Wanted
2008, Action/Mystery & thriller, 1h 50m
208 Reviews 250,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Wanted is stylish, energetic popcorn fare with witty performances from Angelina Jolie (playing an expert assassin), James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman that help to distract from its absurdly over-the-top plot. Read critic reviews
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Cast & Crew
Wesley Gibson
Sloan
Fox
Pekwarsky
Cross
The Gunsmith
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Critic Reviews for Wanted
Audience Reviews for Wanted
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May 15, 2015This is, like, the only miss out of several hits in James McAvoy's 2000s career. I understand casting an actor of uncommon quality to portray the physical and emotional anxiety of pre-transformation Wesley, but the post-transformation characterization is somewhat pedestrian and wasted on McAvoy, and he kinda knew it, so he really phoned in that awful accent. Couldn't something have been done? The story is oddly slow with too much revenge masquerading as redemption, and Angie is just a one-note badass. Oh well.Alice S Super Reviewer
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May 06, 2013Wanted is superb all in due to its nonstop action sequences, vivid violent nature and ensemble (Jolie, McAvoy, Freeman). The film may not be a satisfying plot, but it does well with the humor, excitement and eventual twists throughout. 4.5/5Eugene B Super Reviewer
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Nov 25, 2012Action is not normally a genre I'm drawn to but when it's done without reservation, I can completely enter into it. I, normally, find that the genre always goes a little too far. That being the case, if your going to go far you night as well go all out and be as innovative as you possibly can. This can certainly claim to do that. Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is a bored and downtrodden office worker who gets bullied by his boss while his best friend is sleeping with his girlfriend. His life is a shambles. That is, until he is approached out of the blue by the mysterious Fox (Angelina Jolie), a highly trained assassin who is part of a secret society called the Fraternity. Wesley's father was also a member and now that he's recently deceased, Wesley is heir to the skills of a master hitman and the Fraternity bring him onboard. In his first English language feature, director Timur Bekmambetov brings the similar style from his Russian vampire movies "Night Watch" and "Day Watch" and proves that he's a director that can certainly stage an action scene or two. There are cars that do 360 degree flips, people that leap from skyscrapers, bullets that collide with each other mid-air and even ones that bend round corners, buy hey, it's based on a comic-book by Mark Millar (also responsible for "Kick Ass") so anything goes right? The action scenes are sublimely hyper-stylised and delivered with a breathtakingly fast pace. It also stages a lot of the action in glorious slow-motion, encapsulating the moment and allowing the audience the wallow and appreciate even further. To begin with, the film may instil a certain deja-vu as it borrows heavily from "Fight Club" in it's premise of a disheartened man, in a dead end job, that finds a new lease of life. Mainly what it incorporates though, is the balletic skills of Hong Kong action maestro John Woo and the gravity defying works of "The Matrix". Quite simply, it's ludicrous stuff but riotously enjoyable all the same. McAvoy struggles a little with an American accent but for the most part he's good and his performance captures both a sense of humour and an impressive and convincing action ability. A heavily tattooed and vampish Angelina Jolie also gets her fair share of action moments, all-be-it, without much in the way of dialogue. As good as they are though, this is not a film that spends a lot of time or focus on character development. It's an action movie that doesn't pretend to be anything else and is all the better for it. Visually astounding with a breakneck pace that rarely let's up. It's exciting, innovative and enjoyable, but most of all it's fun. Exactly how an action movie should be delivered.Mark W Super Reviewer
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Oct 01, 2012Brilliant over the top action movie with some great special effects, A good story with a nice twist, Some gory kills and brilliant shootouts, What's not to like.
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