Wanted

Rating: 8/10 (18 July 2008)

Weavers were founded to keep the world in order without chaos enlisting assassins to eliminate those whose fates are decided when their names turn up in a code through woven fabric. This started in a monastery, and has since blossomed into a secret society called The Fraternity with the ones assigned to kill their targets equipped with amazing gifts(..such as acute motory functions where they can shoot from amazing distances, with a sense of sight and balance that is abnormal when those with these abilities are given complete training, honing their skills). A mistreated office accountant, Wesley Gibson(James McAvoy)whose numb existence has yielded him nothing to embrace regarding waking up every morning, finds that his father supposedly was a murdered member of The Fraternity. Gibson, who is thrown into a world he's never known, thanks to an uncanny female assassin with stunning abilities to shoot and drive, Fox(Angelina Jolie) informs the poor guy that the man who murdered his father, Cross(Thomas Kretschmann)is hunting him as well. After a shootout in a grocery store floods into the streets between Cross and Fox(..with Gibson finding his way into Fox's car in the most unusual way)ending in a car chase with subsequent damage, Gibson is introduced to Sloan(Morgan Freeman)who fills the lass in on his potential and possible role as a future trained assassin fated to kill the man who ended his supposed father's life. Saying goodbye to the normal life which gave him nothing but distress and misery, Gibson goes through rigorous and exhausting training which tests his willpower, strength & reserve. Ready for his role as an assassin, Gibson will be taken under Fox's wing being tested on the street by killing his first target, always desiring in his heart to kill Cross. But, Gibson has no idea who he's really after as a twist throws his new life into absolute turmoil making discoveries which will certainly have him questioning his choice for accepting his path into The Fraternity.
Folks, if you are going into this film expecting something deep and cerebral, you are in for a rude awakening. Logic is completely left on the back-burner and you will have to suspend disbelief.."Wanted" is a ridiculous thrill-ride which wishes to exhilarate you with non-stop action and bloody violence through astonishingly good special effects. The film has characters with superhuman abilities doing impossible things with guns(..and, more importantly, bullets)and cars, their bodies sustaining incredible blows, scrapes, cuts, and bullets. Jolie's Fox drives with one leg while laying on her hood shooting at Cross over her car! Fox actually crashes a car into a moving train in the jaw-dropping derailing sequence where Gibson pursues Cross. Bullets curve when Fox shoots at an incredibly difficult angle with her gun going around a hanging pig hitting the bullseye of a target behind it. In another incredible scene Gibson masters this art where his fired bullet goes around Fox's face with the wind actually moving strands of her hair! Cars completely flip over as assassins shoot their marks in mid-flight. The opening assassin is killed by Cross from an incredible distance. Cross has a specially made bullet with pieces that split apart as it travels before the sharp point goes through the mark's head. Gibson, in the powerhouse finale, goes through a warehouse of weapon-equipped men, even taking their guns from them as he shoots them in the heads. In this sequence, Gibson's gun actually blows through a victims face, after multiple rounds, shooting others through the hole in his head! Rats are used in a most effective way. A twist in the middle of the film completely shifts the entire plot as Gibson makes an astonishing discovery(..concerning Cross and his actual reason for being chosen by The Fraternity) that has him facing unparalleled odds. Jolie, who is a great actress with range who wishes to play multi-faceted characters, is still a born action heroine. Her Fox is quite a character. She's got that sexy and cool that a lot of actresses would love to have but only dream of achieving..she looks great driving a car, shooting folks, and getting out of a hot tub naked. Her opening scene, in the grocery store as Gibson turns around, that defines why she's such a coveted commodity. Fox says little and lets her skills at death-defying feats do the talking. This film wouldn't be near as good without her. I think many will enjoy the development of McAvoy's character who is run through an emotional grind from start to finish, and seeing him toughen as the film continues is rather fun. Freeman's effortless presence and command is here once again. His fate is rather nifty. The film is a smörgåsbord of John Woo, James Bond, & The Matrix..the balletic gun-play, with outrageous and mind-bogglingly performed stunts and action set-pieces, and bloody carnage with bullets penetrating foreheads and torsos. The assassins in this film, mainly Fox, Cross, Gibson & his "father"(David O'Hara)achieve miraculous deeds while trying to kill their targets. Throw your hands up and just watch the movie without giving the plot much effort. It's popcorn fodder which might just dazzle you, even if you are constantly rolling your eyes at what you are witnessing. The daily activities of poor Gibson are quite amusing, as we see just what kind of misery this guy so wishes to escape. Terence Stamp has an important supporting role as it pertains to Gibson and the father he never knew.