Pop Culture Buzz

GRADE: C+

“Wanted” is loosely based upon Mark Millar’s graphic novel series and is helmed by stunning visual director Timur Bekmambetov, the creator of the most successful Russian film franchise in history, the “Night Watch” series. The film tells the story of one apathetic nobody’s (played by James McAvoy) transformation into an enforcer of justice who has the abilities to bend and control the speed and angle of bullets. We follow his character as he picked from obscurity to become a high powered hit man by a secret society of henchmen.

Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman play members of the elite group of assassins who are able to perfect a special technique that helps fight crime and uphold justice. Even though there are some nifty special effects, camera tricks and creative plot twists in “Wanted” the film can’t sustain the energy from the first half and it ultimately crashes towards the end. All of the whiz bang car crashes and chase scenes aren’t enough to keep the viewer interested and we get lost in the loud choppy editing.

I for one am tired of over stylized action films based on comic books and graphic novels. “Wanted” is the latest in a slew of cartoonish R-rated action films to come out of Hollywood except this one stars Angelina Jolie as (and this is a stretch folks) a half naked femme fatale. “Wanted” tries to be sleek and sexy but at its core it is just the big screen equivalent of junk food. The tricky camera angles and slow motion effects have a tired “been there, done that” kind of feel to them, there really is nothing new to see here.

James McAvoy is the one thing that keeps this movie from slipping into some seriously cheesy territory. His perfectly sculpted body balances out the multiple close ups of Jolie’s lips and legs that are endlessly edited through out the movie. Even though we don’t buy the sexual tension between the two leads their comedic banter and snappy dialogue were the highlight of this film. In the end though the drawn out romance and convoluted ending are really what hamper this film from being original and entertaining. If this film were half as clever and sexy as the “Bourne” films it would be worth all the hype that surrounds it, as it stands this is a mild piece of movie fluff that most teen boys and young men will drool over.