Wanted

Every boy's secret fantasy; you're living through a boring and monotonous life when out of the blue you are told that you are the heir to the greatest assassin who ever lived and your destiny is to avenge his death. James McAvoy was perhaps a perfect choice to play the part of Wesley, evoking Ed Norton's narrator character in Fight Club. His inner monologue describes in comedic detail just how miserable of an existence he leads. The transformation that takes place is a little bit too much like the Matrix, but the special effects are excellent, and the pacing is fast and smooth, so it is acceptable.

Timur Bekmambetov brings a unique style of direction that works perfectly for this fantastical comic book adaptation. The visual and special effects are top notch, and as with his previous Russian films - Nightwatch and Daywatch, he is showing his dominance in his respective genre.

The cast left a little to be desired. Although it is fun to watch Morgan Freeman drop F-bombs, he coasted through this role. Angelina Jolie simply used her sexuality to play the appropriately named Fox. Longing gazes at McAvoy and pouty lips only go so far before it gets kind of annoying (in this context). The rest of the assassins weren't utilized nearly enough, as the rag-tag band of secret fraternity members could have been a bit more eclectic and important to the story.

There were some minor details that actually detracted from my enjoyment of the film. The back story of the assassins being descendants of weavers was both weak and unnecessary. There was a little too much time spent on the historical angle, and it was wasted time that could have been spent flipping cars and sending bullets through windows and people. The training of the freshly anointed chosen one could have been a little more relevant as well, and as cool as curving bullets is in theory, getting beat up and working on specific skills as opposed to more practical exercises just seemed unfitting.

The action sequences were excellent. From the opening scene it is clear that this director pulls no punches, and conveys the story on the screen in a way in which no director has before. Truly unique film making. A slight plot twist near the end keeps the story going and leads to a rampaging Matrix-style shootout that is both ridiculous and awesome at the same time.

I really enjoyed this film despite having not read the graphic novel/comic book and having some slight qualms with a few of the details. I bet it was fun to make, and the pacing and action makes it highly watchable. 8/10.