Movie Review: Wanted (2008)

!!! WARNING: This review may contain spoilers !!!

Review on the movie Wanted. An action/adventure film based on the comic book.

OVERALL: 6.5/10

Plot: 7/10
Cinematography: 6.5/10
Entertainment value: 7.5/10
Number of times I looked at my watch: 2
Movie to wait for DVD: No, some good action scenes
Rewatchability: Possibly
Movie to purchase: Possibly

Wanted was based on adult comic books by Millar and Jones. This movie was a slight bastardization of the actual story itself. Sadly, the direction of the movie was so overbearingly hollywoodized and marketed to perfection that it never lived up to my expectation.

The movie begins with Wesley, a white collared geeky accountant, who hates his job and is has anxiety attacks to sit in his cubicle getting yelled at by his large, loud, obnoxious boss. Wes gets stalked by Fox, a professional assassin who helps recruit and train him into an old assassin’s club. He is explained that his father had used to be in the assassin and was killed by a rogue member. Wes, of course, who had never met his father due to his departure at a young age. 

Wes meets the team of assassins after being dragged into the the hideout where he’s asked to do what seemed to be the most difficult task… shooting the wings off a fly.  Really the best part of the movie was watching Wes gain confidence in himself to do all the things he had ever wanted to do but was too afraid in the past. 

The concept of the story was exciting, the cast was great (if they had removed Morgan Freeman).  Although from the poster, it seemed like this was a movie based on Angelina but alas, revolved merely around James McAvoy (not necessarily a complaint).  A decent movie nonetheless.  Worth a watch for the action scenes and story.  If you’ve read the story book, you may get out of the movie less enthused and with higher anticipation which would overall come to disappoint.