Summer Review #4 -- Wanted

A pleasant twist on the slam-bang-explode cinematic chain of events, this Timur Bekmambetov actioner is part explosions, part anti-heroes and all guns blazing. Office drone Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) suffers a mundane and berated day-to-day existence, his life lacking anything resembling excitement. On a fateful evening, after an encounter with a mysterious woman (Angelina Jolie), he learns that his father was not who Wesley thought he was; namely, he was a highly trained and esteemed assassin working for the Fraternity, a secret organization striving to achieve balance between good and evil in the world. Under the mentorship of Fox and the Fraternity's main officer Sloan (Morgan Freeman), Wesley starts a brutal training regimen to follow in his father's footsteps, but things soon take a dangerous turn... Director Bekmambetov has shown a distinctive visual style with his epic Nightwatch and Daywatch vampire films, and this film is no different. The delirious visual effects incorporated into the stylized slow motion shots make for a hyper-modernized visual experience, while the action sequences utilizing bullet time -- so popularized by The Matrix -- bring the technique into a new realm, with their neo noir feel and futuristic aesthetics. James McAvoy, fresh out of Atonement period garb, makes for a new kind of reluctant hero, using quirky mannerisms and fidgety movements to exploit Wesley's overall lack of confidence to the maximum. Jolie is alluring in the role of cool-as-ice assassin Fox. She is always excellent as the unconventional femme fatale, partly due to her exotic good looks, and partly due to her no-nonsense line delivery. I would have wanted to see more of Jolie and McAvoy together; they have a genuine and, at times, playful connection. Freeman, although severely underused, is commanding as Sloan; his trademark stillness perfectly compliments McAvoy's frenzied self-esteem issues. There are some low points, namely one regarding an illogical turn of events toward the end and another regarding the overuse of a certain animal; I really did not see the point in it and these scenes made this part of the film out of sync with its story. Nevertheless, the movie is kinetic eye candy, guaranteed to thrill and possibly even start a new trend in the action genre.

7/10