the Fraternity, a group of assassins who call themselves weavers of fate.

Led by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), these weavers follow mysterious assassination directives aimed at making the world a better place. "Kill one, save a thousand,” the Fox explains.

The story line has twists and turns and double crosses, but the visuals are what make "Wanted.” Bekmambetov channels Tarantino by way of John Woo but adds dozens of his own touches.

The only off note is the dialogue. Some is lifted directly from the comics, but other scenes are just f-bombs dropped on anyone who might be nearby.

Still, this is what an adrenaline-filled action movie should be: a darkly comic vision whose flaws are obscured by the film's unyielding pace.

— Matthew Price

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