Wanted (4½ stars)

Wesley Gibson, probably the most insignificant person on the planet, has a job he hates, a petty boss, a noisy, crappy little apartment by the railway, and “best friend” who’s fucking his girlfriend, and he’s too angst-ridden and apathetic to do anything about it. This all changes when assassins show up and begin fighting over him. He then undergoes a transformation into a highly skilled assassin, including skills such as slowing down time and bending bullets. Based on the comic book series of the same name.

When I went to see this movie, I didn’t expect much. I expected to see some decent action scenes, but what I got was a compelling story, a witty main character, and some fantastic action sequences. I believe my friend put it best when he said the film was filled with “inexplicable awesomeness,” much like Timur Bekmambetov’s predecessor films, Night Watch and Day Watch, which are in Russian, but if you get the chance, I strongly recommend those as well. They are the perfect balance of action, comedy and ridiculousness.

Most of the things in this movie are, of course, completely impossible. A human being cannot jump 100 meters through the air, from one building to another, I don’t care how much of a running start he gets. You can’t bend bullets, and you particularly cannot do a particular shot Angelina Jolie takes toward the end of the movie. I won’t say what she does, but it blows my mind. It’s awesome, and impossible. But that’s what you see these movies for. If you’re one of those people who complains about realism, go join the army and drag your ass to Iraq. Real violence isn’t fun.

4½ stars – because I have the urge to watch it again. For me, this is very rare with an action film.