“Who’s the man?’ “I am,” (words of actor James McAvoy) as I sit here writing the review to one of the hottest action-packed vehicles of the past summer; Wanted. This was definitely on the list as one of my must-see movies of the year. Wanted was marketed very aggressively and the trailers played up the proverbial hype. I must admit to not being the biggest Angelina Jolie fan in the world, but she portrayed her character flawlessly as an a#%-kicking heroine throughout the film and left me “wanting” more. It is an adrenaline-filled thrill ride for the action junkie in all of us wanting to escape our everyday mundane lives. Do I even need to elaborate more on that last comment?

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, Universal Studios released Wanted in the theatres this past June to mostly positive critical reviews. It was delayed from its initial March release date to compete with the summer action market. Wanted is loosely based upon the Top Cow comic book series of the same name. Wanted stars James McAvoy (a relative new-comer to me), Angelina Jolie (a crowd pleaser for most), Morgan Freeman (needs no introduction), Thomas Kretschmann, David O’Hara and Terrence Stamp. Wanted features a musical score by the much sought after composer, Danny Elfman (sorely missing from Spider-Man 3). Wanted went on to gross over $322 million worldwide. That is not too bad a gross for a movie that exceeded even the expectations of Universal Studios. That must be why there is all this talk about a rumored pair of sequels (hint, hint).

If I had to sit down and pen a self-prophesizing action novel/movie script it would alarmingly resemble Wanted in just about every facet. Wanted is the action story I have had kicking around in my head for the past five years minus a few key plot lines here and there. I just keep thinking to myself, “If I only had the time.” What office worker drone has not sat there at one moment in time and wished they were an action hero doing something courageous and risky with notoriety instead of shuffling papers around at a desk? I cannot be the only one who thinks that way, and obviously from the written script of Wanted, I fortunately am not alone in my thoughts.

Wanted introduces us to the character of young Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) who works at a dead-end desk job in Chicago with a donut-gobbling obese and over-demanding boss. He has to take anti-anxiety prescription medication for his panic attacks and somehow manages to put up with his live-in girlfriend who cheats on him with his best friend. He wonders if his father left him when he was only one week old because he knew he would grow up a failure. Meanwhile, an assassin, referred to as Mr. X (David O’Hara), is killed by a rogue agent named Cross (Thomas Kretschmann) from a very long range and practically untraceable gunshot.

During one of Wesley’s many trips to the pharmacy for his anti-anxiety medication, he is approached by a mysterious woman named Fox (Angelina Jolie). Fox proceeds to tell him that she knew his father. Wesley immediately disagrees and calls her bluff. Fox discloses information that his father was recently shot down by a man named Cross whom is now out to take down Wesley. The man she is referring to is obviously Mr. X. Cross just happens to be at the end of the store aisle as Fox grabs Wesley and they engage in a shoot-out, which leads into an over-the-top car chase throughout the streets of downtown Chicago. Needless to say, Wesley is almost crapping his pants and having a heart attack by this point as nothing exciting and dangerous like this ever happens to him.

After narrowly escaping Cross, Fox brings Wesley back to the headquarters of The Fraternity. The Fraternity is a thousand-year-old secret society of assassins. The group’s leader, Sloan (Morgan Freeman), demands that Wesley shoot the wings off of three flies in a trashcan. Thinking that they have him confused with someone else, Wesley refuses. At gunpoint, Wesley is forced to shoot at the three flies. Miraculously, Wesley shoots the wings off all three flies without hardly looking. Sloan tells Wesley the secret of how he was able to do that. Sloan explains that Wesley’s panic attacks are not a bad thing, but instead a good thing that he can learn to control. He explains that Wesley’s heart beats around 400 times a minute when he is stressed, sending massive amounts of adrenaline into his bloodstream. As a result, he can actually see things moving at a slower pace than normal people can in reality. Sloan invites Wesley to follow in his father’s footsteps as an assassin and to help stop the rogue agent Cross who killed his father and intends to take down the others as well. Still thinking everyone is crazy and mistaking him for someone else, Wesley refuses Sloan’s invitation.

As Wesley awakes the following morning, he starts to tell himself that last night’s events were just a very vivid dream that is until he finds the gun that he used to shoot off the wings of the flies. Before stopping into work, Wesley stops by an ATM to find millions of dollars now in his account. Neurotic as usual, Wesley double-checks his bank account online once he arrives at work only to find out the same is true. In conclusion, Wesley is now a rich man and wonders what is he even doing at work. This provides an opportune time for Wesley to tell his donut-obsessed boss off in front of the entire office. It gets even better. On the way out, Wesley smashes his keyboard across the face of his best friend who is having an affair with his girlfriend and a few choice keyboard letters spell out a polite choice of two words. This scene is an instant classic in cinematography! Not since 2008’s early release of Shoot ‘Em Up have I seen anything this bold and revolutionary. Conveniently, Fox is waiting outside for Wesley to take him back to the Fraternity’s headquarters. The headquarters for The Fraternity is located at a textile mill.

And that Ladies and Gentlemen is as far as I am going to go with my film summary, as I really want you all to check out the Blu-ray release of Wanted without any spoilers. Wanted does have its ludicrous and very unrealistic moments but it has one key ingredient…heart. It roots for the avenger and underdog in all of us like Rocky on steroids. You get to witness a man’s transformation from a complete failure in life, rise to the levels that only greatest and most enduring humans ever become. Let me set the record straight on one fact. Wesley Gibson’s training is a bit more grueling, demanding and cumbersome then all five Rocky movies combined (I am not counting Rocky V…after all, what did he train for in that). Be warned, there are some Crank-like moments requiring the suspension of disbelief, but in the end, I believe it will be worth the price of admission (Blu-ray rental or purchase), and you will be left “wanting” more.

Video

Universal delivers a near perfect video transfer with their 1080P MPEG4-AVC encode. Wanted arrives on the Blu-ray format with a 2.35:1 framed aspect ratio. This one comes very close to being a 5-star transfer. The Blu-ray sports a cinematic vibe throughout as a thin layer of film grain is retained on the surface. When I say a layer of grain, I hope readers do not freak out. I am referring only to the highest quality cinematic grain, nothing intrusive. Fine details are strong throughout the feature. Outside and exterior shots are superb. Details on buildings don’t get any sharper than this. If you are a fan of seeing every imperfection in an actor’s skin and face, then you are in for a treat here. The transfer is so tight that we can clearly see the rash on Wesley’s neck and all the fine details in the littlest bodies of the flies he had to shoot the wings off of. Skin tones retain a natural appearance while the black levels are rock solid. Every object boasts the three-dimensional pop that us Blu-ray fans crave. The only fault I can find with the transfer is a small handful of shots that are soft in appearance, most notably some nuisances in the textile mill where it appears kind of hazy with the lighting.

Audio

Universal may have not scored perfect in the video category, but they left no room for scrutiny or disappointment in the audio department. Regardless of whether you are a fan of the movie or not, there is no denying that Wanted will knock your walls down with its non-stop action sequences and visceral sensory triggers strategically placed throughout the film. Universal delivers the sensory overload slaughtering with a reference quality DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. This is another title that you are sorely missing out on the full movie experience if you are watching without a surround sound system. The dialogue tracks are delivered crystal clear throughout, even in the utmost moments of extreme action and chaos going on around the main onscreen characters. The low end bass emitted from the track is what dreams are made out of as you not only see the action but you feel it too, a fourth-dimension-like quality. There are so many little nuisances I can pick on here that I don’t know where to start. I guess one of my favorite audio cues taken from the movie is in regards to Wesley’s panic attacks. When he starts suffering his panic attacks, you can hear his heart pounding and the background noise halts to a hazy mute-like tonal effect. It is very hard to describe. You need to experience this audio track for yourself. Another reference point is the Dodge Viper car chase. I am a very big sports car fan so when I can feel the car’s shifting points in the audio track, you know I am in audio nirvana. Last but not least, one of my favorite aspects of Wanted was the music soundtrack creating the overall poppy vibe of the movie. We get treated to a musical score provided by the ever sought after composer Danny Elfman to a Nine Inch Nails song that fits the bill perfectly in the way it was utilized. Energetic soundtracks, like that of Wanted, always make a movie’s momentum a success…in my humble opinion.

Special Features

Universal delivers a smorgasbord of goodies here for the fans of Wanted. Better yet, with the exception of the deleted scenes and digital copy, all the special features are brought to us in High-Definition. You cannot get any better than that. Universal also brings their U-Control functionality to the disc that enables you to enjoy special features while you are watching the movie. Let’s stop wasting time and dive into all the Wanted goods we have to explore. The below list of special features is in the order as listed on the back of Wanted’s cover art.

• Alternate Opening (HD) – This is a 3-minute alternate opening that revolves around the early origins of The Fraternity.

• Assassin Profiles (HD) – Graphics and text are displayed on the screen about certain characters while watching the film with this U-Control enabled.

• Picture-in-Picture (HD) – This is the U-Control video commentary track on the film that pulls material from many of the featurettes included here. The video commentary window seems very large here.

• Cast and Characters (HD) – This is a 20-minute look and chat with the cast of Wanted about their roles. It showcases a lot of the stunts and special effects and contains a hilarious chat with James McAvoy in which he says that without all the special effects, he would have never fit this role because he would rather eat dog poo then become physically fit at the gym.

• Stunts on the L Train (HD) – Here we have a very quick 2-minute look at the dramatic train stunts.

• Special Effects: The Art of the Impossible (HD) – Next we have an 8-minute discussion on what went into creating the special effects of Wanted.

• Groundbreaking Visual effects: From Imagination to Execution (HD) – Here we have an 8-minute behind-the-scenes look at the making of the special effects.

• The Origins of Wanted: Bringing the Graphic Novel to Life (HD) – This is an 8-minute look at Mark Millar’s original comic series of the same name and what changes were made as it was brought to life on the big screen.

• Through the Eyes of Visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov (HD) – This is a 9-minute discussion with the actors and cast about the director’s unique filmmaking approach.

• The Making of Wanted: The Game (HD) – This is a 10-minute glimpse at the film’s video game sequel.

• Extended Scene (SD) – This is a 2-minute scene that really did not need to even be included here. I guess this was just thrown on here so no one could complain there were no deleted scenes.

• My Chat – “My Chat” is a BD-Live feature that allows you to chat live with your friends while you watch the movie through your Internet connected Blu-ray player. I have yet to try this feature. Do I have anyone that wants to try it?

• Wanted: Motion Comics (HD) – This is a U-Control feature that brings the graphic novel to life with narration and sound effects.

• Scene Explorer (HD) – The last U-Control feature we need to discuss here is the “Scene Explorer” that allows you to explore the onscreen action from up to three different perspectives in this multi-angle feature.

• Digital Copy (SD) – Included is a separate disc, which contains a digital copy of the film for on-the-go mobile entertainment. These always look bad in my opinion.

• Easter Egg – You can obtain special cheat codes for the upcoming Wanted videogame by watching the film’s featurettes and by pressing down at the bottom of the Features menu and clicking on the fly icon.

Final Thoughts

I think Angelina Jolie kind of sums it up best in her discussion of the male psyche in the special feature “Cast and Characters” interviews. She and I both believe that the majority of the male population, who feel like a failure in life, will take a liking, very much, to the film Wanted. I think that statement is a given as we witness a man’s transformation from a fragile and weak existence to a man, who by the end of the film, you would never want to mess with. It gives me a sense of hope that life is not all about mundanely pushing pencils at an office desk, but maybe, just maybe, an adventure will find you one day. Call me crazy but these are what dreams are made out of. Wanted is one of my favorite theatrical releases of 2008 and its Blu-ray release does not disappoint. It brings to the format near-reference video, a demo quality audio soundtrack and a slew of extras to spend hours obsessing over. You cannot beat the bargain you get here. I definitely recommend a purchase of this one. Save your money on the rental. Fans of over-the-top action sequences should easily find Wanted a winner they “want” in their Blu-ray collection. I give Wanted my highest recommendation.