Wesley Gibson asks the question, “What the f@*k have you done lately?” The usual answer for me is work, movies, NewFilmDimension and BBQ’s.  What if one day that all stopped and I became part of an organization that specialized in assassinations?  I’d probably puke on my shoes.  Wesley Gibson didn’t puke when he learned that deep inside he was more than just a guy in a cubical, he was a born assassin.  When the first trailer for Wanted came out I looked at it as 2008’s Shoot Em Up.  I assumed it was going to be just another brainless action film that was going to be kick ass fun.  My assumption was correct but it actually turned out to be something a little more.  It turns out that Wanted isn’t just a brainless action film, it’s an action film with a good story.

Loosely based on a Mark Millar comic, Wanted is directed by Russian director Timur Bekmambetov from a script by Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chirs Morgan; Brandt and Haas are the gentleman that brought us 3:10 to Yuma.  With a rock solid lead cast starring James McAvoy  (Wesley Gibson), Morgan Freeman (Sloan) and Angelina Jolie (Fox), Wanted turns out to be just another good addition to a summer of  great films.  Wesley Gibson leads a mundane life  where his boss treats him like crap, his girlfriend doesn’t respect him and cheats on him with Wesley’s fake best friend.  Day in and day out, the miserable Wesley makes no effort to change his lifestyle until a sexy Fox shows up to change his life forever, by making him an assassin.  He trains in a thousand year old organization called The Fraternity to learn the skills to avenge his fathers death only to find out that not everything is as it seems.

Who knew that James McAvoy could be an action star.  An established actor who’s done a variety of films proves that he can stretch his range and perform with such skill that I’m now 100% convinced that McAvoy can be bought as an action star.  With such an unassuming way about McAvoy he brings his character from an everyday person trying to make some kind of a living, to a lethal bad ass assassin.  The living legend Morgan Freeman, well… what can be said about him.  It doesn’t matter if Freeman stars in a movie that is fantastic or it sucks, Freeman’s involvement will always improve whatever the film may be.  Freeman plays the Fraternity leader Sloan and with that role comes a somewhat different side of him that we don’t usually see in films and it’s a viewing pleasure.  Although the character’s back story isn’t known, I think it’s clear that Sloan isn’t your typical assassin.  This guy has taken lives and enjoyed it.  Who ever thought that hearing Morgan Freeman say, “Shoot that Mother F*&^$r” would be so enjoyable.  Personally teaching Wesley is Fox played by Angelina Jolie.  Jolie is an actress that doesn’t get enough of credit.  People just look at her and make assumptions not realizing that she is in fact a remarkable actress.  When looking at her body of work you can’t help but realize that, yea… she’s got some really good credits to her name.  Wanted might not add a lot to her film credits but just watching her is enough to make any male viewer happy.  Jolie has starred in action films before, we know she can do it and we know that she can handle various types of weapons.  The one thing I’ve noticed about Jolie from other actresses, is that he’s hot with a gun and she actually looks like she naturally has a handle on them.  That might sound odd but watch her other action films and you’ll start to see what I mean.  These three actors compose the core cast and with their fantastic talents to deliver dialog, Wanted turns out to be more than just another action flick.

Behind the characters is a 1000 year old Mythology that adds to the story.  Without giving away spoilers I can say that it’s very creative and truly intriguing.  The instrument that is used to decide on who gets assassinated is part of that mythology and is something that I didn’t expect.  What I did expect is the action.  Wanted really does deliver on action but it also leads me to the fact that the action was SO over the top that at some points I felt pulled out of the film.  The good thing is that some of the action is new and I don’t recall seeing any copy’s of stunts out there but again…. over the top in more ways than you think.

This film delivers on what it was set out to do, but you can’t deny that their is problems with it.  I found that the supporting cast was boring, especially the so called actor Common.  Two things, he wasn’t very good and his character was useless.  Wanted may have a good story but it’s not anything grand.  It’s an action movie with a story that is better than others but it isn’t a story that I’d call compelling.  I’d say it’s just above average. 

There isn’t much to dig when it comes to faults in this film.  Overall I really liked it and recommend it to those who like action movies.  Wanted is a rated hard R with top notch talent, good action even if it’s over the top, sick ass kills and a dripping wet bare ass Angelina Jolie.  It’s a man’s man movie that gets an 8 out of 10 from me. 

-Phil