Wanted

James McAvoy has built himself as a dashing leading man-a British one, no less. But he throws that all out the window in Wanted to tackle the role of Wesley Gibson, a disaffected Chicago accountant straight out of a Chuck Palahniuk novel.

After a tough day, Gibson finds himself in the crossfire between Fox (Angelina Jolie) and a rogue assassin. One physics-defying car chase later, Gibson is introduced to Sloan (Morgan Freeman), the head honcho of an elite band of assassins called The Fraternity. Sloan urges Gibson to join them and use his natural abilities. After some initial shock, he joins. Cue training montage.

Director Timur Bekmambetov applies the frenzied camera work from his Night Watch films. We trace the trajectory of bullets, and slow motion shots become a little overused. The visual style is assaulting to the senses but more original than most of the Matrix derivatives from the past decade.

Michael Brandt and Derek Haas penned the film, although to call it writing gives them a little too much credit. Much like the pair's 2003 feature 2 Fast 2 Furious, action and violence upstage dialogue and creative plot. In fact, the scant dialogue assigned to headliners Common and Jolie make this seem like the latter's her easiest paycheck yet. What dialogue the writers did put down is so rife with f-bombs it makes them come across as angry 16-year-old boys. This explosion-heavy script does, however, drive home the film's message that we should all take control of our lives by acting rather than being passively tolerant.

In spite of the predictable plot line, the film isn't entirely vacant of thought. Gibson questions The Fraternity's reckless use of violence-and the violence in Wanted is reckless and gruesome indeed. Ultimately, the two-hour gun fest renders the question null, but the film gets some points for putting some thought into what would otherwise be just another mindless summer blockbuster.