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Wanted (2008)

 -  Action | Crime | Thriller  -  27 June 2008 (USA)
6.7
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Ratings: 6.7/10 from 205,330 users   Metascore: 64/100
Reviews: 696 user | 306 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com

A frustrated office worker learns that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities.

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(screenplay), (screenplay), 5 more credits »
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Title: Wanted (2008)

Wanted (2008) on IMDb 6.7/10

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Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Fox
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Mr. X (as David Patrick O'Hara)
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The Exterminator (as Konstantin Khabensky)
Dato Bakhtadze ...
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Storyline

A young man finds out his long lost father is an assassin. When his father is murdered, the son is recruited into his father's old organization and trained by a man named Sloan to follow in his dad's footsteps. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Choose your destiny. See more »

Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

27 June 2008 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Se busca  »

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£3,814,055 (UK) (27 June 2008)

Gross:

$134,568,845 (USA) (25 September 2009)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The script went through several revisions with the most significant one being the third act that was rewritten by Chris Morgan in mid-2006. The first draft was rejected by Mark Millar because he felt the script was too tame and Americanized. Dean Georgaris also contributed a rewrite and tailored the role of The Fox specially for Angelina Jolie. Finally, original writers Derek Haas and Michael Brandt then put in the final rewrite to even out the voice of Wesley, which was established in the first draft. See more »

Goofs

It's a little strange that the fraternity uses binary code, especially since the binary code that they used correlates to the ASCII chart (e.g. '01101000' translates to an 'H'). The first ASCII chart was created in 1963, and the version they use was updated in 1986. Binary code is perfectly reasonable given the explanation of how the cloth is "read". The use of ASCII specifically is strange, but any speculation on this point is moot given events that transpire later in the film. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Wesley: [voice-over] It's my anorexic boss' birthday. This means there's a certain amount of inter-office pressure to stand around the conference table, eating crappy food and pretending to worship her. Acting for five minutes like Janice doesn't make all our lives miserable is the hardest work I'll do all day. My job title is account manager. I used to be called an account service representative, but a consultant told us we have to manage our clients, and to not service them. I have a ...
See more »

Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits. The title appears as a headline on a newspaper well into the movie. See more »

Connections

Featured in Loose Women: Episode #14.45 (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

"Every Day is Exactly the Same"
Written by Trent Reznor
Performed by Nine Inch Nails
Courtesy of Nothing/Interscope Records
Under License from Universal Music Enterprises
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Not a bit of substance...but, who cares?
8 December 2008 | by (U.S.A.) – See all my reviews

Putting it bluntly, 'WANTED' was a rather formulaic and predictable outing. A loserly, office shut-in with the help of a hot babe learns about his past and is suddenly thrust into the world of assassination, a world of flipping cars, extreme gun fights, and mind-altering stunts, thus shedding every bit of his shy, weak self. This we've all seen before.

Where 'WANTED' stands apart from any other action film I've seen is in its style. The director has upped the ante on how the action is portrayed. Gone are any sort of boundaries. This is a world where people can flawlessly flip cars over others and land perfectly upright on the other side, where people can shoot from miles away hitting nothing but their target, where people can put such a curve on bullets that they hit multiple targets standing on different planes all with one shot. If people can really do this, perhaps I'm living the same existence as Wesley, and I'm missing out. The film's major selling point is its style and its worth a viewing simply for that.

The A-List cast delivers solid performances, but the script they are given - with the exception of the last line uttered in the film - is mostly generic. James McAvoy is sympathetic and relatable as the guy who is overwhelmingly bored with his life but doesn't know how to change it - something many people understand. His transformation into tough guy is effortless and convincing. Angelina Jolie is Fox - a name quite fitting as Jolie looks fantastic; however, we've seen this character on her before. Still, she does it well. Freeman, as usual, injects intelligence into his role, playing the solemn leader of The Fraternity.

However, for all the edgy extreme events the film contains, the film is hurt by some pieces that are just plain odd and are never fully explained. For one, The Fraternity gets their targets from a secret code that is woven into tapestries by The Loom of Fate. Sounding like something from a Monty Python sketch, it is never revealed who - if anyone - controls the loom or where it derives its powers. Names are simply revealed through code and the members of The Fraternity don't ask questions. The members of The Fraternity are fully human, but seemingly invincible thanks to some sort of special wax bath devised to heal wounds very quickly. It's the film's easy out that allows them to deliver the goods on all the high-octane action they desire. Lastly, the film turns a very predictable corner that many will see coming from miles away.

When the film ends you will realize how simple it is and how ridiculous it is about 75% of the time, but you won't care. The film makes up for every flaw by smearing the screen with mind-bending stunts, unique filmography, and breathtaking visuals - yes, Ms. Jolie is one of them. It will be painfully obvious that all the simple plot details were just the framework and the real substance of the film lies not in its intricate story, but in the execution of its stunts and action. 7/10.


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