Wanted, which is loosely based on Mark Millar’s comic book series of the same name, takes its audience on an entertaining ride that does not disappoint.  The movie opens with the narration and introduction of Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) as an apathetic doormat, who works a boring office job and ignores the fact that his best friend is sleeping with his girlfriend, coping instead by popping anti-anxiety medication at every turn.  He is seemingly living an unimportant existence until the father that he never knew is killed, setting off a series of events that lead to him leaving his old life to train to become part of a secret society known as the Fraternity that his father had belonged to before he was killed.  Gibson is recruited to the group by a woman known as Fox (Angelina Jolie), who saves him from being shot by a man named Cross (Thomas Kretschmann), the man who shot his father, showing she is one tough chick.  The group is made of assassins whose targets are chosen by a secret code woven by fate.  It is there that he learns that his “episodes” are not panic attacks.  The members of the society are able to move fast enough that time seems to slow around them, as well as do things such as curve bullets and shoot the wings off of flies, which all makes for some pretty amazing feats.

The majority of the movie focuses on Gibson getting constantly battered and healed as training for the job and on revenging his father’s death by killing the assassin who has been killing off members of the Fraternity one by one, which no one has yet been able to achieve.  As Gibson learns to control his newfound powers he must choose his own destiny.

Action junkies will get their fix even from the beginning with a grocery store shoot out, car chases with brilliant special effects, and many other action sequences.  The effects, although some seemingly borrowed from movies such as The Matrix, are definitely up to par with recent blockbusters.  The effects range from exploding rats to spectacular vehicle stunts.  The movie is also fairly bloody as most of the kill shots are in slow motion.

The sets of the movie are believable and illustrate the story well, with filming locations ranging from Hungary to the Czech Republic. 

McAvoy and Jolie deliver solid performances and make a great team with palpable chemistry as she helps to teach him the ways of the society and how to use his powers.  The movie also features Morgan Freeman as the head of the organization, Sloan, who does a superb job as well and has some great one-liners.  The rest of the supporting characters are well cast as well.

The story itself is intriguing with unexpected twists that keep you guessing, leading up to a surprising climax.  Surprisingly, the drama is also interspersed with comedic moments, allowing the movie to appeal to a broader audience.

Wanted is a fun, fast-paced action packed movie with phenomenal special effects, a great cast, and a solid story that is definitely worth seeing this summer.