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This is probably the Marvel movie I’m looking forward to the most this summer. What do you all think?

Wanted – Movie Review

During the production of this movie I heard the script would be only faithful to the comic “in spirit”. Usually when movie studios follow this creed, the source material’s completely lost. It didn’t help that Mark Millar was uncharacteristically quiet too, only mentioning that he used the money he got from the studio to remodel his kitchen. Then there were the delays by Universal and talks of reshoots. Things didn’t seem to be boding well for Wanted. But lo and behold, the movie has finally seen release. And you know what? It’s actually not that bad! James McAvoy does a very good job of going from lovable loser to hardcore assassin, and the transformation he goes through is pretty convincing.

For fans of the book, I’d say the first quarter of the movie is faithful to comic. From there, it spirals into unknown territory. We don’t know if Wesley is going to run into his dead father again and there are certainly no signs of super villains. As a summer blockbuster, however, this movie is loaded with action. Some of it works, like a harrowing train scene where Wesley and Fox confront their elusive target, while other sequences (like just about anytime there’s an on-foot chase scene or a car chase) fail due to horrible editing and so much shaking camera antics that it may make you throw up. The story? It’s nothing special. For those who haven’t read the comic, there’s a nice twist in the latter half of the movie that’ll be a nice treat. Having read the book, I was hoping to see it, and was actually caught off guard when it happened.

There’s a lot of dark humor, violence, and language to merit Wanted a strong “R” rating. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a movie like this, and I applaud Universale for taking a chance and “growing a pair”, as Wesley would say. It’s a fun, unapologetic, entertaining movie. And yes, Wesley’s little jab at the audience is in there too (though not as controversial and degrading). See it with a big crowd if you can and your enjoyment will be exponentially better. (Grade: B)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

Part of me is curious as to why Universal even bothered to use the Wanted name, as it could have easily had a new action franchise on its hands. That said, I had a blast watching the flick regardless.  The actors clearly had a great time making the movie and it shows throughout.  Angelina Jolie rocks as sexy assassin, Fox, James McAvoy proves he is leading man material, and Morgan Freeman nearly steals the entire movie with some well placed F-Bomb.

The action is fast, intense, and brutal in all the right ways.  The dialogue is sharp and, while it has some unnecessary moments, the story was told well.  This is really THE adult action blockbuster of the summer (actually, I think it’s the only one) and I recommend it to anyone looking for a superhero style flick for the more mature crowd. Wanted is one hell of an entertaining ride.  (Grade B+)

-Kyle Posluszny