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Loosely following the comic book by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, Bekmambetov and screenwriters Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, and Chris Morgan weave a tale of revenge that has enough twists and surprises to get around any disbelief that viewers might accumulate. The brisk 110-minute running time doesn’t hurt either.

As with a lot of adventure stories, “Wanted” concerns a son trying to avenge the death of his father. The catch is that this film’s protagonist Wesley Gibson (Scottish actor James McAvoy) is unaware of his dad’s passing.

Wesley hasn’t seen his father (David Patrick O’Hara) since shortly after his own birth, so he has no idea that he’s the offspring of a master assassin. It seems odd that Wesley would share his father’s genes because he himself makes a doormat seem aggressive and belligerent.

When he’s not plagued by panic attacks, Wesley is being bullied by his micromanaging boss (Lorna Scott) and dwelling on the fact that his nagging girlfriend (Kristen Hager) has been sleeping with his alleged best friend Barry (a delightfully insincere, Chris Pratt).

Wesley’s ennui comes to an abrupt end when he finds himself mysteriously pursued by a hitman known simply as Cross (Thomas Kretschmann, “The Pianist”). The chase leads him into the arms of a tattooed killing machine named Fox (a typecast but effective Angelina Jolie).

With the help of Fox and her mentor Sloan (Morgan Freeman), Wesley discovers that he’s inherited his father’s ability to neutralize people. He learns how to bend the trajectory of a bullet and to drive his car in a manner that turns the laws of physics into optional suggestions.

While he can now tell his former antagonists what he thinks of them, he finds that being a master killer has its downside. The Fraternity, the ancient order of assassins he’s joined, moonlight as weavers and read a device called “The Loom of Fate” to determine their next target.

Joining the Fraternity, obligates Wesley to kill whomever the Loom selects as a victim. Needless to say, ethical issues arise.

McAvoy helps keep the setup from falling apart by effortlessly changing from a nebbish to a confidently lethal professional. He keeps Wesley from becoming an excessive whiner during the early portions and still makes him reasonably human when Wesley starts to like his job a little too much.

It’s also fun to hear Morgan Freeman’s deep, regal voice spouting some language from the late George Carlin's list of seven.

While the premise is unlikely, the screenwriters actually come up with plot reversals that manage to be as credible as they are jolting. Before the mayhem starts to become as monotonous as Wesley’s previous occupation, the story pleasantly shifts gears.

Bekmambetov’s visuals owe a debt to “The Matrix” and “The Fast and the Furious,” but he thankfully exceeds his quota of astonishing images. Marvel at how creatively Wesley takes out a target riding in a limo with a sunroof.

The director also knows that earnestness won’t work in this sort of tale. The sardonic tone extends to visuals. Pay close attention to what happens to a keyboard that Wesley uses as a weapon.

“Wanted” never asks viewers to take it seriously but delivers more than enough blood-stained eye candy to keep the Fraternity in business for the next decade.

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originally posted: 06/27/08 13:51:03
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