Movie Review: Wanted- 7/7/08

Review: Based on a comic book, Wanted (2008) is a send-up of the traditional "loser guy becomes hero" flick. I read the original comic series and that Wanted book varies greatly from the film. Let me break the two formats for you in case you want to compare.

Comic Book version- Wesley is a down-and-out guy with a cheating girlfriend, bad job and no direction. In comes Fox, a super villain assassin brought in to train Wesley after his super villain assassin father is killed. Wes then get trained by Fox and a myriad of villains and comic book-style monsters in the ways to kill others. Becoming aware of his abilities, Wesley robs, kills, rapes innocent people along the way to become an super villain killer.

It is explained that the evil villains have gotten together in the past and eradicated the super heroes from the world, so now no one can stop them. They rule earth and do what they wish. There is a fracture in the villain alliance and now Wesley must choose sides in order to gain control of the world. Bloody killings and deceit are shown as Wesley comes to realize his place in the world as a cold-blooded evil killer.


Movie version- Wesley is a down-and-out guy with a cheating girlfriend, bad job and no direction. In comes Angelina Jolie, a super villain assassin brought in to train Wesley after his super assassin father is killed. Wes then get trained by Jolieand a myriad of specialists such as the Gunsmith, Repairman, Butcher, etc. in the ways to kill. Becoming aware of his abilities, Wesley kills, people told to him by Morgan Freeman who explains that by killing one, it saves thousands along the way to become an super killer.

The movie does not explain who the people being killed are or why. It comes down to a cheesy fabric loom telling in secret code who should be murdered. There is no talk of the assassins as being "evil" at all, just killers doing bidding by a machine. There's a slight twist in the end to change Wesley's point of view as to who he should trust.

Still the movie varies greatly from the comic and tames down the killings, plot points to a more generic action movie level. Exciting in some areas, but hardly pushing any boundaries that you've seen in The Matrix, Mission Impossible series, etc.

Score: 3 out of 5 (movie)

Score: 4 out of 5 (comic book)