"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 bes...