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"Wanted” slams the pedal to the metal and never slows down. Here’s an action picture that’s exhausting in its relentless violence and its ingenuity in inventing new ways to attack, defend, ambush and annihilate. Expanding on a technique I first saw in David O. Russell ’s “ Three Kings ,” it follows individual bullets (as well as flying warriors) through implausible trajectories to pound down the kills.

The movie is based on comic books by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. Their origin story involves an anxiety-ridden, henpecked, frustrated office worker named Wesley ( James McAvoy ), who you might have glimpsed in a bogus YouTube video trashing his office. In the movie, he gets the opportunity to trash a lot more than that. In a plot development that might have been inspired by James Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (but probably wasn’t, because who reads that great man anymore?), Wesley gets the opportunity to avenge on his tormentors and enter a fantasy world where he can realize his hidden powers as a skilled assassin. This happens after he is picked up in a bar by Fox ( Angelina Jolie ), who confides that he is now a member of the Fraternity, a thousand-year-old secret society of assassins who kill bad people. I suppose a lot of people, if they were picked up in a bar by Angelina Jolie, would go along with that story. Although the Fraternity’s accuracy rate can be faulted (they missed on Hitler and Stalin, for example), its selection methods must be Really Deep, since orders are transmitted through the Loom of Fate. As demonstrated in the film, if you look at a cloth really, really, really closely, you can see that every once in a while a thread is out of line. These threads represent a binary code that is way deeper than my old Lone Ranger Decoder Ring. They also raise questions about the origin, method and reading of themselves, which are way, way, too complicated to be discussed here, assuming they could be answered, which I confidently believe would not be the case.

Never mind. Wesley leaves his office life for a hidden alternative existence in which he masters skills of fighting (by hurtling hundreds of feet) and shooting (around corners, for example). And he is introduced to Sloan ( Morgan Freeman ), who, the moment I mentioned Morgan Freeman, you immediately knew was deep and wise and in charge of things. He lives in a book-lined library (but Wesley, to my intense regret, never asks him, “Have you really read all these books? Anything by Thurber?”). Sloan explains that Wesley’s father was a member of the Fraternity, killed years ago by the man Wesley is now destined to kill. This is Cross ( Thomas Kretschmann ), who lurks in Europe, where Wesley also meets Pekwarsky ( Terence Stamp ), another fraternity brother. (Do you suppose the Fraternity’s secret handshake is fatal? If brothers give it to each other, do they both die?)

I’d guess there are, oh, 10 or 15 shots in this entire movie without special effects. The rest of the time, we’re watching motion-capture animation, CGI, stuff done in the lab. A few of the stunts look like they could not have been faked, but who knows? What do you think your chances are when you run on top of a speeding train? For that matter, if you were assigned to kill someone in Chicago, could you figure out a better way to do it than by standing on top of an L train while it raced past your target’s office window? And how did the Fraternity know he would be visible through that window? And how ... oh, never mind.

“Wanted,” directed by a hot Russian actionmeister named Timur Bekmambetov , is a film entire lacking in two organs I always appreciate in a movie: a heart and a mind. It is mindless, heartless, preposterous. By the end of the film, we can’t even believe the values the plot seems to believe, since the plot is deceived right along with us. The way to enjoy this film is to put your logic on hold, along with any higher sensitivities that might be vulnerable and immerse yourself as if in a video game. That “Wanted” will someday be a video game, I have not the slightest doubt. It may already be a video game, but I’m damned if I’ll look it up and find out. Objectively, I award it all honors for technical excellence. Subjectively, I’d rather be watching Danny Kaye in the film version of “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”

Note: I learn that “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” will be remade next year and will star Mike Myers . Having seen Myers’ “ The Love Guru ,” I think I can predict one of Walter’s big secrets.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film Credits

Wanted (2008)

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality

110 minutes

James McAvoy as Wesley Gibson

Angelina Jolie as Fox

Morgan Freeman as Sloane

Terence Stamp as Pekwarsky

Thomas Kretschmann as Cross

Common as The Gunsmith

Kristen Hager as Cathy

Directed by

• Timur Bekmambetov
• Michael Brandt
• Chris Morgan

Based on the comic books by

• Mark Millar

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• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities. A frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities. A frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities.

• Timur Bekmambetov
• Michael Brandt
• Chris Morgan
• Angelina Jolie
• James McAvoy
• Morgan Freeman
• 864 User reviews
• 317 Critic reviews
• 64 Metascore
• 4 wins & 25 nominations total

• The Gunsmith

• The Repairman

• (as David Patrick O'Hara)

• The Exterminator
• (as Konstantin Khabensky)

• The Butcher

• The Pharmacist

• Check-Out Girl

• Man in the Limo
• (uncredited)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia James McAvoy screentested for the lead role in early 2006, but was initially rejected, as the studio wanted a more "conventional" leading man. He was later recalled when the producers decided that his character was more "the runt of the litter." The studio ultimately changed its mind and wanted someone geeky. McAvoy got the part.
• Goofs After quitting his job, Wesley sees his and Fox's photo from the security camera, at the pharmacy, on the all newspapers' front pages. Once the incident at the pharmacy occurred, the police would have questioned the pharmacist who had Wesley's name for the prescription (and most likely his address also). The police would have picked him up before he went to work for questioning.

Janice : Jesus H. Fuckin' Popsicle! I still don't have my billing reports, but you've got time to sit there and Google your ass off? Well, I know one thing: you've got your review coming up next week, and I can't wait to start checking me off some big *fucking* *boxes*!

[clicks her stapler for emphasis. Wesley cringes at every click]

Janice : Attitude: *poor*. Performance: *poor*. Management skills: *poor*. Works well with others? Ha! That's a fucking joke.

[looks at Wesley's computer]

Janice : What is this bullshit; who's this prick? Some loser gets his head blown off in the Metropolitan...

Wesley : SHUT THE FUCK UP!

[the office grows quiet]

Wesley : [to co-workers] She has ONE, SINGLE iota of tenuous power! She thinks she can push everyone around?

[grabs Janice's stapler]

Wesley : You don't need this.

[throws the stapler against the wall of his cubicle, smashing it]

Wesley : I understand. Junior High must've been kind of tough, but it doesn't give you the right to treat your workers like horseshit, Janice. I know we laugh at you, Janice. We all know you keep a stash of jelly donuts in the top drawer of your desk.

[crouches down]

Wesley : But I want you to know, if you weren't such a bitch, we'd feel sorry for you. I do feel sorry for you. But as it stands, the way you behave - I feel I can speak for the entire office when I tell you... go fuck yourself.

• Crazy credits There are no opening credits. The title appears as a headline on a newspaper well into the movie.
• Alternate versions The Australian theatrical version cut a 10 second sequence where Wesley jams a gun through a dead man's mouth and uses his body as a shield while he shoots down other gunmen. This version was rated MA15+. Oddly enough, when the DVD came out, it had a sticker on the cover touting the film as "Uncut". While this was true -- and the violence in the gunfight had been re-instated -- the DVD carried the same MA15+ rating.
• Connections Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Incredible Hulk/The Promotion/You Don't Mess with the Zohan/The Happening/Baghead (2008)
• Soundtracks Happy Birthday Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill

User reviews 864

• Feb 22, 2020

Everything New on Max in June

• Is "Wanted" based on a book?
• How many characters from the comic appear in the film?
• How different is this from the comic book?
• June 27, 2008 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Official site (Spain)
• Pernstejn Castle, Nedvedice pod Perstejnem, Czech Republic
• Universal Pictures
• Spyglass Entertainment
• Relativity Media
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $75,000,000 (estimated)
• $134,508,551
• $50,927,085
• Jun 29, 2008
• $342,463,063

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 50 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Rent Wanted on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

Wanted is stylish, energetic popcorn fare with witty performances from Angelina Jolie (playing an expert assassin), James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman that help to distract from its absurdly over-the-top plot.

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Timur Bekmambetov

James McAvoy

Wesley Gibson

Morgan Freeman

Angelina Jolie

Terence Stamp

Thomas Kretschmann

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Common sense media reviewers.

Explosive action film is extremely violent.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The film revolves around a secret society of assas

Extensive, graphic, and bloody violence, including

Intense semi-clothed sexual activity; male and fem

Language includes very frequent uses of "f--k

Brands seen on screen include Captain Crunch, Chee

Some cigar smoking; a character has a prescription

Parents need to know that this over-the-top action film -- which stars Angelina Jolie and is based on a series of comic books, both of which will up its appeal with teens -- is loaded with extraordinarily explicit, extensive, stylized violence, including lots of bloody shootings, beatings, and more (blood and…

Positive Messages

The film revolves around a secret society of assassins who kill on the orders of a mystical "Loom of Fate" the group's ideology is based on the idea of "Kill one, save a thousand" -- i.e. eliminating people based on the hypothetical ramifications of their unknown future acts. Lead character Wesley vents many of the frustrations of the modern cubicle-dwelling office laborer, questioning the choice between tedious, anonymous conformity or exciting, violent transgression. The fact that he ends up going with the latter is presented as a positive choice.

Violence & Scariness

Extensive, graphic, and bloody violence, including (but not limited to) lots of shootings (shown in great detail, with blood splatter and visible brain matter, and often reversed on screen and shown again for cinematic effect), stabbings, slashings (including blood and extensive tissue damage), beatings (including broken bones, shattered flesh and extensive blood), people being burned alive, dead bodies used for target practice, a shooting victim used as a human shield (with a firearm poked through what's left of the head), assassinations, rats used as delivery platforms for plastic explosives, a violent train wreck, car crashes, and a graphic murder/suicide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Intense semi-clothed sexual activity; male and female rear nudity; discussions of condoms and "the morning-after pill." Crude discussions of sex. Characters have an affair.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes very frequent uses of "f--k," "f--king," "motherf---er," "a--hole," "s--t," "p---y," "horses--t," "whore," and more.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Brands seen on screen include Captain Crunch, Cheerios, Snickers, Power Horse Energy Drink, Capital One, Google, and more.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Some cigar smoking; a character has a prescription for anti-anxiety drugs; some discussion of the "morning-after pill."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this over-the-top action film -- which stars Angelina Jolie and is based on a series of comic books, both of which will up its appeal with teens -- is loaded with extraordinarily explicit, extensive, stylized violence, including lots of bloody shootings, beatings, and more (blood and brain matter splatter are shown). The movie's style owes a debt to The Matrix , but it's much more graphic than that sci-fi epic. The film also suggests that the central character's transformation from corporate cog to killing machine is a positive thing to be admired. Also expect lots of swearing, some cigar smoking, and some pretty passionate scenes (including male and female rear nudity). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (15)
• Kids say (41)

Based on 15 parent reviews

No redeeming value

What's the story.

WANTED, loosely based on a comic book series by Mark Millar, begins as the tedious, troubled life of white-collar wage-slave Wesley Gibbon ( James McAvoy ) is invaded by a stylish, sexy criminal named Fox ( Angelina Jolie ). She tells Wesley that his father -- long thought dead -- was not only killed yesterday, but was one of the world's greatest assassins. Fox wants Wesley to join her group, The Fraternity, so that he can avenge his father, save his own life from his father's killer, and join The Fraternity's secret mission of "maintaining the balance" of the world by eliminating presumably deserving targets named by a mystical device called "The Loom of Fate." But as Wesley embraces his new life and confidence, he learns that his newfound work has consequences, and his new mentors and peers have secrets.

Is It Any Good?

Wanted is a bold, burly knockout action film that's immensely stylish and superbly shot, but it's also astonishingly violent and graphic. The English-language, big-studio debut of Russia-based director Timur Bekmambetov (best known in America for his Night Watch and Day Watch epic fantasies), Wanted is full of inventive special effects, edge-of-your-seat stunts, and hairpin twists and turns. Wesley, an unhappy office drone, becomes part of a criminal conspiracy that empowers and excites him; the fact that he and Fox kill people named by coded messages from "The Loom of Fate" is a mystical plot device that lends a thin layer of mystical philosophical rationalization to their violent deeds. And McAvoy, Jolie, and Morgan Freeman (as Fraternity leader Sloan) commit to their thin roles completely, and the film has several touches of gallows humor and bizarre bravado.

But when Wesley finds out that all is not as it seems, his newfound life turns poisonous and even more dangerous. The plot's changes and conspiracies are mostly an excuse for hyper-stylized on-screen violence with slow-motion fights and car stunts, curving bullets and beautifully shot bloodshed as Wesley fights to survive. Wanted offers nothing new -- it's clearly aping both The Matrix and Fight Club in its cinematography and sensibility -- but it's so enthusiastically well-made that it's a nearly perfect example of the modern action film. Wanted isn't high art, but it's superbly made trash, and the rare big-money action film that's as entertaining as it is excessive.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the appeal of action films. Why does violent entertainment have such a grip on the public imagination? Talk with your kids about the difference between real life and fantasy -- even teens. Point out that consequences exist -- even if it makes you feel humorless. The fact that violent movies stimulate parts of the brain bears some commentary from the parental units. Families can also contrast Jolie's positive public work as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations with her professional work in violent action films. Do the two roles fight against each other, or are they simply different aspects of the same person? Which do you think is the "real" her?

Movie Details

• In theaters : June 26, 2008
• On DVD or streaming : December 1, 2008
• Cast : Angelina Jolie , James McAvoy , Morgan Freeman
• Director : Timur Bekmambetov
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Black actors
• Studio : Universal Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Run time : 110 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality.
• Last updated : March 3, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

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The Movie Review: 'Wanted'

Any film that features Angelina Jolie as an international assassin is, pretty much by definition, a film that glamorizes violence. But Wanted , the Hollywood debut of Kazakh-Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, does more than glamorize. It glorifies. It fetishizes. It consecrates. The crunch of bone against bone, the rasp of blade through flesh, and (especially) the planting of bullet in forehead such that it may emerge as a crimson bloom out the back of the skull--the movie's commitment to the staging of such traumas is so complete that they almost seem justified on aesthetic grounds alone.

Wanted is in many ways a deplorable film, but it is also--and, depending upon your perspective, this is either a good or a bad thing--an immensely stylish, effective one. More than any film since The Matrix , it is a ballet of brutality. But unlike Keanu's excellent adventure, which tarted itself up with mystical mumbo jumbo and a sci-fi conceit (and made sure most of its victims were computer simulations), Wanted is blunt and unapologetic. I don't believe I've ever seen a movie that advertised itself more plainly as an escapist fantasy for masculine impotence.

Loosely based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, Wanted opens with a setup straight out of a Charles Atlas ad: Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a skinny accounts manager at a dehumanizing firm who is bullied by his fat, repellent boss and cuckolded by his presumed best friend. (All that keeps him from having sand kicked in his face is the fact that he doesn't visit a beach.) But one day at the pharmacy Wesley is approached by a slinky assassin with the all-too-literal name Fox (Angelina Jolie, sporting enough tattoos to give Allen Iverson pause), who saves him from a competing killer (Thomas Kretschmann) and bundles him off to her organization's hideout in an old, castle-like textile factory.

There, her boss, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), explains that they are members of The Fraternity, a centuries' old line of assassins charged with maintaining "balance" in the world. Wesley's long-lost father was a member, too, and he bequeathed his son an unanticipated genetic inheritance: What Wesley believes to be frequent panic attacks are in fact floods of adrenaline so intense that, properly controlled, they can make time itself seem to stop. Within minutes, our erstwhile accounts manager is (literally) shooting the wings off flies. Yes, Wesley is the Harry Potter of hit men, rescued from the workaday world by a fantastical patrimony long hidden from him.

The Fraternity's training regimen, however, bears little resemblance to Hogwarts. Shaping the perfect assassin, it seems, requires that the raw material be punched, kicked, and stabbed a great deal, with periodic interludes in a special healing bath that allows wounds to close and bones to knit at an accelerated pace. Wesley must also learn Wanted 's signature addition to the cinema of violence, the ability to "curve" bullets around obstacles with a flick of the wrist. Soon enough, the rookie hit man is exercising such talents on a series of nameless victims; later he'll be forced to use them on colleagues as well, as The Fraternity proves to be somewhat less fraternal than advertised.

Like Wesley's novel superpower, Wanted is an extended rush of adrenaline, exactly the visceral experience action films always promise but rarely deliver. In typical fashion, the crimes against physics are no less notable than those against morality: Cars flip over other cars so that shots may be fired through sunroofs, bullets bend and twist their way across entire city blocks, a firefight takes place on a derailed train plunging into an alpine ravine. None of the ideas are particularly innovative, but Bekmambetov's gift for spatial choreography is impressive. Best known for his Russian Night Watch series, the director seems poised to reinvigorate the action genre in much the way John Woo did 20 years ago.

McAvoy ( The Last King of Scotland , Atonement ) again demonstrates his versatility in the role of Wesley, and Morgan Freeman opens up a can of Morgan Freemanism slightly nastier than usual. But despite her subsidiary role as Fox, this is Angelina Jolie's movie from the moment she glides onscreen. It's been a long time since a sex bomb of her caliber has affected so masculine a sense of cool, and if what she delivers here is more pose than performance, it is nonetheless effortless and ineffable. When, in the latter half of the movie, Wesley asks Fox, "Have you ever thought about being someone else? Someone normal," she replies simply, "No." I haven't heard a movie line all year that was easier to believe.

Yet there is something sour and inhumane about Wanted that goes beyond the all-too-common ultraviolence. This is a film in which there is no joy to be found apart from the joy of violent mastery, in which any human connection is a sign of weakness and invitation to betrayal. Even sex has been banished from this particular male fantasy: The only times the subject comes up it is as humiliation (Wesley's cheating girlfriend), retaliation (his one kiss from Fox is a vengeful pantomime for the benefit of said girlfriend), or frustration (he--and, as of next week, millions of devastated teenage boys--narrowly misses seeing a naked Fox climb out of her revitalizing bath).

The underlying rage against women is hard to miss: Apart from titanium sex goddess Fox, the entire gender is represented by an ugly, emasculating boss and a bitchy, disloyal girlfriend. But even this sentiment takes a back seat to the contempt the movie heaps on any man weak enough to endure such abuse. Late in the movie, Wesley addresses the audience directly: "Six weeks ago, I was ordinary and pathetic, just like you. ... This is me taking control. What the fuck have you done lately?" Since you ask so nicely, Wesley, I'll tell you: I've watched a movie that, while fiercely entertaining, made me fear for the emotional health of my gender. You have a problem with that?

This post originally appeared at TNR.com.

Where to Watch

Angelina Jolie (Fox) James McAvoy (Wesley) Morgan Freeman (Sloan) Terence Stamp (Pekwarsky) Thomas Kretschmann (Cross) Common (The Gunsmith) Kristen Hager (Cathy) Marc Warren (The Repairman) David O'Hara (Mr. X) Konstantin Khabenskiy (The Exterminator)

Timur Bekmambetov

A frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities.

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Eye For Film >> Movies >> Wanted (2008) Film Review

Reviewed by: Max Crawford

In terms of awesome per second, Wanted just set a new record. While the trailers do their best to sell it as a brainless action flick with CGI substituting for plot, in truth it's as smart as it is spectacular. Well acted, engaging and occasionally witty, Wanted's greatest asset is director Timur Bekmambetov's comprehensive understanding of how to construct an action movie. The film is extremely well structured, and while it's built largely from familiar tropes they're somehow made to seem fresh and exciting.

James McAvoy excels in his portrayal of Wesley Gibson, a downtrodden office worker who suddenly finds himself flung headlong into a world of heart-pounding action and ultra-violence. The scene where a voluptuous assassin named Fox (Angelina Jolie) confronts Gibson with his destiny and whisks him off to his new life features one of the best car chases in recent memory. Taken to the headquarters of a cadre of killers, Gibson learns that his father was once a member of this exclusive group, called The Fraternity, and that he was possessed of certain superhuman powers which he has passed on to his son, including lightning-quick reactions and the ability to fire bullets in curving trajectories. The leader of the group, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), informs Gibson that his father was murdered by a member turned rogue, and offers the mild-mannered accountant the opportunity to step into his father's shoes, avenge his death, and inherit his fabulous wealth and glamorous lifestyle. Also Fox keeps giving him the eye. Does he return to his old job? Only long enough to tell his boss where to shove it and beat his cuckolding co-worker across the face with his keyboard.

So of course there's a training montage, and a couple of plot twists as we discover that All Is Not As It Seems. At this point one could be forgiven for drawing comparisons to The Matrix : lowly office worker plucked from humdrum existence, tempted by unfeasibly attractive and deadly female into joining band of killers headed by kindly father figure, things explode and go upside-down and many tons of ammunition are expended. Wanted triumphs over The Matrix in several key areas, however. The plot, while requiring copious suspension of disbelief, is at least somewhat coherent. While we're asked to simply accept that Neo is The Chosen One because the writers say he is, Wanted at least provides a credible reason why only this particular man can perform the task that's asked of him. The direction of action is simply in a different class. Bekmambetov uses CGI to extend the scope of his imagination rather than to make up for the lack of one. Thirdly, while the message of The Matrix is muffled by tiresome solipsism, Wanted's appeal to wake up to one's own potential rings loud and clear.

There's also the small matter of acting. McAvoy really shines here, and while Jolie isn't given terribly much to do, she handles her role with subtlety and restraint. Morgan Freeman remains, as ever, Morgan Freeman. The ending follows the classic formula of sub-boss battle, climactic showdown, final conclusion, and while each of these is set up earlier in the film, they're all resolved in a fashion which is satisfying without being entirely predictable. Like I said earlier: we've seen these tropes before, but they're used as tools rather than crutches. Masterly.

Read more Wanted reviews:

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Writer: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas

Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common, Kristen Hager, Marc Warren, David O'Hara

Runtime: 110 minutes

Country: US

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• News & Features

Wanted (2008) Review

Every once in a while there comes a movie that just breaks your heart, because it squandered all of its potential. Wanted is that kind of film. It has all the makings of a great action movie – and for the most part it is – but it all falls apart in the end. The collapse is so great that it crushes all of the good parts.

Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) lives a terrible life. His apartment is next to train tracks, his girlfriend is a nag and cheats on him with his best friend and his boss is an overbearing taskmaster. Worse yet, Gibson suffers from panic attacks during any kind of stressful confrontation. He doesn’t even know who his father is. Wesley Gibson is an insignificant nothing in the great scope of life, as evidenced by finding nothing when he Google’s his name. His life takes a dramatic turn for the better – or worse – when Fox (Angelina Jolie) approaches him and reveals that his father was a super assassin recently killed. She wants Gibson to join her organization called The Fraternity and hunt down his father’s killer before the killer strikes first.

The idea that there’s a secret group of assassins isn’t necessarily new, but it’s handled nicely in Wanted. As Gibson goes through his training, he’s taught several facets of being an action hero badass. He learns endurance and pain management by getting his face beaten every day while he’s restrained in a chair. He learns close quarter combat with knives while getting sliced and diced in the process. Gibson also learns how to defy physics by curving bullets in mid-air, which is admittedly very cool looking. The Fraternity is able to do physically amazing things because they can control their adrenaline to give them super fast reaction times and pin-point precision aiming that allows them to even shoot down incoming bullets. With this repertoire of awesome moves, the action is fast, furious and satisfying, which is why it’s a shame the movie just doesn’t come together.

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the semi-goofy premise. According to the film, an ancient order of weavers discovered patterns in cloth that they were able to decipher into binary, which then correlated to English letters, spelling out the name of someone that needed to be assassinated. The weavers deemed the codes to be the will of Fate. It’s not the worst contrivance for an action movie, but it does beg a few questions, like if Fate wills the targets dead, then why are assassins needed? Won’t the targets die anyway, since that’s their fate? Also, where is the cloth coming from? Maybe their loom just needs to be serviced. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t give answers.

Secondly, Wanted appears to draw heavily from other films, but doesn’t maintain the homage consistently throughout. The beginning action sequence emulates The Matrix with a man performing an impossible leap from one skyscraper to the next, which seems to go against the rules for the rest of the film. Gibson’s introduction smacks of Fight Club ’s Narrator, with his complete self-awareness, seeming omniscience of what’s happening beyond his knowledge and scathing inner monologue criticism of cubical life in the workplace. There also might be just a tad of Trainspotting in the end during Gibson’s final life-affirming monologue. It’s not always bad to borrow convention and style from other movies, but here it feels wrong when the homage is used so singularly and only to remind audiences of the other films, not because this film required that particular style or convention.

Finally, the third act doesn’t capitalize on most of the points that were set up previously in the film. What was the point of watching Gibson get beaten to a pulp if his endurance is never tested later on? Why did he have to learn knife fighting if only uses guns for the entire film? No one knows. When scenes don’t get paid off they become as valuable as a porno: fun to watch but ultimately useless.

Despite these flaws, individual moments in the film are exceptional. The action is unique and tense and completely pushes the envelope of believability. The actors also deliver solid performances. Special recognition goes to Jolie who sells sexy so well there’s barely enough reason to call it acting anymore. Plus, for a supporting role, she certainly knows how to make excellent choices as an actor to really stand out onscreen, from a simple wave to vicious facial expressions. While Jolie is great in the film, her inclusion will only barely take the sting out of the disappointment audiences will feel after watching Wanted.

Wanted 2008

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Luke Y. Thompson, L.A. Weekly : Angelina's first line in the movie is "You apologize too much." The movie itself never does Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune : If you went for Sin City or Shoot 'Em Up, you'll probably enjoy Wanted. I like my trash with a little less fetishism when it comes to instruments of slaughter. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post : Jolie, thin as a wraith and as still as alabaster, reigns supreme as the queen of great screen objects, and Freeman has one of the film's funniest (if profane) lines. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture : Wanted has the kind of irresistible summer-movie allure that makes studio executives drool in anticipation. Even its title must swim before their eyes and transform into 'Want-to-See'. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader : Timur Bekmambetov makes his U.S. debut with this big, cruel, stupid actioner about an office dweeb (James McAvoy) who gets recruited into an ancient cult of assassins. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal : Before Wanted reaches the end of its wild course, the violence that's been nothing but oppressive becomes genuinely if perversely impressive. Read more

Mark Rahner, Seattle Times : Director Timur Bekmambetov's gimmicks and the A-list cast sell the nonsense. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club : It carries a bitter aftertaste, but by those low standards, it's a considerable success. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic : A genuine thrill ride that has the added bonus of being an action movie you don't have to turn your brain off to enjoy. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe : Wanted is quite happy to judge a man by the size of his gun. The irony is that the biggest one here belongs to Jolie, and her Amazon smile indicates she knows exactly how nervous that makes the boys. Read more

Sam Adams, Los Angeles Times : Wanted's hyperkinetic antics are sometimes weighed down by a surfeit of adolescent misanthropy. But the adrenaline-overdose strategy works for viewers as well as hit men. Read more

Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle : It's a chance to watch a bullet explode from the forehead of a killer -- and an invitation to laugh at the spectacle. See what you do, then tell me who's sicker: Bekmambetov or us. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor : The film's high proficiency is at the service of a concept that can most accurately be defined as sadomasochistic. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News : Wanted may be the most absolutely stone bonkers, crazy-good movie of the century. Or it may be a gargantuan piece of trash. Chances are it's a combination of the two. But man, does it rock. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly : Wanted is kind of unintelligible and idiotic. Also kind of nasty and brutish. And also undeniably kind of fun. Read more

Laremy Legel, Film.com : Wanted is too bloody, too over the top, too silly, and too special effects driven. It's also excessively entertaining and fun. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail : This is a blockbuster busting out of the block; this is a Hollywood staple served up on a European platter; this is summertime fare with a wintry verve. Read more

Tom Maurstad, Dallas Morning News : A one-word review of Wanted would be "Wow." Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald : When the characters are on the run, Wanted can be a bloodthirsty crowdpleaser, a passable action flick to while away the summer hours. When they're explaining themselves, you almost wish they'd stuck to their original calling and made rugs, not war. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday : Wanted demands a high level of credulity, but in exchange it offers some rewards: improbable car-chases, gritty hand-to-hand combat and the sight of Angelina Jolie poured into her pants and packing a pistol. Read more

David Ansen, Newsweek : As the body count rises, so does the portentous tone, and the relentlessness of Bekmambetov's overamped style becomes oppressive. Read more

Anthony Lane, New Yorker : What looks set to be a boyish, pop-eyed fantasy warps into a welter of bloodletting. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger : It's a goofy, giddy bit of escapism. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News : That Timur Bekmambetov's amped-up action flick Wanted makes absolutely no sense is entirely irrelevant. Your brain, in fact, can take a two-hour hiatus. But your adrenal glands will be working overtime. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post : A 12-armed heavy-metal drummer of a movie, kicking and flailing through two hours of impossible. The car chase of the year. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel : Wanted hurtles past our eyes and ears too fast to register as much more than a video game. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer : Wanted is an assaultive roller coaster of a movie that would be more fun if the violence weren't so nasty, and if the script made any sense. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews : Wanted manages to deliver what action fans crave while still maintaining a veneer of artfulness. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times : Slams the pedal to the metal and never slows down. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com : Wanted is fast-moving and bloody, enjoyable even within its unapologetically generic limits. But McAvoy is its real secret weapon. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle : Ultimately, watching Wanted feels like being privy to somebody else's unwholesome fantasy, one you'd rather not know about. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate : If the graphic-novel-style hyperviolence of Sin City or 300 is your thing, go ahead and knock yourself out. Or let Angelina do it for you ... It feels so much nicer that way. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune : Working a niche somewhere between the black comedy of Fight Club and the ultrafashionable mayhem of The Matrix, Wanted is an experience that's hard to defend as a whole but mesmerizing in a highway-accident rubbernecking kind of way. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star : [Bekmambetov] hasn't just made a thriller with Wanted, he's redefined the genre. Read more

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine : Directed at a pitch of gritty giddiness by the Kazakhstan-born Timur Bekmambetov, this hard-R splatter-fest about a team of sanctified assassins is also the summer's zazziest action movie. Read more

David Jenkins, Time Out : This is cinema for people who slow down at car wrecks. Read more

Christopher Orr, The New Republic : I've watched a movie that, while fiercely entertaining, made me fear for the emotional health of my gender. You have a problem with that? Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today : The thrilling stunts and hyperkinetic action scenes are the undisputed stars of this surprisingly entertaining film. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety : Like it or not, Wanted pretty much slams you to the back of your chair from the outset and scarcely lets up for the duration. Read more

Jim Ridley, Village Voice : Bekmambetov's movie evaporates pretty quickly after it's consumed. Read more

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Where to watch

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov

Choose your destiny.

Doormat Wesley Gibson discovers that his recently murdered father – who Wesley never knew – belonged to a secret guild of assassins. After a leather-clad sexpot drafts Wesley into the society, he hones his innate killing skills and turns avenger.

James McAvoy Angelina Jolie Morgan Freeman Terence Stamp Thomas Kretschmann Common Kristen Hager Marc Warren David O'Hara Dato Bakhtadze Konstantin Khabenskiy Chris Pratt Lorna Scott Sophiya Haque Brian Caspe Mark O'Neal Bridget McManus Brad Calcaterra Mike Whyte Claudia DiBiccari Julia Copeland

Director Director

Timur Bekmambetov

Producers Producers

Jim Lemley Jason Netter Iain Smith Marc Platt Sally French Jared LeBoff

Writers Writers

Chris Morgan Derek Haas Michael Brandt

Original Writers Original Writers

Mark Millar J.G. Jones

Casting Casting

Mindy Marin

Editor Editor

David Brenner

Cinematography Cinematography

Mitchell Amundsen

Assistant Director Asst. Director

Luc Etienne

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Dmitry Kiselev Mic Rodgers

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Roger Birnbaum Geyer Kosinski Jeff Kirschenbaum Gary Barber Adam Siegel Marc Silvestri

Camera Operator Camera Operator

George Richmond

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Production design production design, art direction art direction.

David Baxa Martin Vačkář Patrick M. Sullivan Tomas Voth Chris Cleek

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Richard Roberts Katerina Koutská David Vondrasek Frantisek Weber Steven M. Saylor Allan M. Fleischmann

Special Effects Special Effects

John D. Milinac Dominic Tuohy

Visual Effects Visual Effects

Stefen Fangmeier Jon Farhat Juliette Yager Craig Lyn

Stunts Stunts

Mic Rodgers Nick Gillard Martin Hub Rick LeFevour C.C. Smiff Debbie Evans Jophery C. Brown Henry Kingi Freddie Hice Laura Albert Dean Bailey Chris Barnes Kenny Alexander Veronika Bellová Chris Cenatiempo Gary Baxley Gilbert B. Combs Roy Farfel Frank Ferrara James M. Halty Thomas Robinson Harper Cort Hessler Jennifer Lamb Ross A. Jordan Maurice Lee Billy D. Lucas John C. Meier Carl Paoli Jason Rodriguez Michael Runyard Linda Perlin Jaroslav Peterka Eunice Huthart Jindřich Klaus Riley Harper Mark Henson Alicia Skirball Jeff Shannon Roman Spacil Kevin Sorensen Leo Stransky Richard C. Taylor Keith Tellez Tim Trella Leonard Woodcock Todd Rogers Terry Scott Workman Keith Woulard Greg Tracy Rudolf Vrba Ivo Zubaty Danny Wynands Samantha MacIvor

Composer Composer

Danny Elfman

Sound Sound

Frank A. Montaño Chris Jenkins Wylie Stateman Petr Forejt

Costume Design Costume Design

Varvara Avdyushko

Makeup Makeup

Frances Hannon Julie Dartnell Carmel Jackson Gemma Richards Adéla Robová Nancy Hancock Linda de Vetta René Stejskal

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Frances Hannon Carmel Jackson Julie Dartnell Adéla Robová Gemma Richards

Kickstart Entertainment Universal Pictures Spyglass Entertainment Marc Platt Productions Top Cow Productions Relativity Media Ringerike Zweite Filmproduktion Revolution Sun Studios Bazelevs Production Studio 414

Germany USA

Releases by Date

12 jun 2008, 19 jun 2008, 25 jun 2008, 26 jun 2008, 27 jun 2008, 02 jul 2008, 10 jul 2008, 16 jul 2008, 31 jul 2008, 12 aug 2008, 22 aug 2008, 28 aug 2008, 04 sep 2008, 11 sep 2008, 12 sep 2008, 05 aug 2017, 30 dec 2020, 16 may 2021, 16 dec 2008, 16 jan 2009, 02 sep 2009, releases by country.

• Theatrical M
• Theatrical 16
• Theatrical 14A
• Theatrical 15
• Theatrical 12
• Physical 10 DVD & Blu-Ray
• Digital VOD
• Digital 18 Prime Video
• Digital 16 Netflix
• Theatrical 18
• Theatrical N-13

Netherlands

• Theatrical M/16

Russian Federation

• Theatrical 18+
• Physical 18+ Blu-ray
• Physical 18+ DVD

South Korea

• Premiere 18 London
• Theatrical Los Angeles Film Festival
• Theatrical R

110 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by iana ★ 5

peak cinema is smashing chris pratt's face with a keyboard so hard the keys fly out and spell 'fuck you' in mid-air

Review by Erik 🎼 ★★★½ 5

if John Wick shopped at Hot Topic instead of Tom Ford it’d be this movie

Review by KMOKLER ★★★★ 6

An over the top crazy, insane out of its mind action film with a really good performance from James McAvoy, I have come up with a new word to describe a film FUF that's what wanted is, FUF stands for fucked up fun.

Review by Martin ★★★½ 2

0% logic. 100% awesome.

Also, Morgan Freeman saying "shoot this motherfucker."

Review by nestor ★★★

james mcavoy and angelina jolie.

Review by Matt McKenzie ★★ 5

Bro 1: Bro Bro 2: what bro? Bro 1: you know fight club? Bro 2: yeah bro Bro 1: so imagine fight club Bro 2: yeah man Bro 1: but like... an action movie Bro 2: *in disbelief* Bro 1: and they can like... bend bullets Bro 2: *in more disbelief* broooo Bro 1: and like... Angeline Jolie is in it... and like... Morgan Freeman Bro 2: *beyond disbelief* broooooooo Bro 1: and that goat guy from the Narnia movie Bro 2: *explodes from disbelief*

Review by Taylor Williams ★ 13

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

I wanted to write “this movie was made exclusively for people named Kyle” and leave it at that, but I’m afraid I can’t do that.

I watched this movie like 10 years ago and thought it was a cool little action movie. I’ve since learned it has a pretty bad reputation, and I now realize why. This is an incel anthem through and through, with such lines as “you’re not even half the man Barry is! Barry, he pleases me in ways you’ve never even heard of!” as well as a line from that very Barry, after being beaten up by James McAvoy, that goes “he’s a man.” I can picture teenagers across the globe throwing knives at their walls…

Review by chloe ★★★½ 1

i want angelina jolie to curb stomp me

Review by Raul Marques ★★★★★ 11

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK???

WHOEVER WAS THE UNIVERSAL EXECUTIVE THAT GREEN-LIT THIS IS EITHER A GENIUS OR THE CRAZIEST MOTHERFUCKER ALIVE! PROBABLY BOTH!

THIS IS THE DEFINITIVE OUTCOME OF WHEN A STUDIO AND A DIRECTOR REEEEALLY STEP OUT OF THEIR WAY TO MAKE A MOVIE LOOK COOL AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE OF SHAME ABOUT IT IF IT DOESN'T.

FIGHT CLUB MEETS BOURNE MEETS BUSTER KEATON'S THE GENERAL MEETS FAST & FURIOUS MEETS OFFICE SPACE MEETS METHAMPHETAMINE MEETS JOHN WOO WITH EXPLOSIVE RATS INSTEAD OF FLYING DOVES.

A SECRET SOCIETY OF ASSASSIN WEAVERS SELF-CALLED "THE FRATERNITY" THAT COMMUNICATES THROUGH THE LEAST PRACTICAL FORM OF MORSE CODE OF ALL TIME, INTENTIONALLY SLOPPY WEAVING!!!

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME WITH THAT SHIT???

WHERE'S THE FUCKING SEQUEL???

Review by Emma Stefansky 1

I have the criterion channel and yet this is what I did tonight

Review by Alex Franqueira ★★★★ 1

Breaking News: Mr Tumnus snaps and goes on a killing spree.

Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★½ 10

Starring: My Name is Morgan Freeman

This has been one of those films I don’t think I’ve ever seen in its entirety until now. Also, apparently the screenwriter Derek Haas went to write, and executive produced most of Dick Wolf’s Chicagoverse and FBI show!

Oozing with a marvelous and unforgivable sense of style that’s sustained by a pretty good narrative. The visual effects, even when looking kinda dodgy (no pun intended), along with the stunts (the car!) are incredible. The soundtrack is full of bangers (NIN’s song being my fave!). The whole concept of bullet-bending is so unique and really well executed. The performances are all really good, from James as this loser who becomes a badass, Jolie as this…

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• Movie Review

Movie Review – Wanted (2008)

Stunning, stylish action flick, with more than enough stunts and outrageous effects to make a genre junkie swoon. Popcorn-cinema at it’s absolute finest.

– Summary –

Director : Timur Bekmambetov Cast : Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy, Terrence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common. Length : 120 minutes Synopsis: A downtrodden young man is introduced to a world of assassins, and he begins his quest to find out who killed his father. In doing so, he uncovers a terrible secret, and sets about to make restitution.

Review : Stunning, stylish action flick, with more than enough stunts and outrageous effects to make a genre junkie swoon. Popcorn-cinema at it’s absolute finest.

Blisteringly stylish action thriller (based upon the graphic miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar) starring Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and a fresh faced James McAvoy, directed by the man who has given us two parts of the Watch Trilogy ( Day Watch , and Night Watch ), Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted is one of the most outrageous, most insanely crazy films to come out of Hollywood in 2008. Directed like a mad video game, Bebmambetov shows just how cool a visualist he really is, this time to a broad spectrum Western audience market. Still unable to direct a film with logic and character development (like the previously reviewed Day Watch ), Bebmambetov makes Wanted a lot better than it’s initial idea would grant on the surface: assassins taking orders from a medieval weaving machine are being killed by a rogue member of their Fraternity, and they train up McAvoy to take him down. The focus of the film is less about personal growth, moral fortitude, or even ethical behaviour: all of these traditional human traits are brushed aside like so much tissue paper by guns, bullets, blood and the sight of Jolie butt-naked in perfect, high-definition focus. More on this later. Wanted is about killing. Simple.

McAvoy headlines the film as Wesley Gibson, a stressed, personally stunted loser whose boss rides him all day with incessant yammering and power plays, his best friend ducks off at lunchtime to have illicit sex with Gibson’s girlfriend, and who barely has enough money in his bank account to but a decent meal. While buying his prescription medication for his stress disorder, McAvoy is confronted by the mysterious woman known as Fox (Jolie), who almost immediately engages in a shoot-out with a strange man (Thomas Kretschmann) before kidnapping Wesley and transporting him to a safe, secret, hideout. Wesley, it seems, is the son of a dangerous assassin, who was recently killed by the man in the store (so we are led to believe). In order to give Wesley a better life, he is given the chance to learn the skills of assassination like his father, by the man running the Fraternity, Sloan (Morgan Freeman). In a brutal homage, we see Wesley begin his training, with devastating results. Sloan shows Wesley a mysterious cloth, made from a medieval weaving machine, which has the ability to determine the Fraternity’s next “job” (who do they kill next) and we come to understand that either these people are certifiably insane, or there’s something more mysterious at work here.

It goes without saying that Wesley, trained by the best assassins in the world, soon becomes part of the Fraternity, and is sent on his own missions to kill. What he really wants, however, is the chance to go after Cross, the man who killed his father. When finally given the chance, Wesley is shocked to learn a terrible truth, and his quest for vengeance begins in earnest.

Wanted is the kind of action film that could only be made in the modern era. Using state of the art effects, stunning stunt and driving sequences, a massive train-destruction sequence, and some amazing gunfights, Wanted is ballsy, original and brash, never once pausing for breath, and ensuring you never again look at guns that can fire around corners the same way again. I really dug this film, it’s fair to say. Some would argue that the film begins well, with a fairly cool narrative structure similar to a Tom Tykwer movie. Then the action begins, and the slo-mo, freeze frame, hyperkinetic razzle-dazzle begins, with the camera taking us into extreme close-up, long distance, super-speed, widescreen epic carnage in loving, lascivious detail, until it literally pummels the breath from your body. McAvoy looks exceedingly out of his depth at the beginning, and rightly so, since he’s playing a man so belittled by those around him his existence is simply a bundle of snowballing neuroses. He doesn’t immediately strike you as an “action star” in the traditional mould, and that’s perhaps the point: he could be anybody… you, me, who takes up the weapons and begins the life of an assassin.

There’s an amazingly cool car chase through the streets of Chicago, with Jolie clambering out almost every window of the vehicle to return fire to the pursuing rogue agent. There are moments where the effects perhaps don’t quite click, for me, but they are done so fast, so frenetic, that it’s hardly worth pausing to think about. Jolie looks every inch a screen star, although her character is, oddly, almost monosyllabic and reticent to communicate. When she finally does, however, the moment is brutal. There’s enough “sultry Angelina” in this film to fill a dozen tabloid magazines. And, just for the men in the audience (and that’s probably most of you, I’ll bet!) she even reveals a fine, post baby body complete with tattoos. Like McAvoy, we are captivated. But it remains hardly one of her more defining roles, and is perhaps closer to her Mr & Mrs Smith character than her Oscar winning showing in Girl, Interrupted .

However, the rest of the cast performs admirably, in what is essentially an updated cowboy flick. McAvoy begins the film as an office drone, redundantly performing menial tasks to be paid, so he can support his unfaithful girlfriend. He’s damaged, a seething mess of tension and nerves, anxiously anticipating the next run-in with his overbearing and obnoxious department head. His best friend, Barry (Chris Pratt) is not-so-secretly having sex with Wesleys girlfriend behind Wesleys back, although Wesley actually knows about it. It’s perhaps his own sense of failure and fear of abandonment that he doesn’t leave her. McAvoy journeys from thrombosis alert to sure, suave, deadly assassin as the film progresses, and although this is a given due to the very nature of the movie, it’s a kind of lurch between the former, and the latter. One minute, he’s a nervous wreck, and the next, he’s a decidedly more calm, cool character not afraid to unleash his talent upon the world. Perhaps not quite so quickly as that, but the feeling of sudden about-face permeates through the last third of the movie.

Morgan Freeman, always a grand master at being the Wise Leader/Violent Mob Boss type character, is given the tough job of controlling the Fraternity, and outsourcing the contract killing to various members of the group. It’s another phone-in performance from Freeman, who can do this stuff virtually in his sleep, and he adds, or offers, nothing new that we haven’t seen before countless times. Still, he’s fun to watch, and brings a level of gravitas to Wanted that always ran the risk of being obliterated in the cacophony of bullets and blood. Rap star Common, who looks more like a cast-off from the WWE , plays a fellow assassin and gun expert, who trains Wesley in how to curve bullets.

And here’s the films’ Bullet Time. Wanted ‘s main claim to fame is the idea that bullets can be curved in mid-air, simply by rapid movement of the weapon you hold. The ability to shoot around corners is alluded to in the opening action salvo between Jolie and Kretschmann, with a gun that’s bent at 90 degrees, used by Jolie, to shoot around a corner at a hidden attacker. Later in the film, this idea is expanded upon as Wesley is forced to shoot a target hidden behind an animal carcass and Jolie, who stands in his way. Even later in the film, both Wesley and the rogue assassin cause their bullets to actually collide in mid-air with the kind of accuracy thats utterly impossible for humans to achieve on their own. It’s highly fanciful, fatuously gratuitous, and altogether entertaining. After all, that’s what cinema can deliver: the impossible can look real, and the improbably can happen. Like the moment where Fox and Wesley get the kiss in front of Wesleys ex-girlfriend. What mere mortal actually gets to kiss Angelina Jolie these days? None, it’s traditionally done by uber-screen-icon Brad Pitt. Yet, James McAvoy gets a chance, although the end result isn’t as exciting as you’d imagine. The enormous lips on Jolie’s face (once termed “slugs” by a particularly nasty critic) almost swallow poor McAvoy whole, and the scene with them kissing is about as sexy as an abortion. Still, it’s not about the kissing, really, it’s about the cool gun-play and fast, frenetic ways in which the characters try and kill each other off.

The other major set-piece is the train sequence, in which a fast moving commuter train is hurled off a bridge (suspended across an impossibly high canyon) and gradually starts to fall in. Dynamic, hold-your-breath tense, this sequence is one of the more bravura moments in a film replete with them. It’s utterly insane piece of storytelling, but it’s done in such a way that you cannot help but smile.

Wanted is a high class piece of utter pulp filmmaking. There’s not a serious moment to be had in a film like this, with impossible stunts and grand, noisy acting performances. Blood and viscera spills across the screen, cars and trucks screech through city streets in a manner befitting Need For Speed , almost never colliding with oncoming traffic, bodies and limbs flail in gorgeous slow motion photography, CGI bullets and other ephemera glide through space like some sort of beautiful ballet of symphonic destruction: Wanted is a true, genuine, modern blockbuster, filled to the brim (and almost overflowing) with style, fun and a sense of the ridiculous. If you try taking this film seriously, then you’re in for a disappointing ride. If you set your brain into neutral, you’re more likely to appreciate it.

Wanted is top shelf trash, polished and buffed to a glittering, dazzling entertainment package in the vein of nonsense films like Armageddon and The Rock . Great fun.

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Who wrote this.

Rodney Twelftree

“Some people say I like films. Those people are wrong. I *love* films.” – Me. I said this.

Rodney has been writing about films for well over two decades, appreciates a good wine, the love of his wife and kids, and the affection of his dog and cats. He has a fondness of cheesy 90’s action and classic Hollywood, hates that physical media is disappearing, and wishes somebody would make a high-budget series of The Neverending Story.

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• ENGLISH HINDI MALAYALAM TAMIL TELUGU KANNADA BENGALI  

Wanted English Movie

Wanted is a 2008 English movie directed by Timur Bekmambetov starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp and Thomas Kretschmann.

Based upon Mark Millar's explosive graphic novel series and helmed by stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov-crea... Show more

Based upon Mark Millar's explosive graphic novel series and helmed by stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov-creator of the most successful Russian film franchise in history, the Night Watch series-Wanted tells the tale of one apathetic nobody's transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice. In 2008, the world will be introduced to a hero for a new generation: Wesley Gibson. 25-year-old Wes (James McAvoy) was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. His boss chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend ignored him routinely and his life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this disengaged slacker would amount to nothing. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die in his slow, clock-punching rut. Until he met a woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie). After his estranged father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society that trains Wes to avenge his dad's death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself. With wickedly brilliant tutors-including the Fraternity's enigmatic leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman)-Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. And as he wavers between newfound heroism and vengeance, Wes will come to learn what no one could ever teach him: he alone controls his destiny.

Director: Timur Bekmambetov