Yet another movie I went to today. I was pretty sure Margie wouldn’t want to see it, and sure enough, I was right.
Wanted (2008)
| Overall |  | Story | |
| Production |  | Acting | |
Story: Based on an early version of Mark Millar and J.G. Jones’s comic book mini-series, this is the story of Wesley Gibson, a schlub who discovers he’s heir to the powers and perqs of a centuries-old Fraternity of Assassins, who get messages from “Fate” as to who needs to be killed in order to “keep the balance” — the current top of the list being Cross, the rogue assassin who killed Gibson’s father, and who threatens the entire Fraternity.
The movie starts strong with Gibson — a refugee out of The Office and Dibert, screwed over by everyone in his life, and subject to anxiety attacks — learning of and coming to grips with his heritage. That part is delightful. We then get a prolonged and bloody training sequence, where the Fraternity hones Gibson’s unsuspected natural abilities — Neo by way of Fight Club. Only then, three-quarters through the flick, does plot start to rocket forward amidst violence and betrayal and more violence.
The overall story is hardly original, a cross between a Campbellian fairy tale, existentialist angst, and, oh, about every other assassin movie of the last four decades. The underlying message — you have the power to do something about your miserable life — follows that of the comic, though just as obnoxiously presented and just as easy to say for someone who has supernatural abilities …
Acting: James McAvoy, as Gibson, starts out strong, but too quickly graduates from anxious loser to cocky creep to driven professional. He does okay with the material given, but, really, the movie is a lot more about the action than the actors.
Angelina Jolie is wasted, at least from an acting standpoint. She spends most of her time smiling enigmatically, frowning enigmatically, and performing amazing gunplay. Her character is as much of a cardboard cut-out as everyone else (except McAvoy’s), save with more screen time. (Ignore the fact that she plays the most prominently on the movie poster. She is a supporting character, albeit the most important one.)
Production: Okay, take The Matrix, crank it up to 13, set it (mostly) in Chicago, cross it with a Hong Kong action flick, and you have this movie. Lots of gunfire, much of it in bullet-time, beautifully choreographed and executed. This really is the main reason to see this movie. Well, that and the brief bath house scene with Jolie …
Overall: Violent (fists, knives, guns, guns, guns), obnoxious, shallow, and beautifully crafted. It’s like eating a gallon of chocolate ice cream with bacon — you know it’s going to be bad for you and you’ll hate yourself for it afterwards and, really, it doesn’t taste all that good … but you just can’t help yourself.