Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 2 ratings
Doormat Wesley Gibson is an office worker whose life is going nowhere. He meets a sexy woman named Fox and discovers that his recently murdered father - whom Wesley never knew - belonged to the Fraternity, a secret society of assassins which takes its orders from Fate itself. Fox and Sloan, the Fraternity's leader, teach Wesley, through intense training, to tap into dormant powers and hone his innate killing skills. Though he enjoys his newfound abilities, he begins to suspect that there is more to the Fraternity than meets the eye.
Wanted is a slick, hyper-stylized action film that leans heavily into its over-the-top graphic novel roots. The cinematography and visual effects are genuinely exceptional — the bullet-curving sequences, kinetic chase scenes, and inventive action choreography push the film well above average visually. Acting is serviceable; James McAvoy's transformation arc is believable enough, and Angelina Jolie brings cool charisma, though characters are thinly written. The plot is fairly derivative — a chosen-one narrative with a secret society and a predictable betrayal twist — borrowing heavily from The Matrix's template. Novelty is moderate: the graphic novel adaptation brings some distinctive style and irreverence, but the story beats are familiar. The ending lands reasonably well with a satisfying if formulaic revenge payoff and a fourth-wall-breaking final line, though it doesn't elevate the material.