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Move over Indy, Iron Man and Hulk, this summer belongs to a super-assassin. Wanted is a super-adrenaline rush, a breathtakingly superb non-stop action-packed thriller. It’s heavily stylized and violent in Matrix-y fashion and its story treads some highly implausible waters, but it moves so fast and those stunts so amazing you may not care. Wanted is based on a comic book series by Mark Millar that will no doubt please the legions of fan boys interested in the movie.

James McAvoy (Atonement) is hapless Chicago accountant Wesley Gibson (finally, a hero with a truly cool first name), overworked, overstressed and a nancy boy – he does nothing about his disloyal girlfriend, a disloyal best friend and a bully for a boss. His recently deceased father was part of a secret group of underground super-assassins known as The Fraternity.

The Fraternity is led by the powerful Sloan (Morgan Freeman) and lead assassin is Fox (Angelina Jolie), a slender cool cat who packs heat with the best of them. They recruit Wesley to exact revenge on his father’s killer, a rogue assassin who left The Fraternity and is out to destroy them. Since they feel that Wesley is the only one who has the skills to get the job done, they spend endless hours training him turning him from geeky accountant to kick-ass assassin.

Wanted is tremendously nasty, trashy fun and hugely entertaining and peppered by some of the best stunts seen this year. It’s the antithesis of every superhero we know, though Wanted’s central character has superhero qualities. Wanted is directed by Russian filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov in his U.S. English-speaking film debut, who gives the film an edgy Eastern European feel, even though it’s set in America. It’s a highly auspicious debut for Timur, and should definitely open doors to make more films here (he plans to make a Wanted sequel).

Wanted’s script is not near as exciting as the action. It’s an absurd plot written by Michael Brandt and Tim Haas, the writing team responsible for the excellent 3:10 to Yuma remake last year. Still, fans of the comics should note it remains faithful to its dark spirit, with the most liberties taken in the interpretation of the underworld. Even with that, all the storyline twists seems buried under all that action, particularly in its final act.

All the training scenes in Wanted seems a waste given the character’s supposed outcome. You may realize it would have been a lot quicker to have one of the veteran assassins do the job, though these training montages are also energetic and fun. The mumbo jumbo involving some threaded code borders on the banal and is the least interesting aspect of the movie – don’t think about any of these things and you’ll thoroughly enjoy it all.

We are treated to loads of amazing action set pieces in Wanted, intertwined with some cool “bullet-twisting” CG. From the first time Jolie picks up McAvoy, to the final, overlong finale involving lots of peanut butter and rats (a remarkably effective weapon), all of them are awe-inspiring. It’s also extremely violent in places, and may be uncomfortable for some (one scene in particular involving some big knives comes to mind).

The acting in Wanted is above-average given this type of thing. Independent film actor McAvoy is finally given a splashy kick-ass role in a huge mainstream film that will widen his audience base, similiar to what Iron Man has done for Robert Downey Jr. Smallish in stature, he’s the perfect fit for Wesley and has a geeky charm and straight-laced humor that connects him to the audience. This is his Matrix-Keanu-Neo style role that should help propel him to superstardom.

Jolie is a super-cool cat, almost too cool for her own good. She exudes a tough but feminine hotness as she literally glides around the movie. Less successful is stalwart Morgan Freeman, doing his usual, wizened old guy role, but he lends a quality to Wanted that probably wouldn’t have been found elsewhere. Watch also for distinguished British actor Terence Stamp (seen also in Get Smart) in a small but crucial role.

I could use many more adjectives and superlatives to describe Wanted’s breathtaking, over-the-top stunts – most involving a vehicle of some sort – but I’ll just say that Wanted is by far one of the most entertaining movies to emerge in 2008. My hope is there’ll be more of these films (though it’d be tough to bring everyone back). Forget Hulk, Iron Man, Indy, or even those Sex and the City girls, Wanted should be at the top of your must-see movie list.

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