Wanted (Fullscreen) (2008)

"Angelina Jolie aims to please and shoots to kill.  Leonard Maltin, Entertainment Tonight
"This over-the-top, ultraviolent, hyperkinetic action thriller pretty much has it all.  Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter
"The most visually inventive, trailblazing film of its kind...  Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com
"Bekmambetov revs it up furiously and unleashes one bit of hyperactive, dazzling invention after another.  Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian
"Relentless, in-your-face action.  Todd McCarthy, Variety

Editor's Note Loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, WANTED, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, follows anxiety-prone office drone Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) as he is inducted into the Fraternity, a clan of powerful killers that counted his father as a member. Pursued by rogue agent Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), Wesley is trained by the sleek, sexy Fox (Angelina Jolie) and the charismatic Sloan (Morgan Freeman), among others, to be just as proficient and deadly as his father. Once Wesley becomes a master assassin, he must confront Cross, and contend with the stunning ramifications of that encounter. Straying rather far from the WANTED comic's supervillain-centric premise, WANTED runs with the edgy Eastern European aesthetic of Russian helmer Bekmambetov, who garnered international recognition with the stylish vampire epic NIGHT WATCH. While Jolie is a gleefully destructive presence in her action-heavy scenes, the film belongs to McAvoy, who transforms from milquetoast to manhunter with verve and charm. And like the similarly themed THE MATRIX before it, WANTED also showcases some eye-catching special effects, most notably in the loopy concept of "curving bullets." Though devotees of the WANTED comic may be dismayed with the many liberties taken with the story, the movie is undeniably energetic and entertaining, making it fun summer blockbuster fare.

	Thomas Kretschmann
	James McAvoy
	Morgan Freeman
	Angelina Jolie
	Terence Stamp
	Common
	Mark Millar - Source Writer
	Gary Barber - Executive Producer
	Chris Morgan - Screenwriter
	Marc Silvestri - Executive Producer
	Adam Siegel - Executive Producer
	C. Mitchell Amundsen - Director of Photography
	David Brenner - Editor
	Marc Platt - Producer
	Michael Brandt - Story
	Iain Smith - Producer
	John Myhre - Production Designer
	Derek Haas - Story
	Jim Lemley - Producer
	J.G. Jones - Source Writer
	Jason Netter - Producer
	Danny Elfman - Composer
	Michael Brandt - Screenwriter
	Roger Birnbaum - Executive Producer
	Derek Haas - Screenwriter
	Timur Bekmambetov - Director

USA Today
"Much of the entertainment value comes from jaw-dropping stunts and explosive action sequences, which are high-octane fun....Highly inventive..." 06/27/2008

Los Angeles Times
"WANTED has audacity to burn....Jolie is all wolf, kohl-eyed and coldblooded....The adrenaline-overdose strategy works for viewers as well as hit men." 06/27/2008

Entertainment Weekly
"[T]here's global realpolitik glee to the filmmaker's fancy-splatter approach to violence." 07/11/2008 50

Empire
4 stars out of 5 -- "Bekmambetov understands pacing and escalation: set-pieces build in intensity, and each sequence is filled with inventive gags or gimmicks..." 08/01/2008 p.48

Sight and Sound
"[I]t rivets your attention....McAvoy's transition from anxious office serf to swaggering killer has some emotional depth and a runty, fearful stoicism." 09/01/2008 p.80

Premiere
"[I]ts speedily unfolding plotline doesn't disappoint, with as many twists and turns as its characters' stunning mid-air moves." 06/20/2008

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "Relentlessly paced, the film barrels by like the express train Jolie bodysurfs..." 12/01/2008 p.138