Stylish and visually stunning but lacking true depth

Rating: 7/10 (16 July 2008)

I suppose I went into Wanted with decently high expectations. I wanted a hot, action packed action flick this summer and I figured Wanted would deliver. Now that's to say that Wanted disappointed, in fact it was stunning visually with some outlandish and very cool stunts and tricks and plenty of blood and gore and Angelina Jolie's very shapely butt...you can't really talk trash about any of those things. It just felt like they tried to do so much in the film, tried to really make an in your face, intense action film that it suffered a little because of it. The lead character didn't feel like he fit into the grand scheme of the film and he goes through such a grandiose change from average joe to professional killer that it happens too quickly and you lose something from it. They take a really cool idea, something original and drive it home but they over use it again and again. By the time the film is half over you're so tired of the curved bullet fiasco that you don't care. Really I think they took an idea that would have bullets flying, stocked an A List cast and assumed that the rest of the pieces would fall into place without a really strong story and enough content to cover a trilogy.
I don't necessarily blame the leading man James McAvoy for his performance. I mean I think he can act but his character has too much going on and goes through such intense changes in a matter of 45 minutes of the film and then only gets the other half to show off and he's just not believable. Sometimes it's fun to see the average joe suddenly kick some ass and the scene where he goes nuts on his slightly over weight boss is absolutely classic but as an action star I just wasn't feeling it. I think he should stick to drama and take some better written roles. Angelina Jolie is everything they wanted her to be in this role. Sultry, seductive, sexy, dark and mysterious but her character doesn't exactly get to let loose with any huge moments and we know she can act. The amazing Morgan Freeman is still amazing and probably one of the best parts of the film as the equally mysterious Sloan and I really wanted to know more about him but they never give you that either. Freeman seems almost frustrated in the movie because they aren't giving him enough to work with. Terence Stamp makes a small appearance, as his second big role of the summer (first being a great role in Get Smart.) While his energy adds to any cast they give him next to nothing as well. Thomas Kretschmann is good as fellow killer gone rogue Cross, but surprise surprise he is given nothing to work with. Do you see the pattern?
Director Timur Bekmambetov obviously has a flair for style but it's mostly wasted on what could have been a great story and that's what I wanted from Wanted. It was all these fireworks and pretty displays and then it just fizzled when it was time for the meat and potatoes of the whole deal. He had some real talent involved in this film but it was slapped together for a summer blockbuster which for the most part has been doing well. I'm not telling anyone to not see Wanted because a good action flick is hard to come by and it will entertain you and probably leave that adrenaline feeling in you when you leave the theater but when that dies away you'll be left feeling empty and wondering where the rest of it was. I can't see them doing a sequel to this because I don't believe any of the cast would return but if they did they would have to find a much better writer and a film crew that would be willing to give some depth to a story that has piles of potential. Give the story to Luc Besson and he would have blown you away with it I promise. The twist to the whole story is forced and kind of annoying and doesn't really set you up for it at all. So go see it and be ready for lots of amazing action and some really amazing stunts including some very intense car chases which were wicked cool but just don't sit there waiting for a story to develop. 7.5/10