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)
Bekmambetov picks up in Hollywood where he left off in Russia. He just lovingly wrapped the "nothing" plot in a screaming visual package, using A-list actors instead of ribbons. Morgan mentors on a flywheel (not meant in a bad way), Angelina pouts her lips seductively again after a long time, and James boldly shows his ticket to the acting elite club of his generation. I didn't catch on to the anarchy that much (I’m interested in the comics) and the comparison of forces with The Matrix also seems quite wrong to me. Still, I’m definitely giving it a thumbs up, particularly in that Len Wiseman should get one of the DVDs so he can see how to film "over the top" action without necessarily looking stupid. 4 ½.
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The actors are of course great and also quite sexy, but Wanted is a one-sided exhibition of its director. Bekmambetov may be a visual gourmet and a big fan of straightforward cinematic action, which makes the film flow incredibly well with scenes that outdo each other thanks to the effectiveness of the effects and the rhythmic editing, but he somehow forgot that a pure action flick should also tell a story. Wanted tries to have a stylish plot, and there is even one big twist (which comes to the surface during the most frantic action sequence), but it all feels too shallow and superficial.... No one can deny its potential to help you switch off your brain, but unfortunately, in the busy Hollywood competition, I demand a little more than that. 70%
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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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I'm pretty bummed about this movie... since I hate bullying and abuse, at first I wanted to turn the movie off. I like Angelina, but at that moment I hated her! The whole movie actually struck me as made up and a stupid take on a young boy. I don't think that's the impression it was supposed to leave on me. Luckily the ending evened everything out and I surprisingly liked the film as a whole... MAYBE it was even clever?!
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