Wanted

Resources: IMDb * Wikipedia

Premise: Young nobody discovers he has the superpowers and wherewithal to be a super-spy but must discover the truth about his origins and those who train him.

Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov

Stars: James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Common, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp

Review: A hyper-kinetic action movie, by the director of the Russian action films Day Watch and Night Watch. The film starts out with a bang, as one super assassin takes on another, then moves into the focus of the film wherein mild-mannered accountant Wesley is drawn into the same world where these killers dwell. The film establishes a mythos about a secret society of assassins that is millenia-old, draws in the young protagonist (McAvoy) in a Fight Club-style destruction of the humdrum everyday existence he previously had, and throws typical plot twists seen in other adventure movies.

The action is beyond believable - with bullets that curve in arcs, flying teeth, heavy "bullet time" usage and slow motion camera work - but definitely draws you in. It's pure escapism, with the fantasies of many young men driving it. Bekmambetov likes to use rats and sets that give his films a sense of grounded reality, and the film is heavy with scenes of both hyper- and gritty reality. Rare moments cause you to cheer with Wesley as he learns to step up and "be a man", with displays of martial skills that grab your attention and don't let go. (Especially one scene at the end that plays similar to Crank and Shoot 'Em Up where our hero uses gun after gun and gets them in the most inventive ways - all on the run.)

Overall: Good