Triple-Feature Part I: Wanted

Wanted
Directed by Timur Bekmambetov
Released June 27, 2008
Seen June 29, 2008

From its very beginning, “Wanted” is a heavily stylized movie which relies heavily on its many wonderfully-executed action sequences, which are not for the squeamish. Fortunately, the plot is even decent and the movie works better than it perhaps should. James McAvoy, putting on a flawless American accent, sounds oddly like Shia LaBoeuf, but it’s not a problem, and it’s cool to see him in this kind of performance after his recent forays into dramatic acting with “The Last King of Scotland” and “Atonement” as well as his comedy success “Starter for 10”. Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman are cast perfectly for their parts as well. The movie has a great sardonic wit that carries through its runtime and really adds to its overall effect. Set to a great soundtrack, the movie proceeds along at an energetic pace. It doesn’t care about adhering to strict conventions or pretending to be believable, and that’s where it truly succeeds. The movie is perfectly summed up by one of Freeman’s line: “If no one told you that bullets flew straight, and I gave you a gun and told you to hit the target, what would you do?” The answer, of course, is to have someone stand right in front of the target and watch the bullet weave around them. It requires a lot of suspension of disbelief, but the incredible action scenes and fantastic ending make this popcorn flick more than worth it.

B+