A little balance to IMDb

Rating: 4/10 (30 June 2008)

I'm amazed at the reviews of this movie. These reviews are not just "good" reviews. They are "astounding" reviews. Is this what we've come to, really? Perhaps after 3 months of comic book style action movies, people are just happy to see graphic violence and willing to over-hype a movie simply based on the amount of bullets shot through someone's skull. This movie was not "groundbreaking." It sounds like people need to watch more movies.
I'll give a fair criticism of the film now. The acting was all over the place. It was good where you'd expect it to be good, and uncomfortable where you'd expect it to be uncomfortable. James was excellent. His transformation was believable and that is the only reason this film can stand on it's own as a serious movie (as opposed to a graphic B-movie if otherwise led by a horrible actor). Jolie is losing her touch. She's not terrible, but she adds absolutely nothing to the movie. Not even sex appeal, which was their goal, as she is in most of the previews and her character gets way more screen time than necessary for the story. Freeman used to be flawless in his choices, but after Unleashed and now, Wanted, I'm starting to wonder. The guy can obviously act, but I honestly think Rick Moranis could have pulled this role off.
The storyline had potential, but they ruined any credibility with their continuous dialogue, beating us over the head with the reasons their world existed. Tell me this, according to the movie, Freeman's character explains that "fate" is the reason they kill (a slightly more detailed explanation is in the film, but fate seems to cover it). However, a few scenes later, Freeman tells McAvoy that "he is in control" (not in control of the fate factor, that job is left to a large knitting machine) That doesn't follow the "fate" logic very closely, does it? And the real kicker in the movie is another line that Freeman says. While explaining to McAvoy why his character can kill with the best of them, Freeman says something along the lines of, "You can kill because of an extreme amount of adrenaline pumping through your body that only a few people in the world have". Not only that, but what McAvoy thought were panic attacks turned out to be those adrenaline rushes that allow him to kill. (Where to start, right?). First of all, adrenaline rushes do not give you the ability to leap tall buildings. Secondly, if everyone that had panic attacks really suffered from assassin-inducing adrenaline rushes, then wouldn't a LOT of people in the world have it? Don't take this as just tearing the movie apart. And please don't say "It's just a movie idiot, you have to suspend disbelief." I don't like "suspending my disbelief" because I don't think you should have to. If the movie has properly set up the story and creates a world in itself, then the viewer can enter that world created. Then they don't have to suspend their disbelief because the world in the movie explains any disbelief you might have. The last thing I'll say about the storyline is the use of the "bending the bullet" thing. What an arrogant way to popularize your movie. When you hear people say "bending the bullet," they are not simply naming a secret assassination technique from the movie. They are actually quoting the movie. The film itself, in a very cocky way, literally says "Bend the bullet" nearly 10 times. The fact that the movie names its own ploy in their marketing campaign is very unsettling to me.
Now the direction. I just didn't like it. Some shots were good. Some scenes were very well done. Example: the shootout at the end of the movie was exciting and violent and everything you'd expect from a movie like this. But overall, the films pace was annoying and the editing was sloppy in places. Also, a good action movies needs more than two locations for action. In this film, we had 1. A moving train and 2. the fraternity's hideout. That's really not enough.
I don't think this film is horrible by any means. It's a good enough movie to rent when you're bored on a Saturday afternoon and want some action. But I can't stand these rave reviews this film is getting. This new Russian director has a lot of potential, but I feel like he, along with most first-time American movie foreign directors, follows the "American C's of film-making": get as many Cuts and Cusses in there as possible and people will like the movie.
Bottom line - wait until it hits the cheap theaters to see this over-hyped actioner. And please don't fall for these ridiculous reviews that the studios need so badly since Jolie and Freeman both added their names to the cast. The only redeeming quality is James McAvoy, who really will make a great action star if he plays his cards right.