Wanted Review

Wanted Review Summary

IGN reviewers Stacks and Rich review Wanted, an action film starring James McAvoy as Wesley Gibson, a frustrated office worker whose life changes when Fox (Angelina Jolie) reveals that his father was a legendary assassin—and that Wesley may inherit his deadly legacy.

The Film and the Comic

The movie follows the comic’s opening fairly closely, covering Wesley’s ordinary life, his introduction to the assassins’ world, and his training. After that, the stories take very different paths: the comic centers on supervillains, while the film builds its plot around assassins, a mysterious code, and a loom said to determine their targets.

Reviewers’ Opinions

Both reviewers praise the film’s striking, kinetic visual style, especially its scenes of curving bullets and seemingly optional physics.

Stacks appreciates the empathy the film creates for Wesley despite his transformation into a killer. However, he finds the exposition heavy and the “loom of destiny” plot device hit-or-miss. He gives the film 4 out of 5 stars.

Rich calls it one of the summer’s better movies. He argues that the film and comic can diverge substantially while remaining satisfying, though he slightly prefers the movie. He gives it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Reviewers

• Stacks: IGN Movies reviewer
• Rich: IGN Comics reviewer