Wanted

What the movie is about.
The basic plot of the movie is the same as The Matrix one. I'm kidding of course...Wanted is based on a graphic novel by Mark Millar and the outline is something like this. Alright, Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a normal office working guy who gets bullied by his boss almost daily. His life has been in a mundane repeat everyday and he is basically just your everyday loser. One day, he is approached by Fox (Angelina Jolie) and introduced to a gang of freedom fighters who call themselves the "Fraternity" and they basically get him to join them by telling him that his father was killed and wanting him to get revenge. From there, they train him and get him into shape to become an assassin. All of them can do spectacular Matrix-like moves such as bending bullets and driving cars like small aeroplanes. They supposedly have higher heart rates which makes them have higher adrenaline and thus, become faster, sharper and basically stronger. Without spoiling the story for those who haven't watched it, the plot twists and turns abit as Wesley digs deeper. That's the movie in a nutshell.

Who is in the movie.
Upcoming Brit James McAvoy is the main star of the show, playing Wesley Gibson. His character starts of as a wimpy loser but slowly grows to become a wimpy assassin with some cool moves. He is probably the only saving grace in the movie as he plays his part well. He provides comic relief periodically and the plot revolves around him.

Supporting cast include Angelina Jolie, who plays Fox. The woman is sultry and good to look at but dear god she can't act to save her life. Her face is that same sultry faraway look throughout the movie and that's basically her whole role. Morgan Freeman does alright as Sloan, nothing groundbreaking but an average performance by the movie veteran.

Why I disliked the movie.
First and foremost, I DID NOT watch the trailer to this so I did not have a preconceptions about the show. Based on reports by friends, it looked "awesome" and "cool" with bullet bending and stuff. With these rave reports, I went in hoping to watch a gripping action movie. Being based on a graphic novel, I expected some ridiculous moves but hohoho, as you will find out, Wanted takes this ridiculousness to a whole different level.

Does it turn out to be an action movie? Yes, I won't deny that it's action packed throughout. It's exciting at times and there are some spectacular scenes. If you can stop laughing to actually concentrate that is. "Superhero" movies such as Ironman, Batman, the Matrix and the works usually take us to a different world, with the actors doing things that normal people wouldn't be able to do. However, we don't find it ridiculous. Why? Because they have a good explanation for it. In Ironman, a rich guy build a MACHINE to do his bidding with him inside, this enables him to fly and shoot fireballs and stuff. In Batman, a rich guy builds a suit and some really cool toys to help him fight crime. However, movies like Spiderman give us a different explanation, he was infected and thats why he has powers. The Matrix tells us that it's in a different world, a computer one which enables them to have super powers.

What is Wanted's get out clause? NOTHING. It is based in the normal world, normal people, normal circumstances. The only thing these superhumans have is higher Adrenaline. Now, they make it sound special with hearts that beat 400 times faster than normal. Now.... What the fuck does this have to do with some guy jumping from building to building, while in mid-air, killing 4 people including one person who is hidden behind a wall? How in the world does a faster heart help you aim so you defy gravity and bend a bullet around targets. How does higher adrenaline help you flip a car with a punctured tire, 90' and land perfectly on the side of a bus, over a police barricade? You are almost surprised they can't dodge bullets. WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE! THEY DON'T NEED TO! They can just block bullets, WITH BULLETS!

The whole movie is like that, ridiculous moves that have little or no explanation and look cool. The whole movie is carried by the CGI and the plot if paper-thin. Based on comments by people who have read the graphic novel, the movie just pisses on the plot. The original plot supposedly has an intriguing storyline that's interesting, I can assure you that that's not the case in the movie.

If you want to watch Wanted, by all means go ahead. It's exciting at times and a summer popcorn flick. I didn't expect it to be deep, but I sure didn't expect it to be this shallow either. There's alot of eye-candy. Graphics, Angelina Jolie holding guns, nice cars, spectacular stunts. If you really want to enjoy it though, I strongly suggest that you leave your brain at the door.

4.5/10

Wanted

Other Ratings:
Fight Club: 9.5/10
Kung Fu Panda: 7.5/10