Wanted (Blu-ray)

Synopsis

Their world. Her rules. His destiny.

25-year-old Wes (James McAvoy) was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet had ever known. His boss chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend ignored him routinely and his life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this disengaged slacker would amount to nothing. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die in his slow, clock-punching rut. Until he met a woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie). After his estranged father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society that trains Wes to avenge his dad's death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself. With wickedly brilliant tutors -- including the Fraternity's enigmatic leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman) -- Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. And as he wavers between newfound heroism and vengeance, Wes will come to learn what no one could ever teach him: he alone controls his destiny.

Loosely based on the comic book miniseries of the same by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, WANTED, directed by Timur Bekmambetov, follows anxiety-prone office drone Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) as he is inducted into the Fraternity, a clan of powerful killers that counted his father as a member. Pursued by rogue agent Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), Wesley is trained by the sleek, sexy Fox (Angelina Jolie) and the charismatic Sloan (Morgan Freeman), among others, to be just as proficient and deadly as his father. Once Wesley becomes a master assassin, he must confront Cross, and contend with the stunning ramifications of that encounter.

Straying rather far from the WANTED comic's supervillain-centric premise, the film version runs with the edgy Eastern European aesthetic by (Russian director) Bekmambetov, who garnered international recognition with the stylish vampire epic Night Watch. While Jolie is a gleefully destructive presence in her action-heavy scenes, the film belongs to McAvoy, who transforms from milquetoast to manhunter with verve and charm.

And like the similarly themed The Matrix before it, WANTED also showcases some eye-catching special effects, most notably in the loopy concept of "curving bullets." Though devotees of the Wanted comic may be dismayed with the many liberties taken with the story, the movie is undeniably energetic and entertaining, making it fun summer blockbuster fare.