Wanted will probably be the most over-the-top, visually exciting action movie to come to America this year. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (of Night Watch and Day Watch fame), the movie goes heavy on the special effects. But unlike his previous Russian sensations, this one has a solid plot to hinge the smart-ass humor and slick action on. Even though it was a bit simplistic and trite, the story had a believable twist that kept you thinking. It starts off much like the Matrix, where a boring guy (James McAvoy) with a boring desk job gets a shot of adrenaline when a sexy assassin (Angelina Jolie) tells him things aren't what they seem, right before a dramatic grocery store shootout and thrilling car chase convince us that she's telling the truth. After accepting his fate, he trains to be an assassin with special powers (except in this movie it's bending bullets instead of dodging them). Unlike the Matrix, there isn't even an attempt at an explanation for how ludicrously they ignore scientific laws.
Suffice it to say, I enjoyed myself a lot in the theater. The action was consistently exhilarating and the dialogue was edgy and hilarious. I loved the look and feel of the film, though the cinematography itself wasn't that impressive, and I thought the pacing was near-perfect. The acting was surprisingly good and definitely better than I expected. I find myself liking James McAvoy more and more. After seeing the awesome trailer (the red band one is best), I was worried this movie wouldn't live up to my expectations. But they did. If you thought the trailer was cool, definitely check out this movie. It'll be worth it.IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493464/