Wanted is a 2008 action film which is very loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same name by Mark Millar. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Kretschmann and Terence Stamp. Production began in April 2007. Wanted was released on June 25, 2008 in the United Kingdom and June 27, 2008 in the United States.
PlotA young man named Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) works at a dead-end job with an overbearing boss, takes anti-anxiety medication for panic attacks, and has a live-in girlfriend who cheats on him with his best friend. He speaks of how his father left when he was just one week old. He wonders if when he was born his father looked into his eyes and saw a failure.
Elsewhere, an assassin called "Mr. X" (David O'Hara) is targeted by a group of snipers, who he easily dispatches. However, he finds himself standing over an 'X' on the ground, and is killed by a rogue named Cross (Thomas Kretschmann) with an untraceable bullet. During one of his trips to the pharmacy, Gibson is told by a mysterious woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie) about how his father was killed, and that the killer, Cross, is behind him. Cross and Fox engage in a spectacular shoot-out followed by a car chase in the streets of Chicago.
Fox brings Gibson to the headquarters of The Fraternity, a thousand-year-old secret society of assassins. The group's leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), invites Gibson to follow in his father's footsteps as an assassin. To show him what he's capable of, Gunsmith (another assasin and member of The Fraternity) holds a gun to Gibson's head and has him shoot the wings off several flies. Gibson has a panic attack and does as asked. Sloan explains that his heart beats around 400 times a minute when he's stressed, sending massive amounts of adrenaline into his bloodstream, and that he can learn to control it. Gibson is initially reluctant and returns to work, only to finally snap after being shown a new possible life. He tells off his boss in front of the entire office. On his way out, he smacks his friend across the face with a keyboard. Fox is waiting outside to take him back to the Fraternity headquarters - an unassuming textile mill.
After much training, Gibson is shown the Loom of Fate, a loom that gives the names of the targets through binary code hidden in weaving errors of the fabric. Those the loom identifies are apparently destined to cause tragedy in the future, thus killing them spares those the person would have harmed. Fox experienced the result of failing to complete a hit when her father, a judge handling a sensitive case, was burned alive by a hired killer (the target) in front of her eyes. The man then burned his initials on her neck. After several routine missions and a chance meeting with Cross, in which Cross shoots him in the arm with a deliberately traceable bullet, Gibson becomes impatient and demands to be allowed to avenge his father. Sloan grants his wish, but then gives Fox a mission to kill Gibson.
Gibson and Fox travel to the Fraternity's original base of operations in Europe and capture the bullet-maker, Pekwarsky (Terence Stamp) who arranges a meeting with Cross. Gibson and Fox are tricked into separating, leaving Gibson to face Cross alone on a moving train. Fox steals a car and crashes it into the train, eventually causing the train to derail when it reaches a bridge over a deep ravine. Gibson is about to fall into the ravine before Cross catches his hand, saving his life. Gibson shoots him. Before Cross dies, he tells Gibson that he is his real father and that the Fraternity had been lying to him. Fox confirms the truth and explains that Gibson was recruited because he was the only person that Cross wouldn't kill. Fox then tells Gibson about the kill order on him, but Gibson escapes by shooting out the glass underneath him and plunging into the river below.
Gibson is retrieved by Pekwarsky, who takes him to his father's apartment, located across the street from his old home. Pekwarsky explains that Sloan discovered that he was targeted by the Loom of Fate, so he started manufacturing his own targets for profit. Cross discovered and went rogue. Gibson realizes that Cross had actually been targeting Fraternity members to keep them away from him. Pekwarsky departs after giving Gibson plane tickets, stating that his father wished him a life free of violence. Gibson, however, decides to take out Sloan after discovering a secret room containing all of his father's weapons and maps.
Using an army of rats that he lured and trapped with peanut butter and strapped plastic explosives and a detonator to them, Gibson mounts an attack on the Fraternity. He releases the rats into the textile mill and detonates them as a distraction. Upon entering Sloan's office after killing nearly every present fraternity member, he reveals Sloan's deception to the other master assassins left in the room. Sloan reveals that all of their names had come up in the weaving, and that he had merely acted to protect them. Were they to follow the code, every one of them should kill themselves on the spot. Otherwise, they should kill Gibson. The other assassins decide to kill Gibson, but Fox, realizing she has been part of a lie, turns on her fellow assassins. She "curves" a bullet to kill the assassins who had been standing in a circle, then throws her gun to Gibson before stepping back into the path of the bullet. Sloan escapes.
Gibson, penniless once more, does not know what to do with himself. While Gibson provides a voice-over, the audience sees a young man sitting in front of a computer much like Gibson did at the beginning of the film. Sloan appears and points a gun at the man's head. At that moment, the man turns around and is revealed to be a decoy (with the name of J.G. Millar, a reference to J. G Jones and Mark Millar, the comic series creators). Sloan finds himself standing on a marked spot. He is then killed by Gibson, who shoots him in the head from the same window his father killed Mr. X at the beginning of the film. Similar to the comic, the film ends as Gibson turns to the camera and breaks the fourth wall, saying, "This is me taking back control of my life. What the fuck have you done lately?"
CastJames McAvoy as Wesley Gibson: A meek 24-year-old who works in a cubicle, but is heir to a legacy of assassins. McAvoy was cast in the lead role in October 2006.[2] McAvoy, who had screen-tested for the role early in 2006, was initially rejected due to the studio seeking an actor that had conventional Hollywood leading-man looks and physique. McAvoy was later recalled, being considered the "runt of the litter" of those who tested. According to McAvoy, "They [ultimately] wanted someone geeky." The Scottish actor, who portrays an American in the film, trained for the film's action scenes.[3]
Morgan Freeman as Sloan: The charismatic assassin partner of Wesley Gibson's deceased father.
Angelina Jolie as Fox: One of Fraternity assassins who mentors Gibson.[4] Jolie was cast in March 2007 after screenwriter Dean Georgaris rewrote the screenplay to tailor the role for her.[5]
Thomas Kretschmann as Cross: A rogue assassin who has left the Fraternity.
Common as The Gunsmith: A professional gunman who trains others to use weapons.
Konstantin Khabensky as The Exterminator: Khabensky, who starred in Bekmambetov's Night Watch, was cast so the director would have a familiar face around Wanted.[6]
Marc Warren as The Repairman
Dato Bakhtadze as The Butcher: A master of knife work.[7]
Terence Stamp as Pekwarsky: A master in the science of killing. Pekwarsky operates as a rogue agent outside of The Fraternity.[8]
David O'Hara as Mr. X: Said to be the greatest assassin. His killing catalyzes Wesley's introduction to the Fraternity.
Chris Pratt as Barry[9]
Kristen Hager as Cathy[10]
ProductionThe comic book miniseries Wanted by Mark Millar first attracted the attention of Universal Studios executive Jeff Kirschenbaum, a comic book fan who sought a film adaptation that would be considered a "hard-R" and encouraged the studio to pick up the rights to the miniseries.[11] By 2004, producer Marc Platt set up development of the film adaptation. In December 2005, Russian-Kazakh director Timur Bekmambetov was attached to helm the project as his first English-language film, with the script being written by Derek Haas and Michael Brandt.[12] Millar did not like the first draft of the script. He explained, "I wanted the film to basically be the opposite of the Spider-Man movie, the idea of someone getting powers and realizing they can do what they want, then choosing the dark path. The [script] I read was just too tame. It just seemed a little bit Americanized. But Timur came in with his Eastern European madness, and he really made it nasty. He went closer to the spirit of the book."[13]
Director Timur Bekmambetov said that the film would keep the same characters from the miniseries (which ultimately, did not happen) though the director would take liberty in adapting the comic book's world.[14] In July 2006, screenwriter Chris Morgan was hired to revise the third act of the Wanted script written by Haas and Brandt.[15] The script was also rewritten by screenwriter Ruby Aduana to include the role of Fox for actress Angelina Jolie.[4] Haas and Brandt returned to even out the character of Wesley Gibson, which they had established in their first draft.[16]
Comic book author Mark Millar described the first half of the film as being close to the graphic novel. Millar also said that the film's ending was similar, though it was relocated elsewhere from the setting in the graphic novel. The superhero costumes in the series were also removed, with the exception of the leather attire worn by Wesley Gibson and Fox. Ironically, this had been Millar's intent when writing the graphic novel, although he and artist J. G. Jones had forgotten to. "I wanted them to have those powers and then just wear those costumes for the initiation, but just for one panel." he said. "And then I forgot. I’d have liked [the filmmakers] to keep the supervillain mythos. That’s one thing I’m kind of sad they didn’t keep, ’cause I really liked that, the idea that supervillains and heroes did exist at one point and they’re all gone now."[13] The story arc of the Fates issuing death orders in line with the series' original theme of predestination was a new element to the film, an addition to which Millar was amicable.[17]
Wanted includes free running and parkour in addition to car chases and gunfights.[3] Wanted creator Mark Millar saw previsualized footage for the film and said the footage had raised his expectations for the film adaptation.[18]
Location plate shooting took place in Chicago in April 2007.[19] Several chase scenes, including one with a low flying helicopter, were shot in Chicago on May 17 and 18 on Wacker Drive along the Chicago River, between Columbus Drive and LaSalle Street.[20] Production moved to the Czech Republic later in May,[5] scheduled for 12 weeks of shooting.[21] For the film, production designer John Myhre constructed a large textile factory in Prague as part of an industrial world, the setting of a mythological environment in which looms create fabrics interwoven with the destinies of people, interpreted by weavers to issue orders for specific individuals' deaths to preserve the balance of the world.[6] Afterward, filming moved to Budapest, then returned to Chicago in August.[19]
Release and receptionWanted was initially set to be released in cinemas on March 28, 2008, but in December 2007, Universal announced it would be moving the release date later to June 27, 2008. Wanted was released June 27, 2008. Previews started in the UK on June 25.[22]
The film received generally positive reviews from critics. As of September 23, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 73% of critics gave Wanted positive reviews, based on 178 reviews, with the consensus that the film "is a fast-paced, crackling thrill ride tailor-made for the Summer audience."[23] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 64 out of 100, based on 30 reviews.[24]
Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly encapsulated many critics' views, saying "'Wanted' is kind of unintelligible and idiotic. Also kind of nasty and brutish. And also undeniably kind of fun..."[25] Likewise, Tom Long of The Detroit News said, "Wanted may be the most absolutely stone bonkers, crazy-good movie of the century. Or it may be a gargantuan piece of trash. Chances are it's a combination of the two. But man, does it rock".[26] Claudia Puig of USA Today found the "thrilling stunts and hyperkinetic action scenes [to be] the undisputed stars of this surprisingly entertaining film".[27] Conversely, John Rosenblatt of The Austin Chronicle denounced those same attributes, saying, "If Maxim magazine ever decides to branch out into filmmaking, Wanted is just the kind of ear-throttling nonsense it's bound to produce",[28] and David Fear of Time Out New York called it "the cinematic equivalent of an energy drink. The film keeps artificially pumping your adrenal glands with mindless, malnutritional sensations, only to leave you crampy and cranky minutes later. ...[T]his exercise in ultraviolence then insults us by having a beaten, bloodied McAvoy inform viewers that he used to be a loser 'just like all of you'".[29] Frank Lovece of Film Journal International, one of few mainstream critics to have read the comic-book miniseries, said the film compared poorly with the source material. Noting that the hero in the comic goes even further, "breaking the fourth wall and positioning himself so that he's 'prison-raping' and taunting the reader for having liked the series," Lovece found that, "While Millar may have contempt for his readers — and, by extension, the medium in which he works — at least he has his own vision, and gets it across with style and wit" that the movie lacked.[30] Roger Ebert of Ebert & Roeper said "'Wanted' slams the pedal to the metal and never slows down. Here’s an action picture that’s exhausting in its relentless violence and its ingenuity in inventing new ways to attack, defend, ambush and annihilate"[31] while Richard Roeper said "It’s made for fans of films that really just want to see some great visuals, some amazing sequences and some terrific performances."[32]
In the comics press, Erik Amaya of Comic Book Resources said, "The film's biggest faults lie in how far it strays from the source", and that, "If you've ever seen any movie about leather-clad assassins, you already know how this film plays out. The speed and skill of the movie-making balance out those faults, however".[33] Tom McLean of Newsarama noted that while the story deviated strongly from the source, the movie "stands out as a highly entertaining action film that preserves the comic's core premise and cheeky attitude while taking the story into very different but still satisfying territory."[34]
Among European critics, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian said, "It looks as if it has been written by a committee of 13-year-old boys for whom penetrative sex is still only a rumour, and the resulting movie plays like a party political broadcast on behalf of the misogynist party", concluding, "In an ideal world, the title would have the word 'Not' tacked on to the front."[35]
DVD release dateThe DVD was released on December 2, 2008 in the United States. It was released in the United Kingdom on October 20, 2008. The UK Region 2 release is a one disc edition with many shops selling it as a limited edition version, complete with chapter one of the graphic novel.
[edit] Box office performance
In its opening weekend, Wanted grossed $50.9 million in 3,175 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #2 at the box office and averaged an estimated $16,100 per theater, the $50.9 million opening exceeded the analysts projections of $30-$35 million opening weekend.[36][37] Wanted has made over $134 million in the US[38] and $322,586,628 worldwide.
SoundtrackThe main song that features throughout the film and as the credits roll is a rock song by Danny Elfman called "The Little Things".[39]
Also featured throughout the film is the song "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" by Nine Inch Nails.
Played for comic relief after the initial car chase is the song "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes.
