"Wanted" Talkback (Spoilers)

[Space Cadet]

Choose your destiny.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Wanted_film_poster.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Wanted_film_poster.jpg)
"Welcome... to the Fraternity. This gun you're holding belonged to your father, he could conduct a symphony orchestra with it." - Sloan



Release Date: June 27th, 2008
Studio: Universal Pictures
Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Screenwriter: Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Chris Morgan
Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Common, Terence Stamp
MPAA Rating: R

Plot Summary: A young man finds out his long lost father is an assassin. And when his father is murdered, the son is recruited into his father's old organization and trained by a man named Sloan to follow in his dad's footsteps.

Comments?

[XOMiss_Samantha]

I JUST got back from the movie [I had actually wanted to see Indiana Jones instead >_> ]. There were some nice parts, one song I particularly took a likening too and am now singing['The Little Things' by Danny Elfman. It fits so well for this film], but all in all not my favorite movie...way far from it. The main character was cute to look at, however. Very cute. And sarcastic in a good way. Take away his snappy remarks I might have walked out half way through.
If I had to give this movie a rating I'd go with a C for...I don't want to say lameness, but half the time I spent thinking to myself 'well that would obviously never happen.' I absolutly hated the part where the entire train full of people practically...fell apart. The main characters transformation into some super human gun wielding machine rubbed me a little cheesy.
I usually love action movies but this one just slightly fell short of 'woah' and landed on 'okay' instead.

[Space Cadet]

The main character was cute to look at, however. Very cute. And sarcastic in a good way. Take away his snappy remarks I might have walked out half way through.


Yeah, I thought James McAvoy did a pretty good job playing Wesley Gibson. He was able to to convey his character going from hypochondriac to superhuman killing machine. You know, if they made a live-action Black Lagoon movie, I think he would be able to play Rock pretty well.

As for the movie, I thought it was pretty enjoyable overall. The special effects were top notch and the action was intense. I think my favorite part was Fox using the public bus to angle the sports car off of it. Very unrealistic, but really cool. The best part was the end, where Wesley goes on a rampage in the textile factory. It reminded me of Spike in the final episode of Cowboy Bebop.

I thought all the actors played their parts well. Angelina Jolie was pretty good as Fox. So was Morgan Freeman as Slone. Common was cool as the Gunsmith, even though he didn't have a big role in it.

Overall, I thought this was a B+ movie. It's not perfect and many of things are too unreal to be true. But as an turn-off your brain action movie, it gets the job done.

[XOMiss_Samantha]

You know, if they made a live-action Black Lagoon movie, I think he would be able to play Rock pretty well.

...Oh my god I hadn't even thought of that, but now that you mention it I think he might be perfect as Rock. He's got that interesting businessman look... a foul mouth... kind of a sissy sometimes but can kick some ass when needed...knows how to contain Revy.
Somebody should at least toy with the idea of making that show into a movie. Wesley also reminded me of Edward Norton's character in Fight Club.


The best part was the end, where Wesley goes on a rampage in the textile factory. It reminded me of Spike in the final episode of Cowboy Bebop. I agree here as well. The other scenes in the movie didn't do it for me quite like this part did. Very nice the way he busted through the window.

[MM54]

This was the most fun I've had in a theater all year period (it this has been a great summer for movies). The action was intense, the script creative, the characters well rounded and the pace solid. Most people will want to see this for the special effects and, hell, I can't blame them. :)

[Space Cadet]

...Oh my god I hadn't even thought of that, but now that you mention it I think he might be perfect as Rock. He's got that interesting businessman look... a foul mouth... kind of a sissy sometimes but can kick some ass when needed...knows how to contain Revy.
Somebody should at least toy with the idea of making that show into a movie.




If you think about it, this movie was kinda like a prototype for a Black Lagoon movie. You have Wesley(Rock), Fox(Revy), The Gunsmith(Dutch), and Benny(well...the guy who was punching Wesley in the chair).

Hmm...this is sounding better as I think about it.:p

[The Overlord]

Well this movie was nothing like its source material, considering that its source material would be completely unadaptable.

[Soul]

Eminem is mad. (http://www.rapbasement.com/eminem/eminem-wanted-stars-manager-explains-lies-behind-the-new-movie.html)

Well not personally.
But yeah, wow.
He has a acting chops, I do'nt see why he wasn't cast..

[Hanshotfirst113]

The character in the graphic novel is based on Eminem, as the picture shows. And the Fox was based, I believe, on Halle Berry.


Well this movie was nothing like its source material, considering that its source material would be completely unadaptable.Mercifully :p. Actually, the first 40 minutes or so adhere reasonably close to the original comic before the film completely goes off into its own plotting, which I couldn't make heads or tails of :p (Who the heck is Terence Stamp supposed to be and where did he come from?).

Out of curiosity, are there any adventurous cinephiles around who sampled Bekmambetov's Night Watch and Day Watch?

[MM54]

I own both Night Watch and Day Watch and love both of them. Bekmambetov's direction was what sold me on seeing the movie, and after what I saw, I'm glad I did. :)

[Knight]

Wanted was decent I guess. I liked the Wesley character here. But the movie seemed to be filled with improbable crap (like the weaving that reveals who you have to kill, bending bullets). I think the plot could have been better. I am glad however that it wasnt completely like the comic becasue you really couldn't cheer for any of those characters. The Wesley there was a murderous rapist who killed just because.

[Lord Dalek]

Terrible ripoff of Fight Club with irritating characters, bad editing, and no plot. No stars.

[Hanshotfirst113]

Terrible ripoff of Fight Club

Or The Matrix. And it takes a page from the Star Wars playbook at one point for some reason or another. Take your pick.

Personally, what I found most uncomfortable was the ideology that the film was bouncing around. The whole adolescent wish-fulfillment about walking out on your job, "Whaaaa whaaaa my life sucks!" and ultimately finding your way out through violence was a bit disturbing.

Anyway, taken at a sheer mindless level, I found the film reasonable enjoyable as a thrill ride. Seeing Bekmambetov with millions of dollars to play with was fun, and the set pieces were reasonable enjoyable, though the plot feels like warmed over leftovers from Fight Club, The Matrix, Star Wars, and pretty much any other source that you'd care to name. Serviceable Hollywood junk food. It doesn't have much to say, but Bekmambetov has fun saying it anyway. It's certainly better than the abysmal graphic novel that it's based on.


bad editing

Art it is not, but Bekmambetov gets the rhythms of a Hollywood shoot'em up to a reasonable degree. At least his improbable cartoonish spectacle is edited in a way that you can actually see. It certainly won't show up in any film classes, but worse examples come to mind.

[Rook]

Art it is not, but Bekmambetov gets the rhythms of a Hollywood shoot'em up to a reasonable degree. At least his improbable cartoonish spectacle is edited in a way that you can actually see. It certainly won't show up in any film classes, but worse examples come to mind.


The cg'd word landings are clearly something from shoot'em up. As well as the "Immmm sorry!", which was kind of funny.

Im still getting use to Morgan Freeman as a villain.

Ive seen Danny Glover as such, twice in Switch Back and shooter.

[Draft]

My friend forced me to go to this movie, and I wasn't very interested in going. The Hulk was 15 Minutes earlier, Hancock was at the same time, Hellboy was too! Fortunatly, I did not regret it. For my first R Movie I saw in theaters, I was very impressed by how good it was. The action scenes were wonderfully done, the plot was very interesting, and the twist still wows me an hour away from leaving the theater. Sure, there were some very improbable stuff
The bullet going through at least 10 skulls while doing a full 360? WTF?
But I think this is the first movie that I really didn't mind it. I'm not too big on language (Too many F-Bombs for me), and the sex scenes weren't really that neccessarry (I think it only bothers me b/c my parents came with me, which was incredibly awkward).

I give the movie a B+, and I definatly reccommend it.

[XOMiss_Samantha]

For my first R Movie I saw in theaters, I was very impressed by how good it was.

Ohh mine too! [but thats just because I never had an interest in any other R rated movies earlier in the year]. I got carded about 3 times by the same person... probably because I look like a 10 year old.

A couple of my friends saw the movie earlier in the week and also enjoyed it alot. I must be missing the 'likeable factor'.

[mr.happy]

Personally, what I found most uncomfortable was the ideology that the film was bouncing around. The whole adolescent wish-fulfillment about walking out on your job, "Whaaaa whaaaa my life sucks!" and ultimately finding your way out through violence was a bit disturbing.It did almost seem like the ending was a bit of a dare, and I know at least one or two brain donors who might see that as a cue to quit their jobs, smack someone with a keyboard, and dump their cheating girlfriend for a hotter more tattooed model and a life of self-righteous crime. I hope I'm wrong about that, though. ;)

[Old Guy]

I was interested in seeing this over the summer, but never got around to it. Although I've been listening to Danny Elfman's score for months. But, anyway, I got it today from Netflix. I can understand why some would dislike it but as an action fan I loved it. Is it mindless entertainment? Of course. And so is Die Hard. So whatever. It's a great action movie. Plain and simple.


what I found most uncomfortable was the ideology that the film was bouncing around. The whole adolescent wish-fulfillment about walking out on your job, "Whaaaa whaaaa my life sucks!" and ultimately finding your way out through violence was a bit disturbing.

Male fantasy usually revolves around sex and violence. This is why we go to see these movies. We seek adventure. So, yea, it's a little disturbing but whatever.