Wanted

We went to the movies last night, on a whim, to see Wanted. I had been wanting to see it ever since trailers began to appear last fall. The draw of James McAvoy is plenty for me, but I had also read the comic book on which this movie was based. It is an intriguing diversion from the typical hero and villain comic books. In Wanted it is up to the reader as to whether or not these trained assassins are the good guys or the bad guys. And, although the main character, Wesley Gibson (portrayed by McAvoy) seems to think he has found himself after his escapade into this underground world you are still wondering -- he is a hero or a villain? It all depends on your perspective.

It was great that Millar and Jones who created the original comic books actually wrote the screenplay for the movie. The editing on it was fun and had some of those Matrix-like slow-action sequences that made your heart stop for a second. It is definitely an adrenaline rush the last third of the movie. And, while gravity may not agree with all of the stunts that are CG'd into the film -- I say, "who cares." It makes for a great movie that was just plain fun to watch.

Oh, another plus to this movie -- Danny Elfman did the music. He also did the music for Hellboy III which adds to that movie's draw (next on our list to see).

There are rumors that McAvoy has signed up to do two more installments of Wanted. Could he make his name in the states doing action? I can't lie and say I didn't appreciate seeing him flash his newly sculpted muscles on the screen, but he is an actor whose depth can be used for much better things. Atonement and Last King of Scotland were just the tips of the iceberg. I fully believe he can earn his right to be on the A-list in the U.S. by doing really juicy roles, but maybe this is the kind of work he needs to do to catch our finicky attention on the other side of the pond.

In the meantime, seek out the Wanted comics. If you are a fan of graphic novels...you should enjoy these.