WANTED

goatmam · Jun 27, 2008

Went and saw it tonight, and I LOVED IT. I don't know anything about the graphic novel, so I don't know how "true" to it the movie was... But I really don't care, I'm def. going to buy this film. The directors cut is going to be something else.

shawkins · Jun 28, 2008

goatmam said:
Went and saw it tonight, and I LOVED IT. I don't know anything about the graphic novel, so I don't know how "true" to it the movie was... But I really don't care, I'm def. going to buy this film. The directors cut is going to be something else.

I thought the movie was Made of Win[sup]TM[/sup]. I will say, however, that the graphic novel--while amazing--is probably not going to be of interest to all the people who liked the movie. If you like the movie and can at least tolerate an Eminem-esque view of the world I'd recommend the book. Otherwise, save your $14.95.

The guy who played his Dad in the first scene is rapidly becoming one of my faves. Awesome.

ChunkyC · Jun 28, 2008

SPOILERS, OF COURSE

I had a bit of a hard time with some of the absurdities. Curve the bullet, yeah right. BUT -- if you approach it as a fantasy, the movie works. As such, I was entertained by it.

Overall, it's a bit of an adolescent fantasy. Wimpy guy who suddenly finds out from an uber-hot chick that he's part of a fraternity of assassins and becomes a stud-muffin. What pimply 16 year old who's been picked on all through school wouldn't want to live out that dream?

I can't really rave about it because I did find the whole premise rather juvenile (I am 52 years old, after all), but I must admit, when Wesley smacked his supposed best friend in the chops with his ergonomic keyboard, I laughed my ass off.

shawkins · Jun 28, 2008

ChunkyC said:
I did find the whole premise rather juvenile

I resemble that remark.

Also funny: how he kept saying "I'm sorry." To everyone. Always. I know people like that.

ChunkyC · Jun 29, 2008

Yeah, that was good. That sort of humour is what made it work for me. If it had tried to take itself seriously, it would not have worked, imho.

maestrowork · Jun 29, 2008

ChunkyC said:
Overall, it's a bit of an adolescent fantasy. I can't really rave about it because I did find the whole premise rather juvenile..

That's the desired demographics -- adolescents or fanboys/fangirls. The primary audience of graphic novels. As long as it appeals to that demo it's good to go. And no doubt the video game is either already out or on it's way.

Gynn · Jun 29, 2008

The main character was surprisingly entertaining. I went in expecting a "loser kid reluctant to accept his destiny" (and there was that, including training montages), but he had lots of humor to him.

nevada · Jun 29, 2008

maestrowork said:
That's the desired demographics -- adolescents or fanboys/fangirls. The primary audience of graphic novels. As long as it appeals to that demo it's good to go. And no doubt the video game is either already out or on it's way.

And middle-aged women who have the hots for James MacAvoy and really want to see him handle a gun.

Wait....is that just me?

maestrowork · Jun 29, 2008

nevada said:
And middle-aged women who have the hots for James MacAvoy and really want to see him handle a gun.

What would Freud say about this?

nevada · Jun 29, 2008

maestrowork said:
What would Freud say about this?

The usual stuff. blah blah symbol blah blah repressed sexuality blah blah cigar. and he'd be right. for once.

ChunkyC · Jun 30, 2008

LOL @ Nev

Perks · Jun 30, 2008

I'm going to see it tonight and I'm most pleased about that.

Perks · Jun 30, 2008

Boo. The hardest film to make is a good horror film. The second is a good action.

Wanted had some of the most mind-blowing effects I've ever seen, but didn't know when to zip up its fly. The first time the bouffant-wearing, doughnut-guzzling boss screeched an f-bomb in a packed accounting office, I just knew it was going to be two hours of getting goosed in the frontal lobe - Alert! You are watching a film. Alert! Alert!

I gotta get lost in my movies. This film would not allow it.

Really, really ineffective cursing. And I'm a connoisseur. But, that said, the Mustang blasting over the Corvette-ramp was worth the price... oh wait, that was in the trailer. Ah well, save your money and just enjoy the preview on youtube a few times.

Perks · Jun 30, 2008

Gynn said:
The main character was surprisingly entertaining.

He was that. I did enjoy how they took him from almost a Toby Maguire level of unappealing to a right regular hottie by the end. No small feat, that.

maestrowork · Jun 30, 2008

Perks said:
He was that. I did enjoy how they took him from almost a Toby Maguire level of unappealing to a right regular hottie by the end. No small feat, that.

Have his stylist call mine.

Chameleon · Jul 3, 2008

Awesome movie. Well worth the $5 I paid for the laughs and action.

PS: I just love me some James!

nevada · Jul 3, 2008

Chameleon said:
Awesome movie. Well worth the $5 I paid for the laughs and action.

PS: I just love me some James!

$5 for a movie?!?!?!?!? How did you swing that? I have to pay $12.50 and if I want a bottle of diet coke (the small 591 ml ones*) it's another $3.50. Sure we have cheap theatres, there's one less than ten minutes from my house but a movie like Wanted wont get there for at least 3 or 4 months. James can't wait that long to see me.

*that's just over 2 cups so that would be ummm wait i know this. Half a pint?

ETA by the way, your avatar is very beautiful. Is it a painting you did? I would hang that in my house in a second.

maestrowork · Jul 3, 2008

There's matinee (before 5 p.m.). And also they have "Super Tuesday" here where tickets are $6 all day long.

Chameleon · Jul 3, 2008

nevada said:
$5 for a movie?!?!?!?!? How did you swing that? I have to pay $12.50 and if I want a bottle of diet coke (the small 591 ml ones*) it's another $3.50. Sure we have cheap theatres, there's one less than ten minutes from my house but a movie like Wanted wont get there for at least 3 or 4 months. James can't wait that long to see me.

*that's just over 2 cups so that would be ummm wait i know this. Half a pint?

ETA by the way, your avatar is very beautiful. Is it a painting you did? I would hang that in my house in a second.

You're in Canada that's why (I cross the border often, and avoid the theatre because it's too damn expensive). Where I am, they reduced prices for the summer to $5 from Monday - Thursday. It's usually $9 or something. It was never that cheap though.

PS: I found the avatar from online. I'm sorry. I'm just not that talented!

nevada · Jul 3, 2008

BEST! MOVIE! EVER!

Completely ignores the laws of physics, energy depletion, etc. but OMG i LOVED it. Macavoy was all i hoped he would be and more. And the story was cool and you could tell that the director was totally into it. The shoot out at the millworks? Brilliant.

Anyone read that book by Sartre (name escapes me) where the hero has an epiphany about his life while listening to American Jazz for the first time? I read a critique of that book where the critic lamented the fact that the jazz wasn't very good. Which I thought was ridiculous and snobbish because common jazz can touch a man just as much as really good jazz (bear with me, i'm getting to my point) In fact, sometimes, what some critics consider "good" ie music, novels, movies, might be too rarified for the laymen to appreciate without years of background.

This movie was my bad jazz epiphany. Like Macavoy says, "What the F have you done lately?"

GreenFriend · Jul 5, 2008

I really was hoping to see S**thead and Johnny Two-D**ks. I really loved those guys from the book.

And no Rictus? He's like one of the best comic book villains.

I liked the movie as a popcorn film, and I'm glad Millar liked it but so much potential wasted for an awesome adult power fantasy.

The book was special to me, it was like the antithesis to Watchmen in my eyes.

willfulone · Jul 5, 2008

I did not care for the movie for the plot. The story was too jumpy (although that may have been the way it was supposed to be) and too many flashing scenes that interrupted other action. I don't like interruptions for flash backs in books and I do not like them in movies either. But, that is just me.

I did like the graphics though and for that reason I did not hate it.

The movie reminded me of a time (way back when) I took a "medicine" that made things go out of focus and blurred the lines of reality for me. Could be the purpose of the movie. I cannot say.

As a whole I would rate it C-.

Shadow_Ferret · Jul 5, 2008

Chameleon said:
PS: I just love me some James!

Who is this James person? I thought this movie was an Angelina Jolie vehicle?

nevada · Jul 5, 2008

Shadow_Ferret said:
Who is this James person? I thought this movie was an Angelina Jolie vehicle?

Sort of. The main character is James Macavoy. He was in Atonement and Last King Of Scotland. It's his story. Jolie is secondary but on the screen a lot.

shawkins · Jul 6, 2008

GreenFriend said:
I really was hoping to see S**thead and Johnny Two-D**ks. I really loved those guys from the book.

Yeah, me too. The movie was best appreciated as a standalone that had nothing to do with the book. Maybe one day Showtime will do a miniseries or something. sigh.

GreenFriend said:
And no Rictus? He's like one of the best comic book villains.

Rictus at least got a mention. At the end of act II they were moving a body [into|out of] the Fraternity stronghold. Somebody pointed at it and said "they got Rictus."

Also, I *think* the next-to-last scene had a shout-out to the comic author's brother. The name plate on the cubicle where he was sitting said <first initial> Millar. Supposedly the whole idea for Wanted dates back to Mark Millar's brother Bobby telling 6-yr-old Mark that the reason you didn't hear anything in the news about superman/batman/whoever was that the supervillains killed them all a few years back.

WANTED

Your imaginary friend

Ahhh. Sweet.

It's hard being green

Ahhh. Sweet.

It's hard being green

Fear the Death Ray

Wandering worlds

Fear the Death Ray

It's hard being green

delicate #!&@*#! flower

delicate #!&@*#! flower

delicate #!&@*#! flower

Fear the Death Ray

I less than 3 you!

Fear the Death Ray

I less than 3 you!

VIVA Chihuahua

I am a zebra...

Court Jester

Ahhh. Sweet.