Wanted - What the Wachowskis Should Be Directing

Timur Bekmambetov had reformulated the Vampire clan genre, and in his first American effort since 2002, he tries to reinvent the action films that the Wachowski Sisters pioneered. His premise behind "Wanted" and its "whoa" worth action sounds cooler because who needs Agent Smith when you have Morgan Freeman with a potty-mouth.

1000 years ago, a group of weavers found a language in the thread counts. Since a loom cannot think, the weavers determined that the message was fate ordering them to kill the evil doers it would list. They formed The Fraternity, a creed of assassins who believe if they kill one person, they may save a thousand.

The top assassin of the group has been murdered by the rogue member, Cross (Thomas Kretschmann). To save the order, Sloan (Morgan Freeman) and Fox (Angelina Jolie) determine that training the unknowing son of the deceased, Wesley (James McAvoy), is the best chance to stop this threat. Will Wesley be able to abandon the exciting world of account manager, and save the world, or is he working towards becoming Cross's next victim?

"Wanted" was the perfect story for Bekmambetov to adapt. How does one top "The Chalk of Fate"? With the binary spewing loom of course. He may not have the demonic forces, but that cannot stop him from creating a super human world based around inanimate objects.

Without the powers of the netherworld, this story is not as believable as the "Watch" series, and even a little tacky at some points. The visual effects are poor, but Bekmambetov knows hows to direct the action which allows the audience to suspend their disbelief.

His ability to direct action so well allows the audience to ignore the fact that not much happens once Wesley gets into the killing business. It builds up to a great climax, but the best scenes are how he learns to be a super human bad ass.

The super human bad ass premise may prove to be a distraction to the story. This flick's commercials made me want to buy a hand gun to try and curve bullets, but as I watch what Wesley experiences, it left me wondering how to get my heart pumping at 400 beats per second.

This maybe why there is a lull in the second act. We will talk ourselves out of the possibility that we could be weapons of fate in time for the climax.

The only other complaint I can have against the film is that it doesn't have the same Russian charm as Bekmambetov's other works. Chicago was a great domestic equivalent (as many directors know) but there are just too many white collars to have the subcultural enjoyment he had delivered previously.

"Wanted" is this decade's "Commando." No, that is not a bad thing when mindless action makes sense and the actors actually have to act. It is also a fresh take on the ridiculous "Matrix" inspired genre. This is a great popcorn-stuffing film that even makes the audience think a bit like all of Bekmambetov's movies do. Just make sure you do not bite your tongue.

"Don't let your babies grow up to be Cubs Fans, and always remember to spay or neuter your White Sox Fans," Russ Stevens