Wanted: Movie Review

Wanted is the story of a down trodden account manager, Wesley Gibson, whose been thrust into a world of destiny, espionage, and murder. Just like predecessors Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, Wanted was originally imagined as a comic book.

In 2003, uber talented scribe Mark Millar teamed up with J.G. Jones to produce the six issue Wanted comic book. The plot of the original comic follows Wesley Gibson as he discovers that his father was the worlds' greatest assassin. His father was a member of a secret fraternity of villains that control the world- until his father was murdered. The fraternity invite Wesley to join, expecting his birthright to be the same supernatural talent for marksmanship that his late father possessed.

The Wanted graphic novel stays true to the trappings of comic books, and relies on super hero and villain concepts. In the comic, the entire Fraternity consists of super powered villains that one only finds in comics. But the movie takes a step away from that. In the 2008 film, the super villain concept is replaced with super assassins. It saves the movie from having an incredible dependence on special effects, as well as gives a bit more root in reality.

Yet, it still remains "super". The trailer with the curving bullet is your first clue.

Director Timur Bekmambetov is responsible for making this translation from Graphic Novel to Film. And he succeeds. The visual storytelling is thematically similar to The Matrix- many camera angles and special effects shots of bullets. Much of the fight style of the movie is reminiscent of writer/director Kurt Wimmer's Gunkata technique created for his movies Equilibrium and Ultra Violet. More shocking, I think that Wanted pulled the gunkata technique off best.

The acting is top notch. Not much wiggle room for debate. Going in there's Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, and James McAvoy. McAvoy walks that fine line between reluctant hero and chosen one without irritating the audience in the least. Maybe it's his every guy demeanor. Jolie is believable in the most outrageous action sequences, but just as credible when she silently smiles on camera. And Morgan Freeman might possibly deliver the funniest piece of dialogue in the movie. Possibly.

Wanted inherently has certain themes necessary to action/adventure tales, such as the "heroes' journey". Here, it doesn't feel formulaic; instead it's infused with enough style and fervor to be appreciated, like a welcome standard. Like jazz. Also, the heroes' journey is replete with the required training montage. It's just as fun as watching Peter Parker jump rooftops. Or Neo learn kung fu.

Many reviewers are comparing the movie solely to The Matrix. For my money, the movie feels more of a mash up of Office Space with Fight Club. Wanted is an escapist tale, but with very adult humor. Oh, and this is not a movie for children. This movie begins with bloodshed from the word go! Ultra violence I haven't seen since A Clockwork Orange. With all the movie comparisons and homages, Wanted still deviates quite a bit from its source material. That is pretty common for comic book translations. What's so special is that the movie premise and resolution are much better than the comic. Even if you've read the story, and know the plot, you're still in for a treat.