Wanted

Wanted – 2008

*** Out of ****

Hyper may be the single best work to describe Wanted; hyper-violent, hyper-kinetic and hyper-stylized. These films are at the forefront of the Hollywood action scene, with 300 and Sin City, to name a few, behind us. While not as good as those previous efforts the concept is certainly still fresh and just as fun. In the hands of Ruskie Timur Bekmambetov, whose previous efforts are the notable Day, and Night Watch, Wanted is certainly an infusion of pulsating charisma and energy to the summer movie line-up.

In fact, unlike 300 or Sin City, which exist in a semi-realistic and contained universe, Wanted echoes more of the Matrix, and may be just as influential and widely imitated as aspects of the Matrix trilogy such with the bullet-time phasing into the bullet curving trademark of this film. A later sequence in which our hero takes on a bad-guy-filled corridor, and draining his gun proceeds to pick up that of his fallen foe, mirrors the ending of Equilibrium, yet is distinguishable enough to be its own. Regardless of what it imitates, or what will imitate it, it is a solid and very entertaining diversion. One surprising aspect of Wanted is the abundance of character development and back-story, which are kin to the action sequences, and creates genuine sympathy and elements of fear for the protagonists. Not withholding these elements, Wanted is about the action and there is more then a sufficient orgy of blood, dames and guns; the body count rises, cities are left in shambles, and you are left grinning. There is a rarity of believable scenes in this picture, from the impossible shots, to the bullet dodging to the stunts that would make Evel Knievel green with envy. Bypassing plausibility is the way to proceed in a picture such as this, and if this is not your idea of a good time, don’t go.

For Wesley Gibson, days are no longer decipherable, a stapler crazy boss drives him into panic attacks, and his girlfriend is not of the faithful variety. Such a setup is what makes Wesley, played by James McAvoy, a sympathetic character; a drone without a future. While purchasing his anxiety medication, a sexy stranger named Fox (Angelina Jolie) snatches him from reality and thrusts him into the bizarre. Escaping from an assassin, Wesley is informed that his father was the greatest assassin that ever lived, and was recently killed by a rogue agent of “The Fraternity”, a ancient fraternity of assassins founded by weavers who believe fate is the ultimate justice. The ancient organization is now headed by the silky Sloan, played by the always welcome Morgan Freeman. Wesley is informed that he has inherited his father’s abilities, that his panic attacks are actually adrenaline rushes that make him a killing machine and it is him who must take revenge against his father’s killer. After that it is a series of tests leading up to the inevitable confrontation, and shocking realization.

When all is said and done, or should I say shot and killed, Wanted is a blast. Boredom is not an option in this creative and sometimes bizarre adventure, and strong performances, most notably from McAvoy, ensures Bekmambetov’s place in the Hollywood action scene and thrusts forward a worthy complement to The Wachowski’s as a visionary vendor of violence.