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Wanted Dispute
"Like it or not, Wanted pretty much slams you to the back of your chair from the outset and scarcely lets up for the duration," writes Variety's Todd McCarthy in a just-up positive review. Get the implication? "Like it or not" means that if you're afflicted with a modicum of taste you might have a difficult time with the beefy blunt fisticuffs of director Timur Bekmambetov.
Digitally enhanced wham-bam action is akin to the digital spectacle found in The Incredible Hulk. Which, in the view of New Yorker critic David Denby, "is both too much and too little, and it's beginning to put some of us in a funk of disappointment and boredom. When you've seen one half-ton piece of metal flung through the air, you've seen them all." Or one utterly ridiculous car chase or idiotic spiralling-bullet sequence or whatever, working you over like slugs to the rib cage.
Wanted is one of the rankest, crudest, least artful impact-for-impact's-sake thrillers of all time -- certainly one of the least original and most vulgar I've ever suffered through. Alll thrust and fists and taunts, it reeks of brute grotesque Russian machismo through and through. It seems to have been made for the goons and gorillas who, some filmmakers feel, need to be gut-slammed by sound and eye-flash so they'll pay attention or "get" anything.
All good action films have a system of logic (causes and effects and conditilons, like The Matrix had) that they adhere to -- this has none at all. It has no grace or wit and style; certainly none of its own. The beginning (the bones & the set-up) is so similar to The Matrix that the Wachowski should at least be irate.
Earlier today an HE reader wrote that Wanted is "a solid piece of entertainment"? I answered by asking how, then would you rate truly first-rate action thrillers like Collateral, The Matrix and The Bourne Supremacy on this scale? You have to have some sense of proportion, some concept of good and bad...some kind of standard of measurement or nothing means anything.
For me it was pure agony to sit through -- another sledge-hammer rocket slam to the castle of Good Cinema.
Plus it trots out Morgan Freeman as the wise older guy for the 14th time over the last five years. It flaunts crude CG at the drop of a hat, and uses sound as a blunt and aggressive instrument. It believes (as did the Mark Millar/J.G. Jones six-part graphic novel) that an ancient order of assassins is a good thing that promotes justice and righteousness. (In what realm is this true?)
Bekmambetov, the Russian behind the two Nightwatch movies, is another Michael Bay acolyte who believes in one rank assault after another. He isn't fit to shine Michael Mann or Paul Greengrass's boots.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on June 19, 2008 at 3:30 PM
comment #1
BurmaShave
says ...
I have to say some of the clips I've seen are relentlessly dumb in a way that gave me hope, such as flipping the Mustang to shoot someone through the sunroof. Yet the 7 minute segment really killed my interest, too loud, too non-sensical, and McAvoy seems to be doing an absolutely terrible job. I'll gladly wait for CRANK 2.
Posted by BurmaShave
at June 19, 2008 3:46 PM
comment #2
Ronald McFirbank
says ...
"a funk of disappointment and boredom"
That's pretty much keeping me out of theaters entirely this summer.
Posted by Ronald McFirbank
at June 19, 2008 3:51 PM
comment #3
MiraJeffAICN
says ...
Those are all totally different films, Jeff. Like it or not, The Matrix is the only classic of the 4, and because it has big ideas on its mind besides just incredible action, it stands out. Collateral is awesome and was truly underappreciated when it came out, but that's an action-thriller that also functions as an actor's showcase. There are very human moments in that film. The Bourne movies are ALL overrated, and even though the action is visceral and gripping, the story is completely retarded.
Personally I thought Wanted was very good. It's not the most original story in the world but I think it'll blow a lot of people's minds, especially the first half of the film. I love the tone, I think it nails all its attempts at humor, and I think McAvoy carries the movie. He's great and really shows range here. It shows a more commercial side of him. Timur has a great future in Hollywood. You're wrong about this one.
Posted by MiraJeffAICN
at June 19, 2008 3:52 PM
comment #4
Geoff
says ...
Nothing has been that great this summer. I'm astonished when people say Iron Man is SOOOO GOOOOOD. It almost sounds like they're forcing themselves to love it. It was just OK. Good potential for a sequal.
Indiana Jones has been painful for me. It didn't hurt as I watched it...I enjoyed myself. But I'm very afraid of seeing it again after reflecting on it and talking with friends.
THE DARK KNIGHT should be the one.
Posted by Geoff
at June 19, 2008 3:56 PM
comment #5
Krazy Eyes
says ...
I haven't seen WANTED yet but didn't you give SHOOT 'EM UP a glowing review? Strangely, your negative review of WANTED could be used almost verbatim as my review for that movie.
I'm still looking forward to this one for now.
Posted by Krazy Eyes
at June 19, 2008 4:00 PM
comment #6
LexG
says ...
I said it in the Blue thread a little while ago, but it bears repeating:
Jeff, you're sounding like Kenneth Turan on this one.
THIS MOVIE WILL OWN YOUR ASS.
Posted by LexG
at June 19, 2008 4:03 PM
comment #7
Balerion
says ...
Actually, the Millar/Jones graphic novel was not about assassins. They were comic book supervillains, and they were _bad_ people. The lead character, on discovering and honing his talents for killing, fills the reader in on what his being a bad-ass supervillain who's part of a cabal that secretly runs the world means -- like how he got to rape an A-list actress, and no papers report it, and how he gets to murder mundane acquaintances of his because they did minor things to tick him off, and so on.
The concept has been majorly watered down for the movie. In this, the story is that they're anti-heroes, while there was never the faintest suggestion of that in the comic. Yes, at the end he ends up taking down all the _other_ villains ... and then he gives a giant F.U. to the reader (Millar is not a subtle writer by any means; frankly, I've always found him a bit juvenile, but he does have a knack for action sequences).
Posted by Balerion
at June 19, 2008 4:05 PM
comment #8
Geoff
says ...
You know, I actually hated SHOOT'EM UP. I found it boring. At certain points I understood why it was so deranged....so it could be like a Grindhouse film....but I just didn't get it.
And I couldn't approach it as a satire like Wells did.
Posted by Geoff
at June 19, 2008 4:07 PM
comment #9
tophertilson
says ...
WALL-E is the only great movie of the summer so far. Just you wait. I have slim hopes for BATMAN, but I have this horrible feeling it's going to be as bloated and overly serious as its head-up-its-own-ass predecessor.
Posted by tophertilson
at June 19, 2008 4:11 PM
comment #10
Richardson
says ...
"Personally I thought Wanted was very good. "
At AICN or not, MiraJeff's word is good enough for me to know this movie is crap.
Posted by Richardson
at June 19, 2008 4:13 PM
comment #11
LexG
says ...
I'd think a few more people would recognize that in the middle of bitch-ass summer movie season, where everything's some superhero dorkfest or crappy kiddie cartoon (CARTOONS ARE FOR KIDS, SON), that WANTED is gonna bring HARD-R VIOLENCE AND SHIT GETTING FUCKED UP AND PEOPLE GETTING OWNED.
I can't believe ostensible adults are more hyped for some cartoon than for 2.35:1 STYLISH SHEENED WIDESCREEN HARD-R MOTHERFUCKING CARNAGE WITH AWESOME GUNPLAY AND HOT CHICKS AND FUCKING SHOOTING AND OWNAGE.
BE A MAN. KNOW.
Posted by LexG
at June 19, 2008 4:17 PM
comment #12
ed2ward
says ...
"It believes (as did the Mark Millar/J.G. Jones six-part graphic novel) that an ancient order of assassins is a good thing that promotes justice and righteousness. "
Sorry, no. The concept of the comic book was not centered around an ancient order of assassins, it was based around the lead characters introduction to a group of Super Villains. The premise was that there was a world that had been filled with super-powered heroes and villains and, after having their asses handed to them time and time again by the heroes, the villains finally created an allaince that would allow them to take over the world. They killed all the heroes, divied up the world, and then made everyone in the world forget that there were ever super-powered beings. This way they were able to control everything from the shadows without any opposition.
There was nothing resembling morality to their motivations, and the journey the lead character takes is a dark mirror of the 'Heroes Journey'. The climax of the story is him making a very conscious decision to let go of any ideals or morals and to live an entirely greedy, self-involved, evil life and revel in it. It's an unrepentant 'Villain's Journey' story in other words.
There is debate to be had about the merit and quality of Millar and Jones' piece, but the film I've heard described is a completely different animal and the comic should not be judged by it.
Posted by ed2ward
at June 19, 2008 4:18 PM
comment #13
David Ehrlich
says ...
shoot-em-up is one of the worst movies of this decade, and perhaps the worst action movie to find its way to the big screen in my lifetime.
fact.
it utterly fails to achieve everything it aspires to - it's action sequences are somnambulant and conceived / executed without an iota of wit, grace, or kinetic thrills. moreover, despite jeff's way off-target analysis of the film as a socio-cinematical commentary, it's completely devoid of any sort of interesting thought that might have off-set its turgid pace and complete lack of fun. god, i hated that movie. how creatively bankrupt is hollywood that they were all in a tizzy over the completely unspectacular animatics that paved the way for the film itself?
i can't believe i'm saying this, but i'd even go so far as to say that i preferred the truly laughable MIAMI VICE.
both NIGHT / DAYWATCH were horrifically stupid, so my hopes for WANTED aren't particularly high... but i'm sold enough to attend a free screening.
with a herzog film already in the books for the summer there's really no place to go but downhill (though WALL-E looks like a miracle waiting to happen).
Posted by David Ehrlich
at June 19, 2008 4:22 PM
comment #14
MiraJeffAICN
says ...
Shoot Em Up was one of the worst films of last year. Hear that, Don Murphy? And Richardson, you are hilarious. Keep it up, pal. And I could give a shit if you see it or not. But if you decide to take a chance and it kicks your ass up and down, you have me to thank you pompous asshole.
Posted by MiraJeffAICN
at June 19, 2008 4:36 PM
comment #15
The InSneider
says ...
The AICN moniker is no more.
Posted by The InSneider
at June 19, 2008 4:41 PM
comment #16
aussieanywhere
says ...
I love a sci-fi/action blockbuster as much as the next person, but I'm with Jeff on this one. Wanted is one of the most dispiriting, exhausting and relentlessly sadistic pieces of 'entertainment' i've sat through in quite a while.
Nightwatch gave me a headache but at least there was something compelling about the visual tricks and ingenuity.
This is all about 100 different ways to depict bullets cracking through multiple skulls... Cooooool!
And McAvoy - a good actor - was miscast for mine.
Posted by aussieanywhere
at June 19, 2008 4:45 PM
comment #17
thevisceral
says ...
So this movie has nothing to do with Bon Jovi then?
Posted by thevisceral
at June 19, 2008 4:48 PM
comment #18
swordandpen
says ...
"..another sledge-hammer rocket slam to the castle of Good Cinema."
I really want to see that quote on the ads.
Posted by swordandpen
at June 19, 2008 5:47 PM
comment #19
dangovich
says ...
GO AWAY YOU CAPS-LOVING FANBOYS!
Posted by dangovich
at June 19, 2008 6:23 PM
comment #20
supertaster
says ...
Yes, being ordinary is a miserable existence, let me tell you. I consider myself a failure and a worthless human being for many reasons, but mainly because all I've ever wanted to do is curve a bullet, and I cant do it. Yeah, it sucks that I don't have really cool writers supplying me with really cool lines, and not being able to tell people I'm a super assassin part of an ancient clan of assassins (which I wish I could) or even a director directing a movie about a super assassin part of an ancient clan of assassins (which I wish I was) sucks even more, but nothing compares to my inability to curve bullets.
Morgan, why has thou forsaken me>?>?
Posted by supertaster
at June 19, 2008 7:45 PM
comment #21
Redmond
says ...
Balerion and ed2ward both beat me to it. This movie is a horribly watered down version of the graphic novel which was an awesome little jaunt in my opinion.
I was almost tempted to see the movie regardless but from what I hearing, I'll wait to rent the Blu-Ray.
Also, Geoff nailed it. The Dark Knight is going to be THE summer movie. Iron Man, Hulk were okay rides but only because they were "just decent" comic flicks after a slew of sub-par additions to the genre. (X3, Elektra and the rat-bastard Spider-man 3, I'm looking at you.)
Posted by Redmond
at June 19, 2008 8:45 PM
comment #22
D.Z.
says ...
I'm imagining Wanted sucks, because it looks like every wire-fu/gunplay movie I've ever seen, except it's got Jolie hoping she can score another Tomb Raider-sized hit.
Lex: We already got that movie with Rambo. Now we're just getting Live Free or Die Hard's little brother.
As for Shoot-em-up, maybe the haters would like it more if it had a pointless Keira Knightley topless scene with a stand-in for the close-ups.
Posted by D.Z.
at June 19, 2008 9:23 PM
comment #23
actionman
says ...
shoot 'em up was a lot of fun. so was crank. so was running scared. so was domino. if wanted is in this league then it will be a fun two hours of action movie idiocy
Posted by actionman
at June 19, 2008 10:37 PM
comment #24
theultimatebiu
says ...
Crank was God awful. Could never understand the hype behind that. I am looking forward to 'Wanted' .
Posted by theultimatebiu
at June 19, 2008 11:31 PM
comment #25
K. Bowen
says ...
Shoot 'em up generally stinks, except for Clive Owen, who walks through that thing like a shark.
How did Domino get in this conversation? Contrary to most opinion, it's a very good film, but it's not really an action film, more of an anti-biopic filtered through an exploitation film. Totally misunderstood.
Posted by K. Bowen
at June 20, 2008 1:24 AM
comment #26
K. Bowen
says ...
Shoot 'em up generally stinks, except for Clive Owen, who walks through that thing like a shark.
How did Domino get in this conversation? Contrary to most opinion, it's a very good film, but it's not really an action film, more of an anti-biopic filtered through an exploitation film. Totally misunderstood.
Posted by K. Bowen
at June 20, 2008 1:24 AM
comment #27
K. Bowen
says ...
Shoot 'em up generally stinks, except for Clive Owen, who walks through that thing like a shark.
How did Domino get in this conversation? Contrary to most opinion, it's a very good film, but it's not really an action film, more of an anti-biopic filtered through an exploitation film. Totally misunderstood.
Posted by K. Bowen
at June 20, 2008 1:24 AM
comment #28
Mr. Buckles
says ...
I thought the best action film of the last several years was Dreamer: Inspired by a true story, hands down.
Posted by Mr. Buckles
at June 20, 2008 5:11 AM
comment #29
AndrewOwens
says ...
In regards to the comic book versus the movie; I feel that the medium is the message. The comic is about Comic Book archetypes (superheroes/villains) and The Film is about Action Movie archetypes (high tech assassins). Why make the film about superheroes?
Looking forward to it anyway.
Posted by AndrewOwens
at June 20, 2008 5:26 AM
comment #30
iamwhoiam
says ...
Iron Man is terrific (No, i'm not forcing myself to love it). It's as good as any summer movie in recent years. The rest, so far, is indeed disappointing. Dark Knight will probably be very good, even if not interesting to me personally. The X-Files sequel looks pretty good and Tropic Thunder trailers are hilarious.
Wanted? Not going to bother.
Posted by iamwhoiam
at June 20, 2008 1:00 PM
comment #31
Nick Plowman
says ...
Pie Balls!
Wanted is awesome.....better than Incredible Hulk, on the same par as Iron Man, and more than Shoot 'Em Up ever was.
Posted by Nick Plowman
at June 24, 2008 4:10 AM
comment #32
hiviper
says ...
A friend recommended the Nightwatch and Daywatch movies, I started to watch and couldn't finish - utter cgi-driven crap. The director is even worse than Bay, if that's possible
Posted by hiviper
at June 27, 2008 10:04 PM
comment #33
arentin
says ...
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Posted by arentin
at February 1, 2010 1:19 AM
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