A script review

[Antonello Blueberry]

http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2879&Itemid=99

We are less than a week away from Comic Con 2007 and things have been hectic! We don't do script reviews very often but this one was submitted by a reader and who are we to say no to free labor? Read on...

One of the next big comic book properties headed to the big screen, backed by Universal Pictures, is Wanted, starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie.

* The cast list so far:
James McAvoy as Wesley Gibson
Angelina Jolie as Fox
Morgan Freeman as Sloan
Common as Gunsmith
Chris Pratt as Barry
Terance Stamp as possibly Rictus?? Mr. X??
* Konstantin Khabensky from Nightwatch/Daywatch playing…well someone.

I’ll let Mr.E fill you in on the most current script (as of late February)…enjoy.

WANTED opens in Chicago with our hero/underdog/cubicle monkey WESLEY GIBSON narrating like a guy who's seen Fight Club waaay too many times. He talks proudly about his furniture purchases, signs his name "Fred Flintstone" at the Pharmacy and at his insurance job, has a panic attack that reads like Fight Club's "When deep space exploration ramps up, it'll be the corporations that name everything, the IBM Stellar Sphere, the Microsoft Galaxy, Planet Starbucks" hallucination.

The movie, bored with Wesley, moves onto a Matrixesque midtown acrobatic ballistic battle between a MR. X and a gaggle of gunmen. After a bit more without Wesley, we are introduced to FOX (Angelina Jolie) in a sequence that seems to follow her introduction in the comic.

Mark Millar's original six issue mini-series Wanted,illustrated by J. G. Jones, was all about supervillains running everything, with lots of parallels between Wanted’s bad guys and the DC comics stable of evildoers. I could be wrong, but I’m guessing the costumes & capes were written out as a budgetary consideration. The comic's "evil for evil's sake" assorted bad guys/protagonists’ motivations were also re-written to create members of an ancient mystic sect with a lot of predestination talk and a (warped) code of ethics they follow to the death.

I bought the first issue back in 2003. I only remember Fox who was a Halle Berry look-a-like with little pointy fox ears in a deliciously cleavage-alicious skintight brown fox suit.

Uhhh..Where were we?

Wesley and Fox go into a car chase and then the obligatory plot comes into ruin the story. Wesley's true place in the world is revealed, he's brought into a secret society, and he's brutally trained for his new and exciting career with accompanying mystic mumbo-jumbo, all much like Neo in THE MATRIX.

Speaking of THE MATRIX, huge chunks of the action sequences in the film are slowed down to a MATRIXesque "Bullet time." This gag ends up being a crucial part of Wesley's "superpower" which is called .... WANTED SPOILER
Assassin Time. Really. I'm not kidding. END SPOILER

Also, even worse, there is a form of discharging firearms introduced here in the movie that defies any of the usual laws of physics. More on this later.

Following his training montage, Wesley goes to a disco, gets revenge on his skank of an ex, and has a confrontation that is right out of the end of Michael Mann's Foxx/Cruise flick Collateral.

The plot then twists and turns and then goes to Prague (I'm guessing because it's cheap to film there). Stuff blows up, plot, plot, plot, more plot and more explosions, lots of "Assassin Time" shoot-outs, the big apprentice/master showdown and the sequel friendly ending. Wheeeww!!!

WANTED was a quick, very R-rated read (Good), but I ended up with a major headache (Bad) from reading countless descriptions of the camera moving with bullet trajectories in super slo-mo.

Would I want to see WANTED? Despite the chance for THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA'S Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy)to "man up" for the role of Wesley, seeing yet another frosty uber-babe performance by Angelina Jolie, GOD (Morgan Freeman) in a supporting role, and the directing talents of Timur (NIGHT WATCH) Bekmambetov, no thanks.

The film's ultra violence turned me off and there are soooo many action sequences that defied any kind of logic or the laws of physics/gravity, that any cool factor quickly gave way to the "you have got to be ****ing kidding me" factor. Also, I didn't care for or about the characters. Where's Marla Singer when you really need her?

I give the film a MATRIX REVOLUTIONS out of a possible THE MATRIX or 5 Bullets out of 10.

WANTED By Michael Brandt & Derek Haas with "current revisions" by Dean Georgaris Based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar.

 

[Johnichi Chiba]

That's incredible. It really sucks that they took something so different from anything else and turned it into a generic Matrix rip-off. That just really sucks.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

Well, for those who feared a PG 13 version of Wanted, at least they will get their dose of violence.

 

[GNR]

Wow.The reviewer tends to have a lot of complaints about descriptions,but heck,it's a goddamn script.

Other than that,this sounds like it could easily turn into a straight to DVD looking Matrix rip off.

Hopefully the performers can make more of what sounds like,according to this reviewer,a generic/"stylish" action movie.

 

[Untilteld]

Hopefully this is NOT straight to dvd.

 

[RDK]

He's also not reviewing the shooting script.

And don't be stupid - this isn't going straight to DVD. It's a hundred million dollar production.

 

[shinlyle]

Damn it....they ruined the best comic of all time. Bastards.

 

[Antonello Blueberry]

The best comic of all time?
We have some pretty different standards.

 

[Darth Elektra]

Hopefully this is NOT straight to dvd.

This is a major hollywood production, there is no way this film will get a STD release.

 

[Colossus24]

Why didn't they just make the same movie it appears that they are making, change the names, and not pay Mark Millar?

 

[Untilteld]

This is a major hollywood production, there is no way this film will get a STD release.

right on, I have high hopes for this movie.

 

[shinlyle]

The best comic of all time?
We have some pretty different standards.

Oh, god...here we go....

Look, that's my opinion. I liked it more than any other story I've ever read. I've read Watchmen, Miracleman, and DKR, and this is my fave. I love alot of other comics, but the way this comic began as a mindlessly violent descent into a world full of supervillians, and ended up being a story about a father trying to atone for aboandoning his son, that hit home. I love it, and I don't see that as having different "standards".

I also think "My Faith in Frankie" was the best Vertigo mini in recent memory. Sue me.


Anyways, back to my opinions of this movie...

Crap. I think that's about where I was...t:

 

[Chaos Bringer]

Well, for those who feared a PG 13 version of Wanted, at least they will get their dose of violence.

where's my dose of translation?

Wanted in name only. if that.

SUCK. BARF. Die.

 

[Untilteld]

they took out the **** monster though

 

[shinlyle]

No ****-head....no ****-wit....not getting my money.

 

[themanwholaughs]

No ****-head....no ****-wit....not getting my money.

I absolutely agree! They were part of what made this comic great!
And if they take out the costume/capes....i'm pretty dissapointed.

 

[Brian Braddock]

D'you know what - I'm getting sick of myself posting about how this film can only pale in comparison to the film they could have made (if they'd followed the book more faithfully) and I dislike the fact that I'm becoming a 'hater' - so I'm simply not gonna post in the Wanted (in name only - sorry - had to get that in there ) section anymore.

What's that old adage?

'If you can't think of anything good to say, then don't say anything at all'.


I'll simply say this - if this movie is a success - next they'll make Invincible - but instead of superpowers; Mark'll have magic.

Just watch.

 

[ang_hulk]

what a joke.this film will leave movie goers having left and wanted thier money back.....that was also a joke...

 

[Jack Rabbit]

I'm wondering if your average movie-goer is going to have this as much as a Wanted fan.

 

[Tanin]

Sounds like a good film but bad adaption

 

[I SEE SPIDEY]

Sounds like a lame movie to me.

 

[L0ngsh0t]

Damn it....they ruined the best comic of all time. Bastards.

wow chap, one review

a poor review at that

its a script there is going to be a lot of description deal with it or don't review works or writting

we haven't really seen anything other than that

 

[GNR]

I'm going to try and call the twist based on the summary up on the film's site just for fun.

[BLACKOUT]Wes finds out the people he's working with are the actual villains,while the mysterious Mr.X is actually the one last "do gooder" who has the abilities,super or not,to fight off the Fraternity and their evil ways.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[A_Graves]

The film's ultra violence turned me off and there are soooo many action sequences that defied any kind of logic or the laws of physics/gravity, that any cool factor quickly gave way to the "you have got to be ****ing kidding me" factor.

That's what they get for taking out the supervillains. The ultra-violence and physics defying combat is wayyy easier to roll with if you've got supervillains and heroes in your world. Take away the supervillains/heroes, you take away the reasonable context for suspension of disbelief.

 

[Swordmaster]

I'm going to try and call the twist based on the summary up on the film's site just for fun.

[BLACKOUT]Wes finds out the people he's working with are the actual villains,while the mysterious Mr.X is actually the one last "do gooder" who has the abilities,super or not,to fight off the Fraternity and their evil ways.[/BLACKOUT]

If that happens, the film won't be as bad, adaptation-wise, as it would seem.