Wanted Blu-ray delivers stunning video and reference-quality audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
25-year-old Wes (James McAvoy) was the most disaffected, cube-dwelling drone the planet
had ever known. His boss chewed him out hourly, his girlfriend ignored him routinely and his
life plodded on interminably. Everyone was certain this disengaged slacker would amount to
nothing. There was little else for Wes to do but wile away the days and die in his slow,
clock-punching rut. Until he met a woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie). After his estranged
father is murdered, the deadly sexy Fox recruits Wes into the Fraternity, a secret society
that trains Wes to avenge his dad's death by unlocking his dormant powers. As she teaches
him how to develop lightning-quick reflexes and phenomenal agility, Wes discovers this
team lives by an ancient, unbreakable code: carry out the death orders given by fate itself.
With wickedly brilliant tutors -- including the Fraternity's enigmatic leader, Sloan (Morgan
Freeman) -- Wes grows to enjoy all the strength he ever wanted. But, slowly, he begins to
realize there is more to his dangerous associates than meets the eye. And as he wavers
between newfound heroism and vengeance, Wes will come to learn what no one could ever
teach him: he alone controls his destiny.
Audiences wanting to break out of the action movie doldrums and discover a fresh take on the
genre need look no further than Wanted, a sleeper hit of the 2008 summer movie
marathon. Utilizing the slow-motion, bullet tracking excitement of The Matrix, car
chases
that are faster and more furious than most, and featuring a plot twist that would make M. Night
Shyamalan proud, Wanted packs quite the punch, and features a unique visual style that
sets its apart from more standard-fare run-and-gun Action flicks. While Wanted doesn't
feature a lead character that seems destined to burgeon into an icon of the genre, like a John McClane, the rough,
gritty edge of a movie like Man on Fire, or the
grace and refinement of the ballet of action as seen in something like Face/Off,
Wanted nevertheless incorporates much of what made each of these, and other
respected action pictures, work. The film blends the new with the old, creating for itself a unique
style that pushes boundaries and leaves action-hungry audiences craving more.
Wesley stews over which Blu-ray edition of 'Wanted' to purchase through Blu-ray.com's Amazon
link.
Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy, The Chronicles of Narnia: The
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) is a slave to the doldrums of life, wondering if he is
the most insignificant human being to ever live. Stuck in a job he
hates, surrounded by a boss and co-workers who drive him mad, living paycheck to paycheck,
and participating in an unfulfilling relationship, Gibson's only solace comes in the form of anxiety
pills that he keeps stashed in his drawer. His life changes forever when a mysterious woman
named Fox (Angelina Joile, Mr. & Mrs. Smith)
appears at the pharmacy counter as he yet again refills his prescription pills. Gibson soon finds
himself in the middle of an intense shot-out in the store that spills over into the city streets as a
fast-paced, death-defying car chase. Barely escaping with their lives, Gibson learns that Fox and
others like her are part of an ages-old fraternity of assassins known as, well, The Fraternity. Led
by the mysterious Sloan (Morgan Freeman, The Dark Knight),
Gibson learns of his true identity, the son of a recently-deceased super assassin, himself capable
of extraordinary abilities that make him the perfect killing machine. Agreeing to undergo intense
training, Gibson endures various forms of physical punishment as he prepares to hunt down
the first-rate assassin who killed his father, Cross (Thomas Kretschmann, Transsiberian).
If nothing else, Wanted is an extraordinarily fun Action movie that never, ever features a
dull moment. Even in scenes not awash in blood, bullets, and general mayhem, the quirkiness of
the characters and the stylized approach make the movie more than palatable during the rare
moments of downtime. Wanted is perhaps one of the more superfluous movies ever
made,
but that doesn't make it a wasted outing. Rather than try and hammer home some kind of
moral, social, or political statement, Wanted never disguises the fact that it is nothing
more, and intends to be nothing more, than a straight, high-octane action extravaganza. Part
serious, part comical, part drama, the movie feels like an amalgamation of The Matrix,
Shoot 'Em Up, and
Office Space, a
combination that, if done right, practically guarantees at least a moderate level of success.
Wanted is just what one might expect of a film borrowing elements from these three
pictures, a wild, crazy, loud, bold, funny, and violent picture that plays out almost more as an
action movie lover's favorite dream than anything else. As pure escapist entertainment, they
don't
come much better than Wanted.
If Wanted does feature one underlying theme amongst the stunts, special effects,
bullets, and mayhem, it is that of self-discovery and trust. Gibson routinely, it seems, looks for
his place in the world, at first searching in all the wrong places. To him, seeing his name appear
as a hit on a Google search or the amount of cash in his bank account are the things he turns to
for self-gratification and worth. As neither are ever what he wants them to be, he lives an
unfulfilling life that does nothing but lead him to swallow more pills. It is finally the sense of
purpose and acceptance that breaks him out of his shell to become the man destiny intended.
Even if his gift is something supernatural, the determination Gibson eventually shows to
honing his skills is impressive, and the old mantra of "no pain, no gain" certainly applies to his
training regimen. Still, there is no doubt that Wanted is first and foremost an
adrenaline-charged action extravaganza, covered in blood, riddled with bullets, and anything but
routine.
Wanted shoots onto Blu-ray with a high quality 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The
image is another stunner from Universal, perhaps not quite reaching the top of the mountain in
terms of picture quality, failing to surpass the likes of Baraka and The Chronicles of Narnia:
Prince Caspian, but coming close. The transfer features a warm color palette; flesh
tones take on a rosy tint much of the time, but colors in general are not so over-saturated so as
to appear abnormal. A layer of film grain is retained over the image, and the disc sports an
excellent cinematic look and feel throughout. Detail is noticeably strong
throughout the entirety of the film. The various urban environments seen throughout the film
particularly shine; the exterior of Gibson's apartment looks gorgeous, with wonderful texture
featured on the bricks making up the building's faade, and the street pavement make the
image look practically three dimensional and could seemingly only look more real in person.
Detail in clothing reveals every stitch in close-up shots, and zoomed-in shots of faces offer
viewers the finest of nuances. Perhaps the only real fault here is that several shots appear a bit
hazy and undefined, particularly near the end of the film, but for the most part, Wanted
offers viewers yet another near reference-quality transfer from Universal.
Wanted definitely excels in the audio department, providing fans with a ridiculously loud,
active, and entertaining DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Not only is the track powerful, but
it is refined and finely-tuned, featuring fine fidelity and sound placement that creates a seamless
environment, a sonic work of art that excels at bringing the movie's action to vivid life. Sound
screams from every corner, be it gunfire or the film's score and popular music that blast away
throughout the movie. The film's first shootout in the pharmacy as heard in chapter three
features
an explosion of sound; it is loud, exciting, and a fantastic reason to own a home theater. In a
subsequent car chase scene, listeners can literally feel the throttle and acceleration, the twisted
metal, and the shattered glass, all of it flowing into the room with absolutely no problem. This
soundtrack features an almost unparalleled level of bass as the LFE channel works triple time to
ensure listeners hear -- and feel -- the movie. The train fight sequence, and its aftermath has
heard in chapter 15, is perhaps the ultimate workout for any sound system. Play this sequence
several times, slather it in oil, and it will be ready to compete for the title of Mr. Universe.
Throughout the entirety of the movie, the sound comes alive and bursts forth from the speakers
like few, if any, before it. This is definitely one of the very best soundtracks yet,
with a clarity and definition that trounces most movie theater experiences.
Wanted comes to Blu-ray as an explosive, jam-packed special edition or as this pricer
limited edition that contains a few extra goodies for about $17 more. This set comes housed in a
sharply designed and sturdy box, encased in a clear plastic holder with the back end of a spent
shell casing embossed on the front. Why a casing appears to have been shot as a projectile
makes no sense,
but it looks
cool nevertheless. The case measures about 7.75" in height by 5.75" in width and just under 2"
in depth. Inside the black box with a faux red velvety-looking-but-really-heavy-duty-cardboard lid
is
a few odds and ends that might strike the fancy of the most ardent Wanted fan. The
two discs are housed on a cardboard sheet with a target printed on it, and the hub that holds
both discs, one atop the other, is again in the design of a spent shell casing. Also included are
four 6.5" by 5" cards, two featuring Angelina Jolie and one each featuring Morgan Freeman and
James McAvoy. A short booklet entitled Fraternity of Assassins, measuring the same size
as the cards, features pictures and short biographies of several of the characters. The final extra
is a motion card featuring Angelina Jolie housed in a clear magnetic case measuring
approximately 3.75" in height, 5" in length, and 0.5" in depth. Photographs of this set may be
found by clicking on the "Screenshots" tab atop this review.
Wanted
is,
of course, equipped with Universal's U-Control picture-in-picture functionality, this time with four
separate tracks. Motion Comics features a narrated version of the Top Cow graphic
novel.
Scene Explorer allows viewers to see the film in several early forms, including
hand-drawn
storyboards, a computerized previsualization sequence, and behind-the-scenes footage. Users
may
view any of the options full-screen. Assassin Profiles allows viewers to access text- and
graphics-based information on the weapons utilized in the film, dossiers of various assassins seen
throughout the film, and a Global GPS Locator. Picture in Picture is a basic feature that
showcases interviews with cast and crew, behind-the-scenes examinations of the making of the
film's special effects, the creation of the film's props, and more. This disc is also equipped with
My Scenes technology, allowing users to bookmark scenes and create custom clips.
An alternate opening to the film (1080p, 2:38), and an extended scene (480p, 1:58) are
next. Cast and
Characters (1080p, 19:59) features behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast
and crew that go deeper into the casting, the making of the film's visual stunts and special
effects, and more. Stunts on the L Train (1080p, 2:30) takes a brief and specific look at
the making of one of the film's dramatic speeding train sequences. Special Effects: The Art of
the Impossible (1080p, 8:27) features Special Effects Supervisor Dominic Tuohy, producer
Marc Platt, director Timur Bekmambetov, actor James McAvoy, and others further describing the
making of the film's special effects. Groundbreaking Visual Effects: From Imagination to
Execution (1080p, 8:06) features a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film's
Russian-made special effects, the use of previsualization to assist the special effects artists, and
more.
The Origins of 'Wanted': Bringing the Graphic Novel to Life (1080p, 8:05) features an
extended discussion with graphic novel author Mark Millar discussing his inspirations, the
European angle of the story, the novel's unique visuals, and more. Through the Eyes of
Visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov (1080p, 9:05) features the cast and crew discussing
the
director's professionalism and unique approach to filmmaking. 'Wanted': Motion Comics
(1080p, 13:55) is a series of narrated images from the graphic novel, the same series found in
the Motion Comics section of the U-Control feature. The Making of 'Wanted: The
Game' (1080p, 10:01) takes viewers inside the production of the film's video game-based
sequel. Throughout the bonus features, users will discover secret codes that may be used to
unlock portions of the video game. This disc also features BD-Live (Blu-ray profile 2.0)
connectivity. Disc two of this set
contains a digital copy of the film. Played back on a second generation iPod Touch,
Wanted looks surprisingly bland compared to other digital copies, featuring the heaviest
blocking seen yet on a reviewed digital copy. The sound is equally uninspired, though it does
feature a few nice left to right and right to left directional effects.
Wanted offers action viewers something new, something bold, something more thrilling and
engaging than the dime-a-dozen action flicks that tend to bore audiences with repetitive action
sequences and "been there, done that" special effects. The film never tries to tackle social, moral,
or political issues underneath its surface. For the most part, it is what it is, and that is one of the
reasons why the film works rather well. Perhaps not destined to be classic, Wanted
nevertheless delivers a solid story with a nice twist, first-rate action, groundbreaking stunts and
effects, and generally good performances both in front of and behind the camera. Universal's
Blu-ray release of this summer blockbuster is another fine effort from the studio. Wanted
features great
picture quality, a deafening reference soundtrack, and this limited edition carries-over all of the
disc-based supplements and provides fans with a few additional tactile goodies that are for die-hard
fans only.
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