Wanted
Universal Pictures | Release Date: June 27, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews
Positive:
28
Mixed:
8
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
This over-the-top, ultraviolent, hyperkinetic action thriller pretty much has it all. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
It takes about an hour after it's over for the heart to slow, the brain to recalibrate, and the nonsensicalness of the thing to sink in. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
Bekmambetov revs it up furiously and unleashes one bit of hyperactive, dazzling invention after another. The result is a throwaway wrapped up in the coolest packaging imaginable, which is acres better than the opposite. Read full review
83
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
What's bleakly hilarious about the whole movie is that Bekmambetov directs the nonaction scenes just as hyperbolically. Read full review
80
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Like it or not, Wanted pretty much slams you to the back of your chair from the outset and scarcely lets up for the duration. Read full review
80
EmpireKim Newman
Not as dark as its source material, Wanted works exceptionally on its own terms. McAvoy crashes the A-list, Jolie finally gets to be as big a star on screen as she has been in print, and Bekmambetov proves the most exciting action-oriented emigré since John Woo. Read full review
80
TimeRichard Corliss
The summer's zazziest action movie. Read full review
80
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
For all of its shortcomings, Wanted is a strangely enjoyable flick. Read full review
75
PremiereMalina Saval
If you're looking for memorable dialogue and gripping drama, then you better get in line for another flick. But if it's spellbinding special effects and high-wire acts you crave, Wanted should be at the top of your list for big budget thrill rides. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Brutal, sexy, built to thrill and minus a scintilla of redeeming social value, the movie -- based on a series of comic books by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones -- explodes like summer fireworks. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The way to enjoy this film is to put your logic on hold, along with any higher sensitivities that might be vulnerable and immerse yourself as if in a video game. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Jolie steals the film from nominal star McAvoy in the wild gunfight and dynamically absurd chase that kick Wanted into high gear. Her wicked moves and seductive smirk brand her immediately as a true believer who really, really loves her work. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
His movies are thrilling and ridiculous in equal measure, and I often laughed with incredulous approval as he wreaked havoc. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Best of all, there's a lot of Jolie, barrels blazing. The star's fearlessly sexy hauteur is unique in the biz today. And when she works it in Wanted, she kills, bullets optional. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
There are times when the film is flat-out silly (such as the spinning car assassination), but that's part of the movie's charm. At its worst, Wanted is never boring. At its best, it can be damn close to intoxicating. One word, written without apology, describes it best: fun. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
This is a blockbuster busting out of the block; this is a Hollywood staple served up on a European platter; this is summertime fare with a wintry verve. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle Smith
Wanted is like a 12-armed heavy-metal drummer after a case of Red Bull, flailing and thundering through two hours of impossible action. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJim Ridley
In the end, Wanted may be most notable for cementing the connection between superhero movies and the cinematic craze they have temporarily supplanted, torture porn--both genres that, like "Fight Club," address our ambiguous fascination with being powerless and invulnerable at the same time. Read full review
70
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
With its pounding, bloody violence, foul-mouthed language and putrid worldview, Wanted isn't comic book-y on a par with "Iron Man" or "The Incredible Hulk." Rather it's an example of revenge of the nerds at its nastiest and most vulgar. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Before Wanted reaches the end of its wild course, the violence that's been nothing but oppressive becomes genuinely if perversely impressive; the ritual carnage becomes balletic carnage (railroad cars included); the Walter Mitty-esque hero, Wesley, played by James McAvoy becomes a formidable enforcer of summary justice, and Mr. McAvoy, most memorably the young doctor in "The Last King of Scotland," becomes a certified star. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesSam Adams
Wanted's hyperkinetic antics are sometimes weighed down by a surfeit of adolescent misanthropy. But the adrenaline-overdose strategy works for viewers as well as hit men. As long as Bekmambetov keeps the pedal to the metal, you don't notice the rotten scenery outside. Read full review
70
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Fast-moving and bloody, enjoyable even within its unapologetically generic limits. But McAvoy is its real secret weapon: With his X-ray blue eyes and lips that look bitten with anxiety, he has the miraculous ability to fool us into thinking there's really something at stake here. Read full review
70
SlateDana Stevens
A compendium of bedside erotica. I don't know when I've seen a mainstream movie that so explicitly caters to the S&M niche. And the chemistry of the central couple, which seemed destined to bring the movie down, is instead the hottest thing in this effects-laden but ultimately empty film. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Wanted is a queasily unapologetic power fantasy about becoming a better person through violence. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
The thrilling stunts and hyperkinetic action scenes are the undisputed stars of this surprisingly entertaining film. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Wanted is head-spinning stuff, and it's easy to get caught up in its masterfully manipulated mayhem. Visually, and viscerally, it's pretty awesome. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Slick, stylish and super-violent, but also oddly dull. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeTy Burr
Preposterous, luridly entertaining. Read full review
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