Wanted

Timur Bekmambetov, director of the Russian fantasy 'Night Watch' and it's sequel 'Day Watch', makes his Hollywood debut with the release of 'Wanted', a film loosely adapted from the comic books of the same name. The premise; everyman Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) is torn from his monotonous life in order to follow in his fathers footsteps, joining The Fraternity, a league of super-assassins.

McAvoy is thrown into action at the deep end, an actor we are used to seeing play mostly strong character roles, at first seems an unlikely action hero. But the Scot embraces it well, his transition from office loser to super-assassin is seamless, a performance we have come to expect from a man destined for Oscar greatness. Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman also provide solid support as Fox and Sloan respectively, adding A-List appeal to the blockbuster. Sadly, however, the casts' strong performances are about the limit to this films believability as the plot becomes so far-fetched that you simply pass caring.

Wanted sacrifices a potentially intriguing plot in favour of action, succumbing to the now irresistible urge of a plot twist (and a thoroughly predictable one at that) to give the story any life whatsoever. One cannot help but feel that the film could have been so much more had it struck the balance between it's visuals and it's narrative more effectively. There really isn't much to the story whatsoever, what does exist spirals so far out of control that the final scenes become utterly irrelevant and at some points laughable (exploding rats, anyone?).

The film's bias towards action ahead of plot may on the one hand be it's downfall, but on the other perhaps it's saving grace. The film certainly looks beautiful and the action flows flawlessly, each sequence building at a perfect pace with the climax to said sequences never disappointing. Wanted can also boast it's own signature action shots, following bullets forwards and backwards through the heads of the hapless targets is brutal yet brilliant and the 'pulsating camera' is innovative if not slightly headache-inducing.

Where Wanted quite clearly would like to be compared to, and reach the heights of a film like 'The Matrix', it really struggles to get anywhere near. It can be more accurately compared to a copy of Heat Magazine; it has the glossy exterior and the big stars, but look a little closer and there's no real substance and will just be tossed aside and forgotten about by next week.

Verdict: Whether it be car chases, curving bullets or Angelina Jolie's naked behind; Wanted certainly looks superb. It may not hold your attention to the very end, but a decent, if not forgettable watch.