Wanted

Can we see that part again, please?

This movie was insane, in all the best ways. McAvoy, Jolie, and Freeman delivered with some nice work done by the supporting cast. McAvoy did a beautiful job with the hopeless nerd to bad-ass transformation, and even though we've seen that transformation in action and/or comic book films many times, we WANTED (no pun intended) him to become what we knew he would become. The fact that it's ultra violent makes it that much more stomach twisting when Wes is STILL getting the crap beat out of him. The twist was a little predictable, but still excellent, and it was nice to know, come the end, that not all "bad guys" only care about themselves. The effects and fights were breathtaking, and it was nearly impossible to hit "pause." For anyone who enjoys action films of any kind, Wes and Fox will rock you.

9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

Deliciously Absurd

Wanted was a movie I didn't want to like. I'm not particularly an Angelina Jolie fan, and the premise seemed absolutely ridiculous. However, this is a film that plants it's tounge firmly in it's cheek from the opening frames. Never has a movie so delightfully dived into it's own silliness and insanity like Wanted has. You can't possibly attempt to find anything based in reality in this film. Wanted is one of the most over-the-top explosions of sex, violence, and patently absurd mythologizing ever put to screen. The effects are beyond anything you can imagine. Physics do not apply. Blood flows remarkably freely. And our unlikely hero proves his meddle and saves the day. This was the most fun I had at the movies this summer, hands down...

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

I want Wanted!!

If you can suspend your belief in the insane for about two hours, you've got a lot to love about Wanted. Excellent acting by James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie and an awesome script that little resembles the Mark Millar graphic novel it was spawned from (in a good way!) propel a fantastic story of transformation and revenge forward to it's inevitable, explosive climax. Hired by a secret brotherhood of assassins, a nobody (McAvoy) finds his calling and in the process becomes someone completely different, the man he was supposed to be. Also starring Morgan Freeman, this violent tale should be great on DVD, especially for those with the hi-def rigs. Some camerawork gets a little hectic, especially in the beginning, and sometimes the special effects looks a LITTLE cheezy, but that's simply nitpicking a great overall work by the director of the international sensation Night Watch. If you missed it in the theaters, pick up Wanted when you can, I'll be getting it as a Christmas present to myself!

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

This was a phenomenal movie

I saw this movie in the theater and it is amazing. The special effects were out of this world and nothing you've ever seen before. Even though the special effects were not realistic, it was very captivating and exciting to watch and I left stunned at how different this movie was from anything I had ever seen before. I can't wait for it to come out and own it. I highly suggest everyone watching it at least once, even if you don't like it you have to admit that its visually fascinating!

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Meh

I enjoyed director Timur Bekmambetov's Nightwatch and Daywatch for their clean, fluid special effects and style. The plot in Nightwatch kept me interested, even though it wasn't the greatest. And in Daywatch, the plot was barely there, and the CGI didn't quite make up for it. <BR/><BR/>Wanted felt very much like his other movies. Fun to watch, so-so to listen to. This movie is marketed like some big time, high budget action flick. Less than 5 minutes in, it's clear it does not have a big budget. And while this is not another paycheck movie for the actors, it's not quite up to par with, I guess, my standard of action movie. <BR/><BR/>The plot isn't bad, but I had to suspend my disbelief more than I would've liked to. Before it was over I was tired of everyone being a badass. The violence is cool and well done. <BR/><BR/>I've never read the graphic novel this movie was inspired by, but I have flipped through it, and it looks a hell of a lot more interesting than this movie. The movie took the over the top killer angle of the graphic novel, but none of the science fiction or superheroish qualities of the characters. It tried to make something that is obviously an ode to the genre classics into something new and gritty and all its own. <BR/><BR/>The result is a mixed bag. There are cool parts, but as a whole, the movie left me wanting more. A better plot, better action scenes, less macho crap. <BR/><BR/>But, it is what it is. <BR/><BR/>Action candy.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Okay

Some of the scenes were alright. A little too much CGI and slow mo moments. Not my kind of movie.

Master Fate?

An entertaining bit of escapism, Wanted could have been, dare I say , both exciting and philosophical. Instead it went for the safety of predictability. The Actors and Actress did well, the story flowed well, and surprisingly, the CGI, was not overdone and unnessarily in your face; rats excepted. It is refreshing to see a car chase were the cars are beat to death, losing bits and pieces along the way, and not showroom new at the end. <BR/> However, "Fate" was left unexamined. Although it directs the story, the director leaves it basically unexplained, relying on the viewer to fill in the blanks. I believe that an opportunity was lost by not including a narrative on free will and predestination. Who better to deliver this than Mr. Freeman? It would have only enhanced the movie.<BR/> For what it is, Wanted succeeds.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

DTS Sound Track does not work with older audio systems

I was very disappointed to find out that the sound track (DTS) is the only track available and since I have an older home receiver, the track only plays in pro-logic. You would think that the producers would include a Dolby-Digital 5.1 track on blu-ray with the added available space on the disk.<BR/><BR/>I am going to try to return the disk for non-compatiability and buy something else. Good movie, but it doesn't have the punch without the surround sound.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

AMAZING! AMAZING! AMAZING!

Phenomenal, sexy, raw, and exquisite talent on one screen, in one movie! WOW! I highly recommend it, as you will be totally satisfied after watching this action pack, high adrenalin block buster. Angelina...LOVE HER! She is awesome, along with Common, and of course, James McAvoy. Phenomenal, and an excellent actor, that has great potential. And, Morgan Freeman...what can you say...STAR QUALITY, ALL THE WAY!<BR/><BR/>Enjoy!

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

No Audio Output From Blu-ray Version

Warning to those with older Receivers. This Blu-Ray disk only has a DTS audio soundtrack in English. If you have a Receiver, like I do, that only decodes Dolby Digital 5.1, there is no audio output.<BR/><BR/>The rest of this review is for the clueless producers of this Blu-Ray disk. Obviously they have learned nothing from the costly lost sales of the war with HD-DVD. People like me are not going to buy an expensive new Receiver just to play a particular movie on Blu-Ray. Especially with six audio formats to cover and perhaps more to come! I will rent this movie on DVD and wait for the audio wars to end. Since Blu-Ray has plenty of capacity, I do not see any reason why an English Dolby 5.1 soundtrack could not be included to ensure backwards compatibility. Particularly since Dolby 5.1 is already provided on this disk in other languages. From reading various blogs and reviews, I know I am not the only potential lost sale.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pretty Good

All and all this movie is pretty good. Some of the fight sceens are out there. The story line is what keeps this move going and it has some twists.

0 out of 8 people found this review helpful.

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