Stupid fun

Rating: 7/10 (5 July 2008)

When I found out they were making Wanted into a film I was slightly intrigued. I had read the comic book (of the same name by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones) several times. Although I am not an all-out fan of the comic, the subject matter was definitely interesting enough to warrant a good movie. I later found that the movie would deviate greatly from the comic; all of the comic's original ideas seemingly replaced by trite and overdone action movie concepts. Thus, I watched the film with low expectations, hoping at least for a mindless action film. The film exceeded my expectations, and, with a little suspension of disbelief, proved to be an interesting and entertaining interpretation of the comic. While I still believe that the original concepts from the comic (supervillains ruling the world) would have made for a more innovative film, a guild of assassins is far more accessible to the general public, an interpretation that may irritate some die-hard fans of the comic but not counterproductive to the film itself. Much of the film follows in this fashion. Concepts are introduced that are more of an exercise in the suspension of disbelief. Some may find the bullet curving antics and concepts of fate distracting, but dwelling on these insane concepts takes away much of the fun of the film. It's a dark comedy along the lines of Fight Club with intense, albeit silly, action. The R-rating is well deserved as the script is riddled with obscenities, both verbal and visual. The acting is nothing special, A-listers Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman offer standard performances. Protagonist James McAvoy does make an impression as a disenfranchised blue collar worker turned assassin. Visually, Wanted follows the pattern of many modern day action films, rife with bullet-time sequences and over the top car chases. Wanted does not offer much in terms of substance, but its fast pace action is sure to entertain those who welcome it.