Wanted

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Wanted 2008


I hesitate to write this up, Action movies it seems aren't as popular as they once were. Which is too bad because this is a really good one. But... probably, hardly anyone will see it. I'm not going to waste a bunch of your time telling you about "the story", parts of it are interesting and parts (like the beginning are just plain weird) are pretty random. But the story is not what makes an action movie good... the action does. That's not to say that I didn't like the story it was decent, just not real interesting and the twist was relatively predictable.


I am a huge fan of Nightwatch and Daywatch and the director in particular. I can't imagine its very easy to get big budget films made in Russia these days and he has made two. And both were very interesting and different. So in effect I had a feeling going in that I was at the very least going to see something interesting. Well, I did. The action was spectacular and the weapons... man I saw a few things that I hadn't seen before that were truly impressive. There is some seriously violent scenes and as per usual I had my little crap eating grin on. I can't help it, I just appreciate good ultra-violence.


Angelina Jolie was as usual smoking hot and you even get a nice look at her backside and with all of the tattoo work they put onto her for the film it made her look even more sexy and exotic than usual, if that's even possible. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of seeing James McAvoy before, I know he was in Atonement but that movie holds little to no interest for me. Anyway he was a pretty good choice for a lead, he played a very good cipher and handled his new found skills with a degree of believability I found highly enjoyable. Morgan Freeman is Morgan Freeman and I would watch him read the telephone book so I was just happy he was there. I've mentioned this before and I'll say it again, if you're truly trying to make an action flick that isn't just going to be forgotten it is a pretty good idea to surround yourself with some talent. Well mischief managed I say.
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How does James McAvoy's American accent come off? That looks like the one big turn off on this film. Even so, still gonna see it soon. Thanks for encouragement.
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Celluloid Temptation Facilitator
My kids and I are going to see this at some point. I mean Angelina and Morgan are in it and it's an action film. It's a slam dunk!
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Bleacheddecay



I actually like this film. Like Ebert mentioned in his review, watch this as though you're watching a video game, it'll help with the wincing :P



ouch noobie! Looks like a good film. They seem to be doing a lot of Brit-faking-American these days, so I suppose its par for the course.
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Scot faking American is a rather new one though, isn't it? Scots doing Spaniards, now that is where it's at. Wonder why that never kicked off?



\m/ Fade To Black \m/
This film looks really good, the trailers ive seen make the film look brilliant just hope it plays up the hype.
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How does James McAvoy's American accent come off? That looks like the one big turn off on this film. Even so, still gonna see it soon. Thanks for encouragement.
I'm probably not the best judge, it seemed fine to me. I don't know if that helps.



Welcome to the human race...
Scot faking American is a rather new one though, isn't it? Scots doing Spaniards, now that is where it's at. Wonder why that never kicked off?
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his wasnt that good though. maybe I was too young to get it but I never thought he was American - I always thought he was playing a Scot.....IN America.



Saw it this weekend and...

thought it had some really great moments. tons of wacky CGI action, an incredibly sexy tatted Angelina Jolie, and James Mcavoy proves he can bring it as an action star.

an overall fun experience. I think it can easily be said that Dir. Timur Bekmambetov has succesfully made the transition from European audiences to North America. he'll probably have his pick of the bigger action films in Hollywood now. the film features some of the same crazy stunts we see in the Night Watch/ Day Watch series (cars doing impossible stunts etc., people jumping out of buildings and flying through the air).the movie dare I say is purely a throw away summer blockbuster but nonetheless was worth my $13.00. the theatre was packed and people seemed to get that it was intentionally cheesy at times which was nice. there was always enough comic relief (great scene in the office with the boss, and seeing the GF again with Angelina), a wiley performance from Morgan Freeman and enough bullets in the brain to satisfy the hardcore gunplay/action fans.

The story has a few decent twists which were nice (at the middle point I was wondering where it was going) and the ending of the film is a lot of fun.

recommended for those who can dig the appreciate the silly fun that is this kind of movie...oh and if you want to see Angelina full of sexy tattoos and playing with guns.

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Wanted


" It a choice, Wesley, that each of us must face: to remain ordinary, pathetic, beat-down, coasting through a miserable existence, like sheep herded by fate, or you can take control of your own destiny and join us, releasing the caged wolf you have inside. Our purpose is to maintain stability in an unstable world - kill one, save a thousand. Within the fabric of this world, every life hangs by a thread. We are that thread - a fraternity of assassins with the weapons of fate. This is the decision that lies before you know: the sheep, or the wolf. The choice is yours."

Wanted is my type of movie. The story is something you don't have to pay attention to much. Their are many beautiful actors and actresses doing well in their roles. The action is like nothing you've never seen before. It is so stupid, yet I had a dumbass grin on my face the whole dang time.

The story is your basic "live your life/ find your destiny" story. comingsoon.net says, Based upon Mark Millar's explosive graphic novel series and helmed by stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov--creator of the most successful Russian film franchise in history, the Night Watch series--Wanted tells the tale of one apathetic nobody's transformation into an unparalleled enforcer of justice. In 2008, the world will be introduced to a hero for a new generation: Wesley Gibson. 25-year-old Wes (James McAvoy) was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. His boss chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend ignored him routinely and his life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this disengaged slacker would amount to nothing. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die in his slow, clock-punching rut. Until he met a woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie). Then the story just gets, in my opinion nucking futs. It's nothing you haven't seen before. Let's face it though, are you really going to look for the best plot of all time, or do you just want to see stuff explode?

This leads me into my next paragraph. Remember my review of Live Free or Die Hard, how I docked points because it was so unrealistic? Well, I am actually giving Wanted points for it, and this is LFODH on 12 lines of coke, 11 gallons of Monster energy drink, 10 Red Bulls and you get the point... At one point I literally think it made all the guys go through a second puberty. Yeah, it's that good.

Timur Bekmambetov did bring a lot of stuff to the project. His Nightwatch and Daywatch films have beautiful CGI, same goes here. Sadly though, his directing is very repetitive and I can only take that slow-mo effect so many times. It didn't ruin the movie, but it didn't exactly help.

Speaking of good, there really are good looking people in this! Yes, their performances are all good but you know you just want to see a hot person with a pistol in their hand shooting something. Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, and the underused Common, and Thomas Kretschmann are all, as Zoolander would say, really really good looking. I guess I can't go out and try this stuff because let's face it, I'm not as pretty as McAvoy and don't have Jolie's butt .

All in all, Wanted is a thirteen year old boy's dream movie. You have to see it, to belive it.

Rating:


P.s. Morgan Freeman does out mother****er even Sam Jackson
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Man...looks like this is the only place this movie is getting good reviews...everywhere else they are a saying it sucks dogs'...well you get the drift!

I really wanted this to be good...I'm guessing jolie is still trying to play the role she played in hackers...you know, the "I'm pretty and better than you" look...which is all she can actually do! Oh well...guess I'll wait for the Dvd...

Edit: OK..saw it...what a dumb movie...good effects...very dumb movie...in this day and age the plot device used is just not good enough...it's actually insanely stupid!



Celluloid Temptation Facilitator
I finally got to see this over the weekend. It reminded me a bit of Jumpers.

Overall it was an enjoyable flick.

However, I must say Angelena looked a bit strange. She looked preternaturally thin. The eye makeup and the hard edge of thinness gave her a mean and rather sinister look.

That fits the flick but it's certainly not my favorite look for her. She actually looked a bit ill. I didn't like these aspects. They were strange though and somewhat interesting if disconcerting.

We got into a debate about the tattoos. Were they her own. I said no. If they were it would take a LOT of makeup to cover them for red carpet events.

The storyline was thin for me. I particularly disliked the "You can't know who you are until you know who your father was aspect." That really hits a lot of red buttons for me. I think it's utter crap.

I did enjoy seeing the main guy take power. I didn't understand how anyone could live life that pathetically in the first place.

Though there was some humor in the training scenes they were unnecessarily viscous and unpleasant as well. I didn't appreciate that. I believe there are better ways to train.

The icy milk bath thingie was ridiculous. There was no explanation of how or why that would work. I can see it would be fun to film but it needed some real story behind to make sense.

There were certain things I adored, such as curved bullets or but no explanation about how or why this would occur was provided.

BTW, in the trailer I thought her hair was cut, just a small piece by the bullet but the kids tell me I'm nuts. That was never in the trailer and I imagined it. Let me say this, if that's true I had a really cool hallucination! Someone should use it sometime!

I liked the idea with the rats but hated the execution. Based on that alone I'd call a person evil.

Note how I'm tap dancing around some of the almost spoilers? Since I still don't know how to do the cool spoiler thing I'm trying to be really good, honest. Anyone who wants to try to teach me how, I'd appreciate it.

In sum, I wanted it to be better, with more story and characters I liked. It was still an entertaining action flick but I thought it could have been so much more.



I Loved This Movie, It's One Of My New Favorites. But I Saw It Like The Day After It Came Out Back In June.



I enjoyed it, and I remember thinking
1. Angelina Jolie surprised me in this role - she didnt act as I expected her too, which was refreshing.
2. James McAvoy did a surprisingly good American accent.



A PHD in Whiskey and Stonerology
I saw this a few days after release, and went with the proper expectations, A.K.A: this is a graphic novel adap.

And so the entire time I was drilled to my seat thinking Holy fuc!k, this is awesome!

The leaping-through the window and across-the-street scene was basically just amazingly cool, as was the first car chase and the entire ending sequence.