Directed by:
Тимур БекмамбетовCinematography:
Mitchell AmundsenComposer:
Danny ElfmanCast:
James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common, Kristen Hager, Marc Warren, David O'Hara, Konstantin Khabenskiy (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Slick, fast-paced action thriller in which a mundane office worker is transformed into a lethal assassin. Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy)'s life is one of dull routine. Trapped in a dead-end office job, unappreciated by his boss, and cheated on by his girlfriend, Wes has accepted that he's never going to amount to much in life. But all that changes one day when he meets the enigmatic Fox (Angelina Jolie), a member of a secret society of assassins named The Fraternity who want to recruit Wes into their ranks. Dealing out death as ordained by fate itself, the society's leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), tells Wes that the father he always thought was dead was actually one of their top assassins, and that following his recent murder, he must now avenge his father's death by releasing the dormant powers he has inherited. Although reticent at first, Wes quickly warms to both the task and the icily-sexy Fox, as he discovers his natural aptitude for the job at hand whilst despatching the bad guys with supremely energetic efficiency. (Universal Pictures UK)
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Reviews (15)
I was expecting a bigger action bomb, everything was is too free and cool for it to captivate me. This is not another Matrix, this loaded and spectacular ride is basically a banal simple story about an outsider who gets beaten up, goes through a tough training, where the ending can be easily guessed. The action scenes are not as excellent as I expected and the slow-motion effects are not as effective as I expected. However, the whole thing looks daring, unconventional, and above all, it doesn't take itself too seriously, so I'm able to accept the bending bullets, the camera gun, the digital high-speed train, and the flying Viper. I have already said that Bekmambetov has a sense and talent for action, but he should finally give it his all and forget about slow-motion and other technical nonsense that only disrupts an otherwise solid pace.
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For a director who is an old Russian, Wanted is a typically American action film. This whole motif about an ancient clan of bullet-bending assassins is good stuff to handle in itself, but only if the viewer somehow turns off logic, accepts the rules, and doesn't mind jumping out of windows like in The Matrix or endless regenerative baths in wax after the characters cut each other to shreds. Another good thing is the leading duo of James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, who bring a classic American style to the film, and when I look at the result as a whole, I come away with a decent unpretentious action entertainer that you simply switch off and watch. Average three stars - nothing to dazzle, but at the same time nothing to bore.
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Or: How the Russians (I know, he’s from Kazakhstan, but still) pays Czechoslovakia a “friendly" visit, like they did in 1968, this time for American money. I’ve liked Bekmambetov ever since Night Watch, but back then he didn’t manage to keep total control. Then, in Day Watch, he let go of the reins far too much. At the beginning of Wanted, my hopeful smile was wiped from my face by the opening action scene. It’s a long time since I saw such dumbness and pure awkwardness on the silver screen. It’s just far too much. I awaited in horror what was to come. But then it managed to push itself off the bottom of the anti-talent pool to incredible quality. Even the Palahniukesque toiling of the main “pimp" indicated that Timur and his gang might manage after all. And then it really gets going, one idea after another. This is an inaccessible action movie in all ways, despite having a functional story, good actors and even that stagnating Danny Elfman is on his way to the top again. And last but not least, you have to get used to an approach where loads of teenagers are fondling their darlings in the street. I mean pistols, not girls. This is a stylish celebration of weapons. But you know what? The arms industry couldn’t hope for a better commercial.
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A very pleasant surprise. Great actors, good action, not nearly as bad a script as I expected and above all a generous portion of directorial ideas. Too bad about the lower budget and thus unimaginative production design and maybe too frantically filmed fights. Anyway, an enjoyably anarchic extravaganza that pulls no punches.
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Wanted is like a giant shiny bubble that captures attention and acts as an amusement park attraction, but its lifespan is terribly short and it doesn't leave anything valuable behind. The impressive action scenes can't overshadow the fact that the film is intellectually shallow and doesn't create any functional fantasy world that would engulf the viewer. As a result, the stupidities like bending bullets or superkillers jumping from one skyscraper to another stand out even more. Not that the current cinema doesn't abound in such things, but here everything is subordinate to visuals and action, so in the end, it misses the mark for me. Overall impression: 15%. It's exactly the kind of action movie that completely bypasses me and actually bothers me in practice because a huge amount of energy and financial resources could be used more meaningfully in the film industry...
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