Flashy visuals but flimsy script ultimately leave one wanting

Rating: 6/10 (8 July 2008)

The steep competition in the realm of summer action romps more often than not creates the necessity for any new efforts to make an instant attempt to stand out as something new and innovative while still conforming to the tried and true conventions making such films so shamelessly enjoyable. One would be hard pressed to find a more vivid example than Wanted, appearing almost gimmicky in its flaunting of its standout selling points (bullet bending! corporate satire! Morgan Freeman AND Angelina Jolie!) crafting the image of one of the summer's most fresh bouts of carnage. And while Wanted does not disappoint on the exhilaration front, it falls considerably short of the astonishing action epic it seemingly wants to be.
Despite being marketed as a fresh foray into the world of action mayhem, Wanted takes very direct influences from numerous sources, making many of its supposed innovations seem worn out and overly familiar. Apart from director Timur Bekmambetov's similarly hyperkinetic Nightwatch series, the film plunders from works as diverse as Fight Club's satirical critique of the soulless corporate world, complete with a nihilistic Norton style voice-over, to The Matrix's immersion into a new world (Jolie and Freeman's characters scream parallels to Trinity and Morpheus) and hyper-stylized, adrenaline pumping action sequences. However, where the winning combination should have clicked and resulted in one of the year's most flat out exhilarating action thrillers, instead it fizzles, its unoriginal solemnity coming across as almost pretentious and far in intent from the big, loud and very silly action movie its gleefully over the top action and laughably stilted script make it fated to remain. The main criticism of Wanted lies in its excesses: while all the elements on display appeared favourable, all are pushed too far over the top, as if attempting to up the ante on all similar action films while descending disappointingly into mediocrity as a result.
The screenplay delves into a slew of enormously familiar situations as if attempting to identify and exemplify every existing action movie cliché, from the initial training montages to the "why do we kill" assassin soul searching to double crosses, ethical responsibility, parental fixation and countless others. But where this peppering of familiarity could have made for a bombastically enjoyable time, the film is treated with such hushed reverence and solemnity that all the normally excusable cliché and lapses in credibility become all the more glaringly frustrating. What Wanted sorely lacks is the sense of light-hearted fun which would help its selling point of eye-popping action sequences fly instead of coming across as pent up and contrived.
Plot frustrations aside, there can remain no doubt that Wanted's primary selling point remained the gleefully overblown shootouts, chases and bone crunching fights, and here the film flexes its cinematic muscles more confidently, providing many of the more memorable action setpieces in recent cinema (the car chases and final shootout are highlights). From the first moments of the initial shootout it becomes clear that not only has realism left the building, but taken a running dash through the top floor windows of it, foreshadowing the film's tendency to careen over the top in almost every possible fashion, to thrilling but often chaotically overwhelming effect. However, even those normally sated by flashy gunplay and lots of it may find themselves frowning in disbelief at many of the film's more ambiguous creative choices. The recurring theme of the emasculated man "finding himself" through violence veers into uncertain ethical territory even for an unabashed action film, and the numerous staggering gaps in logic (the exploding rats were just too much), gargantuan plot holes and underdeveloped concepts (a bit of exposition on the assassin cult's mystical abilities, especially the much hyped "curving bullets" would have done wonders) strain credibility several shades too far, even where next to none was expected in the first place. All the attitude on display makes the film appear to be trying slightly too hard to be edgy and rebellious, but its lack of originality or confident script make it seem more petulant than daring.
The genius unorthodox casting of James McAvoy proves the spark of life which keeps the film afloat, his substantial charisma, perfect comic delivery and entirely credible shift from timid corporate drone to hardboiled action hero making for a supremely engaging lead. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the absurdly capable supporting cast who are almost entirely wasted in paper thin archetypes, their mere presences substituting for credible characters or performances. Nowhere is this more clear than in the case of Angelina Jolie, given almost nothing to do but near wordlessly discharge a series of firearms or flaunt her tattooed backside when called upon, with nothing more complicated to work with. Morgan Freeman is similarly firmly on autopilot in the 'dignified mentor' role he could essay in his sleep, and while a couple of unexpected character moments prove amusing, ultimately his presence is nowhere near as much of a boon as it should be. Terrence Stamp shows potential as a grave ammunition manufacturer with a mysterious backstory, but his character is critically deprived of screen time, giving him little chance to contribute anything in the way of performance. Such is also the case for Thomas Kretschmann, a strong presence as a vague antagonist figure, but given so little to do his talents are almost entirely wasted.
While Wanted may frequently dazzle, its flashy visuals and thrilling action cannot mask the ultimate shoddiness underneath, the senseless fun of the action sequences being often dampened by the implausibly imbalanced storyline and downright poor script. While those in search of lots of bullets flying about and little else in the way of complexity may find themselves suitably entertained, considering the competition in the action film market and the vast potential the film had to offer, Wanted ultimately leaves one wanting.
-6/10