Wanted (2008)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Timur Bekmambetov

Writers (WGA):

Michael Brandt (screenplay) &
Derek Haas (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 June 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Choose your destiny.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Fraternity | Assassin | Boss | Superhuman | Killer

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

James McAvoy	...	Wesley Gibson
Morgan Freeman	...	Sloan
Angelina Jolie	...	Fox
Terence Stamp	...	Pekwarsky
Thomas Kretschmann	...	Cross
Common	...	Gunsmith
Kristen Hager	...	Cathy
Marc Warren	...	The Repairman
David O'Hara	...	Mr. X (as David Patrick O'Hara)
Konstantin Khabenskiy	...	The Exterminator (as Konstantin Khabensky)
Dato Bakhtadze	...	The Butcher
Chris Pratt	...	Barry
Lorna Scott	...	Janice
Sophiya Haque	...	Puja
Brian Caspe	...	The Pharmacist

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, pervasive language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:18 | Ireland:16 | UK:18 | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Malaysia:18SG | USA:R (certificate #44457) | Canada:13+ (Québec) | South Africa:16 | Netherlands:16 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U (with warning) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:18 | Germany:18 | Argentina:16 | Japan:R-15 | Sweden:15 | Spain:18 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Peru:18 | Denmark:15 | Austria:16 | India:A | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Krizeneckeho namesti, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

While on location in Chicago, The Dark Knight (2008) was the neighboring film production, in which Morgan Freeman worked concurrently with this film. On one occasion, Mark Millar, the creator, sneaked onto the neighboring set to see the Batpod - which was used for filming. He was evicted from the set when security and Lauren Shuler Donner (who visited the set as well) caught him in the act.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Wesley is deciphering the death order for Sloan, you can see a permanent marker code already written on the glass table.

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 girlfriend who I neither manage or service. That's my best friend Barry fucking her on an Ikea kitchen table I picked up for a really good price. I'm finding it hard to care about anything these days. In fact, the only thing I do care about is the fact that I can't care about anything. Seriously, it worries me. My name is Wesley Gibson. My dad walked out on my mom when I was seven days old. Sometimes I wonder if he ever looked into my baby blue eyes and asked himself "did I just father the most insignificant asshole of the twenty-first century"?

Movie Connections:

Featured in 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

With a Twist

To The Extreme

I just got back from an advanced screening of Wanted. I have to admit not being a fan of the Director, Tim Bekmambetov. Somewhat disappointed in his Russian Films Nightwatch and Daywatch. However, in his American directorial he delivers!! An abundance of profanities and over the top action sequences that are beyond xtreme fill the screen in a dizzying array of visual adrenaline. Holding you in a tight breathtaking grip with its interesting visual techniques, humor and acting. James McAvoy (the sweet faun from the Chronicles of Narnia) plays the loser we all know, Wesley Gibbon. The guy, who just trudges through life allowing himself to be walked upon, humiliated and has no desire to escape it, except in a bottle of anti-anxiety meds. Enter a beautiful Woman, Fox (Angelie Jolie), a mysterious wise man Sloan (Morgan Freeman) and his life instantly changes from Billing Reports to Gratuitous Violence, Mastering Weaponry Skills, and Assassination. Believe me when I say what the Matrix introduced, Wanted has mastered. The director is a skilled artist at using the camera in conveying visual emotions of Wesley like I have never seen before, wait I take that back, seen it in NightWatch. I definitely recommend this deliberately humorous, action packed, violent, profane, to-the-extreme film to be seen on the big screen - check this one out!!