Review - Wanted

Wanted tries really hard to be the Matrix. Unfortunately, it fails miserably.
An adaptation (a very loose one) of a comic book nobody has ever read, Wanted is the story of an office drone who discovers he is the last in a long line of super-assassins with the ability to bend the laws of science (and plausibility.)
The film is firmly rooted in some truly fantastic performances. McAvoy, especially, shows his range transitioning from the set-upon nobody who doesn't even have the courage to confront his philandering best friend and girlfriend to, I have to admit, a pretty hardcore action hero. While he is hindered a bit by the films actual construction, his performance is a definite transition from his appearance in Atonement and adds him to a long list of unlikely action heroes headed by the likes of Tobey Maguire.
Jolie is, as always, firmly solidified in the role of Fox, Wesley's unlikely mentor. She balances an almost coquettish feminine side with that of the hard-edged assassin in a way that almost makes assassins seem like a common, everyday thing. Of course, she did the same thing in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and that was just all around a better movie.
Even Morgan Freeman excels as Sloane, the fate-decreeing head of the fraternity. His natural presence lends the necessary authority and characterization to the character, which is a good thing because the script certainly doesn't. And there is something oddly satisfying about seeing Morgan Freeman order his assassin stooges to "shoot the motherf****er in the head." In a movie that tries way too hard to shock its audience, this is the one moment where it truly succeeds.
Wanted is seriously hindered by two factors: its script and its superfluous stylization. The script itself is belabored by clunky, expository language. There is no organic growth to the story or the characters--just forced, awkward moments and a few too iterations of the word f***. Any of the characters could just as easily have been exchanged for another; none have a distinct voice with the exception of the acerbic and sarcastic voiceovers of Wesley. He is the only character that the writers managed to nail. The others would be completely forgettable were they not played by such Hollywood heavyhitters as Jolie and Freeman.
Comic book movies are often more about style than substance (at least until recently) and Wanted is no exception. It goes way overboard unfortunately and the film is all the worst because of it. The first problem is that the effects aren't consistent with the story. In the first scene we see an unnamed character, presumably one of the assassins hunker down in order to sprint down a hallway and perform a superhuman leap to a building across the street. However, we are ever told that these assassins have any superpowers. The closest thing we get is some hackneyed description of the ability to jumpkick their heartrate so that time essentially slows down. How this translates to reality bending, Matrix-style powers, no one will ever know. The other problem is that the story tries to be a gritty, street-level story but the excessive stylization makes it impossible to connect to. It is one of those movies bound to be a favorite among high school boys who like to see boobs, butt and blood with a kicking rock soundtrack to go along with it. People looking for a well-developed story won't find it here. There is one fantastic scene where Wesley finally snaps out and tells off the boss at his redundant office job. It is a pivotal scene because it is where Wesley finally rejects his "real world" and enters into the world of adventure. In this scene, the stylistic touches are appropriate, welcome reminders that Wesley and the viewer are now entering a world of fantasy. As a symbol of Wesley's aversion to the mundane, this scene and the cinematography is perfect. Unfortunately, it seems as if Timur Bekmambetov hasn't quite gotten the idea of matching style to substance and using his camera to reflect the story.
The movie is capped off with a fantastic soundtrack done by Danny Elfman with a few, really standout moments. The few full songs included, Little Things especially, epitomize Wesley and the victims of fate that he represents.
Wanted has a lot to offer, unfortunately its just hobbled together poorly by an amateur director who doesn't have the gravitas to pull off a story like this one.