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IMDbPro

Wanted

  • 20082008
  • RR
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
394K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,615
237
Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, and James McAvoy in Wanted (2008)
Wanted - Trailer #2
Play trailer2:17
14 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionCrimeThriller
A frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities.A frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities.A frustrated office worker discovers that he is the son of a professional assassin, and that he shares his father's superhuman killing abilities.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
394K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,615
237
    • Timur Bekmambetov
  • Writers
    • Michael Brandt(screenplay)
    • Derek Haas(screenplay)
    • Chris Morgan(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Angelina Jolie
    • James McAvoy
    • Morgan Freeman
    • Timur Bekmambetov
  • Writers
    • Michael Brandt(screenplay)
    • Derek Haas(screenplay)
    • Chris Morgan(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Angelina Jolie
    • James McAvoy
    • Morgan Freeman
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 846User reviews
    • 309Critic reviews
    • 64Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars

    Videos14

    Wanted
    Trailer 2:17
    Watch Wanted
    Wanted
    Trailer 2:25
    Watch Wanted
    Wanted: Dead
    Trailer 1:31
    Watch Wanted: Dead
    Wanted: Dead
    Trailer 1:39
    Watch Wanted: Dead
    Cast Clip 3
    Clip 1:12
    Watch Cast Clip 3
    Through The Eyes
    Clip 1:03
    Watch Through The Eyes
    The Little Things
    Clip 2:13
    Watch The Little Things
    Special Effects Clip
    Clip 1:18
    Watch Special Effects Clip
    Groundbreaking Footage
    Clip 1:08
    Watch Groundbreaking Footage
    Cast Clip 6
    Clip 0:50
    Watch Cast Clip 6
    Cast Clip 5
    Clip 1:53
    Watch Cast Clip 5
    Wanted (2008)
    Featurette 0:18
    Watch Wanted (2008)

    Photos265

    Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy in Wanted (2008)
    Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie in Wanted (2008)
    Angelina Jolie in Wanted (2008)
    Common in Wanted (2008)
    Timur Bekmambetov and James McAvoy in Wanted (2008)
    Thomas Kretschmann in Wanted (2008)
    Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Common in Wanted (2008)
    Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy in Wanted (2008)
    Angelina Jolie in Wanted (2008)
    Angelina Jolie in Wanted (2008)
    David O'Hara in Wanted (2008)
    Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy in Wanted (2008)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Angelina Jolie
    Angelina Jolie
    • Fox
    James McAvoy
    James McAvoy
    • Wesley
    Morgan Freeman
    Morgan Freeman
    • Sloan
    Terence Stamp
    Terence Stamp
    • Pekwarsky
    Thomas Kretschmann
    Thomas Kretschmann
    • Cross
    Common
    Common
    • The Gunsmith
    Kristen Hager
    Kristen Hager
    • Cathy
    Marc Warren
    Marc Warren
    • The Repairman
    David O'Hara
    David O'Hara
    • Mr. X
    • (as David Patrick O'Hara)
    Konstantin Khabenskiy
    Konstantin Khabenskiy
    • The Exterminator
    • (as Konstantin Khabensky)
    Dato Bakhtadze
    • The Butcher
    Chris Pratt
    Chris Pratt
    • Barry
    Lorna Scott
    Lorna Scott
    • Janice
    Sophiya Haque
    Sophiya Haque
    • Puja
    Brian Caspe
    Brian Caspe
    • The Pharmacist
    Mark O'Neal
    • Co-Worker
    Bridget McManus
    Bridget McManus
    • Check-Out Girl
    Bob Ari
    Bob Ari
    • Man in the Limo
    • (uncredited)
      • Timur Bekmambetov
    • Writers
      • Michael Brandt(screenplay) (story)
      • Derek Haas(screenplay) (story)
      • Chris Morgan(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    6.4
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    6.5
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    6.4
    Lucy
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    6.4
    Hancock
    The Italian Job
    7.0
    The Italian Job
    The Transporter
    6.8
    The Transporter
    The Tourist
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    I, Robot
    7.1
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    Wanted
    7.6
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    In Time
    6.7
    In Time

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      James McAvoy screentested for the lead role in early 2006, but was initially rejected, as the studio wanted a more "conventional" leading man. He was later recalled when the producers decided that his character was more "the runt of the litter." The studio ultimately changed its mind and wanted someone geeky. McAvoy got the part.
    • Goofs
      After quitting his job, Wesley sees his and Fox's photo from the security camera, at the pharmacy, on the all newspapers' front pages. Once the incident at the pharmacy occurred, the police would have questioned the pharmacist who had Wesley's name for the prescription (and most likely his address also). The police would have picked him up before he went to work for questioning.
    • Quotes

      Janice: Jesus H. Fuckin' Popsicle! I still don't have my billing reports, but you've got time to sit there and Google your ass off? Well, I know one thing: you've got your review coming up next week, and I can't wait to start checking me off some big *fucking* *boxes*!

      [clicks her stapler for emphasis. Wesley cringes at every click]

      Janice: Attitude: *poor*. Performance: *poor*. Management skills: *poor*. Works well with others? Ha! That's a fucking joke.

      [looks at Wesley's computer]

      Janice: What is this bullshit; who's this prick? Some loser gets his head blown off in the Metropolitan...

      Wesley: SHUT THE FUCK UP!

      [the office grows quiet]

      Wesley: [to co-workers] She has ONE, SINGLE iota of tenuous power! She thinks she can push everyone around?

      [grabs Janice's stapler]

      Wesley: You don't need this.

      [throws the stapler against the wall of his cubicle, smashing it]

      Wesley: I understand. Junior High must've been kind of tough, but it doesn't give you the right to treat your workers like horseshit, Janice. I know we laugh at you, Janice. We all know you keep a stash of jelly donuts in the top drawer of your desk.

      [crouches down]

      Wesley: But I want you to know, if you weren't such a bitch, we'd feel sorry for you. I do feel sorry for you. But as it stands, the way you behave - I feel I can speak for the entire office when I tell you... go fuck yourself.

    • Crazy credits
      There are no opening credits. The title appears as a headline on a newspaper well into the movie.
    • Alternate versions
      The Australian theatrical version cut a 10 second sequence where Wesley jams a gun through a dead man's mouth and uses his body as a shield while he shoots down other gunmen. This version was rated MA15+. Oddly enough, when the DVD came out, it had a sticker on the cover touting the film as "Uncut". While this was true -- and the violence in the gunfight had been re-instated -- the DVD carried the same MA15+ rating.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Incredible Hulk/The Promotion/You Don't Mess with the Zohan/The Happening/Baghead (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Happy Birthday
      Written by Mildred J. Hill and Patty S. Hill

    User reviews846

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Silly nonsense that just about suffices as post-pub action fodder but nothing more than that
    Wesley Gibson is a simple office worker tired with his life and past the point of hoping for more. Before you can say "hang on didn't The Matrix do this but better?" Gibson is approached by a woman claiming he is the son of a famed killer with near-supernatural abilities and that he has them too. It takes a few gun battles to make him believe the story, but Gibson is soon under the wing of the Fraternity, a group of super-assassins under the leadership of the shadowy Sloan, who kill based on the thread patterns sown by a magic loom (no, really). Gibson begins training for his ultimate task – taking down the man who killed his father all those years ago.

    Wanted was a Friday night rental and I cannot imagine it would work any other time than that. The plot is a mix between The Matrix and a warm turd (guess which side the loom is from) and it just about pulls a basic frame for lots of action, running, shouting, and gun pornography. There is not a point to expecting anything more than this because it offers nothing more, except maybe unintentional laughs at the sheer nonsense of the plot. This was not a particular problem for me in terms of words on paper but the delivery seemed to suggest that I should take it at least a little bit seriously and is a bit po-faced – to the detriment of the film, which really needed to be played for sheer fun.

    Because the action is reliant on the plot and characters to draw us in, it cannot save the film but it certainly provides a distraction. The excessive abilities of these humans is another turn off in regards "getting into it" but on the flipside it does provide some action sequences that are so outrageous that it is hard not to enjoy them for the sheer spectacle. Director Bekmambetov is probably a reasonable choice if this is the only aim as he also made that superficial vampire success the other year, but he cannot draw anything from the talented cast nor draw the audience in. I feel a little sorry for James McAvoy as he has solid roles under his belt and was due his "big action film" role, however this shows that when opportunity does knock you should probably answer with the door on the chain just in case. He has a fairly thankless role but throws himself into it well enough within the context of the film. Morgan Freeman dials in his performance but yet it still fits. Jolie has clearly just been told to pout and look sexy as much as possible because that is all she does. Personally I found her skinny frame to be alarmingly unsexy and wondered who she is surrounding herself with that nobody has taken her to side about how bad she looks in this film. The support cast offer little but their familiar faces and are a weird bunch of Stamp, Common, Warren and others.

    Wanted is a fairly basic film then but one that has enough money thrown at the action to just about make it appeal to the teenage boy in us all. However it is impossible to ignore just how very daft it all is and how none of it really gets the heart going. Instantly forgettable stuff but if you're looking for something noisy and totally undemanding then this would fit that bill.
    helpful•9
    5
    • bob the moo
    • Sep 11, 2008

    FAQ6

    • Is "Wanted" based on a book?
    • How many characters from the comic appear in the film?
    • How different is this from the comic book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 27, 2008 (United States)
      • United States
      • Germany
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site (Spain)
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Pernstejn Castle, Nedvedice pod Perstejnem, Czech Republic
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • Spyglass Entertainment
      • Relativity Media
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 50 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital
      • DTS
      • SDDS

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