|
Wanted
By Joey
Magidson
Angelina is sexier
than ever in The Matrix rip off, Wanted...
Wanted is basically a less interesting version of The
Matrix without any of the sci-fi aspects and far less intelligence.
The violence is brutal and satisfying, Angelina Jolie is easy on the
eyes, and it moves quickly, but in the end it leaves you wanting much
more than it provides.
James McAvoy’s Neo, I mean Wesley Gibson, is a bland office drone who
finds out he has an unlikely destiny. He is to join The Fraternity, a
group of assassins who can somehow shoot around corners. Led by Morgan
Freeman, he begins training (cue the violent Rocky-like montage) and
soon he and Jolie begin offing bad guys. Double crosses ensue, and by
the end, almost no one is left alive.
When the action is going, which luckily is a fair part of the running
time, things are great. Director Timur Bekmambetov has a really nice
and kinetic way of shooting chaos without confusing anyone. The
gunshots are bloody, the fights are deadly, and overall, whenever people
are fighting, the film is on solid ground. The problem begins when they
stop to talk.
Wanted suffers from a brain dead script that is unable to
make the audience care about what is going on. You can see all the
betrayals a mile away, and nothing comes as a surprise. This reduces
the movie to little more than an exercise in watching violence.
McAvoy is an interesting choice for the lead. He’s far from Oscar
territory here, but he does enough to make the character work as the
common man turned hero. Jolie kicks much ass, and does it well, but her
character left me wanting more. Freeman gives his character plenty of
authority, but it’s not a role that is anything special for the most
part.
While The Matrix was able to catch the attention of the viewer and
compel them to watch on the edge of their seat, Wanted is passive
entertainment. Never do you feel your blood pumping, even during the
action sequences. The film lacks a soul, and that hurts it in the end.
It could have used a polish on the story, which teeters on the edge
between ridiculous and laughable. Another pass might have balanced the
story and the violence out a little more.
If you’re looking for some cool gunfights and Angelina Jolie looking
might attractive, Wanted won’t disappoint. However, if
you’re looking for a little bit more in your movie, this film will leave
you unsatisfied and a bit let down. Go for the action, but leave for
the story.
**/****
Email Us
|
