Do you make sweaters, or do you kill people?

Wanted

(2008)

It would probably be **1/2 if I was judging by the highly derivative plotting, but two things make this stand out (apart from Angelina Jolie's buttocks).

First is Timur Bekmambetov's pull-to-all-the-stops direction, a hyper-kinetic wonder to behold; so rare to have action scenes which are fast, dynamic and give you a clear sense of geography. Certain sequences are so giddy you don't really care about how Matrix-derivative much of this is.

Second is McAvoy's humorous performance, which adds heart to the brutal proceedings. OTT and frequently hilarious visually, it's also puerile and lowest common denominator in the script department. Still a lot of fun, though.

***1/2

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Now In Full Color, with a Happier Ending

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