Blu-ray Review: Wanted

Release Date: December 2nd, 2008
Running Time: 110 minutes

The Film

Wanted was one of those films that, for whatever reason, I just didn’t make it out to the theatres to see. I was kicking myself as the previews looked visually stunning. From Russian director Timur Bekmambetov, Wanted possesses a stylistic flair that few films can match. Packed with groundbreaking action scenes, Blu-ray is the only way to truly experience the flair and spectacle of Wanted.

The film stars James McAvoy as Wesley Gibson. He has a boring, by-the-books data entry job and seems destined to do nothing great with his life. To top off his meager existence, his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend. Meanwhile a gnarly assassin named Mr. X (David O’Hara) finds himself the target of a group of snipers. In one of the more awesome things I have seen in a film, Mr. X jumps face first out of a window and proceeds to annihilate his attackers. Unfortunately the snipers were a distraction, and a far more skilled precision hitman named Cross (Thomas Krestchmann) takes out Mr. X from across the city with an impossible shot.

But back to Wesley. One night he heads to the pharmacy to pick up his panic attack medication and meets Fox (Angelina Jolie). She informs Wesley that his father has been killed, and before she can explain more, Cross makes an attempt on Wesley’s life. In a massive action sequence, Fox saves Wesley and introduces him to The Fraternity—a 1000-year-old group of assassins. Led by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), the group receives their hits through the “Loom of Fate” that spells out the targets’ information in binary code. The motto of The Fraternity is simple—kill one, save a thousand. Mr. X, Wesley’s Father, was their best man and Cross killed him. Now Wesley is the only one who can stop him.

Eager to give up his boring life, Wesley decides to be trained by the Fraternity. It turns out his panic attacks are actually a special skill that allows him do the impossible, such as shoot the wings off flies. Wesley begins his training, learning to curve bullets and take a serious beating as he has to figure out just why he has accepted this life. All of his training is for one purpose: to kill Cross. However, as Wesley graduates from the training, he finds out that not everything The Fraternity has told him is the truth.

The story of Wanted is good enough, but it really serves as a guide to get you from one action sequence to the next, and they are mind-blowing. The film employs plenty of “bullet time” slow motion effects, but never seems like a Matrix knockoff. Rather, it is a true-to-form representation of the story’s comic book roots, creating live action moments that have only been realized on the pages of graphic novels. Coupled with solid performances from the entire cast, Wanted is an awesome ride.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 2.35:1, 1080p High Definition transfer. The colors pop off the screen, but are never oversaturated. Detail is impressive in every respect, including the textures in the environments and clothing, as well as the close-ups of the actors. Black levels are very deep for the most part, but a few shots waver in the quality. The print itself is pristine, and the transfer retains a minor level of grain to preserve the film quality. Overall the experience is very, very sharp. My only complaint is that there are very minor inconsistencies in the quality that pop up every once and all that take away from the exquisite polish.

The audio is offered in an English DTS 5.1 Master Lossless audio track, as well as Spanish/French DTS 5.1 Surround Sound with English/French/Spanish subtitles. This is an explosive, aggressive, active mix that is right up there with any other action film seen on Blu-ray. Tons of effects blast across the entire soundstage. What is more impressive is the level of balanced details within the sequences. You can hear all of the distinct sound elements that make a sonic realization of the action moments on screen. The soundtrack is rife with bass and, coupled with the crisp highs, displays a wide dynamic range. In short, this a track that you feel as much as you hear. The one minor problem is that occasionally dialogue can be too soft when mixed in with the action.

The Extras

The “U-Control” section contains four options. The “Picture-in-Picture” option allows you to see interviews and behind-the-scenes footage that pertains to the scenes you are watching in the film. “Motion Comics” brings 9 panels from the comics to life through animation, sound effects, and narration from James McAvoy. “Scene Explorer” allows you to switch between storyboards, behind-the-scenes shots, animatics, and the final cut of certain sequences. “Assassin Profiles” contains text and graphic based information regarding the various killers.

“Cast and Characters” is a 20-minute promotional piece where the actors pump the film up with their thoughts on their characters.

“Special Effects: The Art of the Impossible” is an 8-minute look at Timur’s vision for the action scenes and some of the practical techniques used to achieve those effects. “Groundbreaking Visual Effects: From Imagination to Execution” is an 8-minute continuation of the topics mentioned above, but focuses on the CGI aspects of the scenes.

“Through the Eyes of Visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov” is a 9-minute series of interviews with Timur and the producers talking about his unique filmmaking style.

“The Origins of Wanted: Bringing the Graphic Novel to Life” is an 8-minute featurette on the adaptation process, looking at what is similar and different between the film and the source material.

“Stunts on the L Train” is a 2-minute look at the stunts used in the train sequences.

“The Making of Wanted: The Game” is a 10-minute look at Timur’s involvement in the upcoming video game.

A 3-minute “Alternate Opening” is an impressive sequence that is far more complete that most scenes advertised as such. 2-minutes of “Extended Scenes” flesh out some moments as well.

The disc rounds off with BD-Live options, Easter Eggs, and a Digital Copy of the film.

Final Thoughts

Wanted is pure, adrenalin-driven fun. One of the most visually pleasing films since The Matrix, it would be a shame to miss out on this one in High Definition.