Wanted: What the hell is Angelina Jolie doing with this loser?
Let me be honest with you.
The first thing I did after watching the film Wanted was imitating the gun-swinging action thing. It was such a fun movie, much like how I feel all testosterone-y after watching 300 [I wanted to shout THIS IS SPARTA! and kick people into pits and whatnot] and how August Rush made me vow to listen to the music of nature. [Which I forgot after half a day]
Admittedly, the storyline leaves a lot to be desired for and the logic is ridiculous. But there’s Angelina Jolie, weh: the woman who certified I’m not gay and created my interest in hot, sizzling Latinas. But again, I must repeat, it’s a fun movie!
Imagine my surprise when I learnt that it came from a graphic novel! There are a few movies that could even be on the same par with the original literature, [LotR, 2004 adaptation of the Count of Monte Cristo] let alone be better than the book itself. So, simple deduction: movie = good, comic = better.
Wanted the movie is very, very loosely based on the graphic novel itself. I guess, the gist is the same but everything was totally different. For example, in the movie, it’s a group of assassins; in the graphic novel – supervillains; movie – focus on training itself, graphic novel – revenge. On to the review:
Wesley Gibson was a loser. His girlfriend was unfaithful, his boss constantly berated him for nothing and he was a massive hypochondriac. All that changed with the assassination of the father he never knew. You see, Wesley’s father was the Killer, a super criminal whose superpower was to end life. In executing his will, the Killer’s supervillain friends gave Wesley the chance to be trained in their ways, to escape his mundane and insignificant life. Well, with the words “Sex. Money. Super-powers. Costumes. You know you want it!” on the cover of the first issue, there’s little doubt on Wesley’s choice.
Rising in rank rapidly in a world without superheroes and ruled by supervillains, Wesley Gibson has only one mission: to find his father’s killer. Was it Mr. Rictus, the head of the Australian crime family? His father betrayed the perpetually pissed walking corpse and maybe Mr. Rictus wanted a payback. Or was it his boss The Professor, the man with a level 9 intelligence? The Professor might have wanted to protect his own spot as the head of the Americas. It couldn’t be Fox, his father’s one-time lover, now, could it? But all the evidences point towards her.
Mark Millar’s writing was hailed as “the Watchmen for supervillains” by the UK Sunday Times. I do think that it’s an exaggeration but not by much. The whole series was rife with philosophies of egocentricism, witty comedy and foul words. The 6-issue long series was drawn by J. G. Jones. Not my favourite artist but his artwork suits the story naturally.
A word of warning, though: This comic is filled with strong language, sexual references, gore and a very negative outlook on life. It is definitely not suited for children and people, who don’t wish to be exposed to these elements. Enjoy!
I have just watched this movie, a little exaggerated action flick but still entertaining.
So what makes these assassins so special? Oh, nothing really, they just happen to develop superhuman strength, speed and enhanced senses when they have tachycardia in excess of xxx beats per minute!
Other scenes I like:
1. “That is just a decoy.” (2x)
2. The wax bath
3. “I expect him to be taller.”
4. “Who’s the man? I am!”
5. “I would pity you, Janice, …”
Good review
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/blush wtf
You do realize that this is not a review of the film itself, do you?
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Interesting post, just signed up to your RSS feed, hope to find some more great content here
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Unfortunately, this site is on a hiatu that should last until september. If you like the writer’s work, you might want to check his blog in my name.
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I’ve always loved watching Angelina Jolie in her movies. Thanks for the post!
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Pleased to hear this. Angie is stunning. A person I both respect and fantasize about!. Look forward to seeing her next film. The original painting I purchased of her is stunning and will be hung on my wall forever!
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