Collegiate Times

What do you get when you combine "The Matrix" with "Fight Club?" You get "Wanted," a ridiculously entertaining film, half office humor, half super assassin action movie.

One of the first scenes sets the mood: an imposing man runs through a hallway dodging sniper fire from a nearby skyscraper. He shoves people aside, struggling to reach the elevator. He jams the call button repeatedly, and the door dings open. Whew, he's safe.

But not so fast. He uses the elevator wall as a springboard, sprinting back down the hallway, wind streaming off his body to knock people aside. He leaps through the window, the glass bulging and shattering in slow motion, to fly 40 feet at the snipers to put them down. He even spins a bullet around a brick column to get one.

Fantastic.

But, aside from that one scene, "Wanted" starts off more as a comedy than an action movie.

Wesley Gibson ("Atonement's" James McAvoy), is an accounts manager who doesn't seem to have much going for him. He hates his job, he knows his girlfriend is cheating on him with his best friend, and he's got about enough money in his bank account to buy a pack of bubblegum. As Wesley says in the beginning, the only thing he cares about anymore is the fact that he doesn't care anymore.

It's a rather ironic statement considering the fact that such high-octane movies as "Wanted" are sometimes blamed for desensitizing audiences to violence, sex, and drama. It can get harder to care when beautiful long-legged women, explosions, car chases, and, above all, heroes whose actions make a difference are only a ticket or a DVD away.

"Wanted" shows a keen awareness of its audience and a playful ability to make fun of itself. One of the funniest scenes involves an ATM that presents Wesley with an option: "You are pathetic. Correct or incorrect?" It doesn't really make sense, but it's funny anyway. And the main character even goes so far as to call the entire audience (meaning you and I) "pathetic."

That's bold.

The second half of the movie centers around the weaver's guild of assassins. And, before you ask, yes they get their targets from a Carpet of Fate. Or rug. Or whatever. In an utterly delightful car chase, Fox (Angelina Jolie) rescues Wesley and takes him to meet the leader Sloan (Morgan Freeman -- he's in everything).

Begin ridiculous action. Bullets are curved around people, block other bullets, detach into multiple pieces like rockets, and get healed by soap (or mud, or something). Provided you have no problem with checking reality at the door, the over-the-top action sequences are just right for the modern movie-watcher. They are so fun to watch that I found myself giggling at many of them.

The actors play convincing characters, despite the action. James McAvoy, new to the action scene, is just right for the role of a young office employee already tired of his life. Angelina Jolie is imposing, sexy and ultimately a little sad. Morgan Freeman is, well, Morgan Freeman.

The movie does have its flaws. I hate voice-over (am I watching a movie or a book on tape?), which thankfully disappears by the second half. But the script also loses much of its sense of humor as it goes along. The story has its requisite twists and turns, but they're not overly surprising. These days movies require twists of twists of twists. Thank you, Lost.

But really the humor, the action, and the sheer blood-festooned implausibility of it all are so engrossing that I hardly even noticed these flaws.

So as long as gratuitous violence doesn't upset you, "Wanted" is a fantastic action movie that knows no bounds. You'll laugh and you'll be wowed and you'll shake your head in bemused incredulity. Go and check it out, but whatever you do, don't try to curve a bullet next time you go to the shooting range. It doesn't actually work.

Grade: A