Film review: Wanted

Wanted @ IMDB

What's been great about this Summer Blockbuster season is how good and< popular the Comic Book Films have been. But what has also been great is how they've stuck close to the original stories and really respected the< creators and their creations.

Then we get to Wanted.

Wanted the comic written by Comic Legend Mark Millar with art by the incomparable J G Jones. It pains me to say that I haven't read it yet but I do know it's about a young man who finds out that his Father was a super-villain who, years ago, had banded together with other super-villains, killed all the heroes and took over the world.

Wanted the film is about a young man who finds out his Father was a member of a covert team of assassins who kill people.

Bit of a tonal shift there.

Importantly, the creators were aware of the changes and had no problems with them. Bit of a shame, but lets look at the film on it's own merits.

What we have here is a throwback to the days when Riggs and Murtagh ruled the Box Office. You've got violence, gun play and swearing. Considering the amount of marketing the film is getting, it's quite surprising. But that's okay, because we like good looking gun play is Casa Del Doyle and we get plenty of it in this film. What with the majority of the characters being semi-mystical assassins being able to bend bullets round corners this is pretty much of a given. The film delivers in spades with some great set pieces, from the opening roof top leap to the trigger happy showdown.

So, as eye-candy goes not a problem. All action boxes get ticked (or blown to shreds) so no issues there at all.

The issue with have is when people open their mouths and talk* and the plot rears it's ugly head. It's your basic revenge story with a twist thrown in. It's not that the acting is bad, everyone acquits themselves. James McAvoy makes for an interesting lead, Angelina Jolie finally gets to be in a film where she doesn't have to hide her tattoos.

It's not bad, but it's not great either. But there is one big stumbling block.

It's called The Loom of Fate.

The assassins get all their targets by interpreting threads woven in cloth by The Loom of Fate.

The Loom of Fate.

If you can get past that, the film is very enjoyable. If you can't get past that, the film falls apart.

I just about got past it and had a great time.

Loom of Fate.

I really need to read the comic.

In a word? Loom.





* I say that but when Morgan Freeman opens his mouth and says "Shoot that Motherfucker" it is pretty good.