Wanted

Russian-born director Bekmambetov keeps the pace smoking and makes Michael Bay (and others of his ilk) look like hacks and wimps. Or like Wesley Gibson (McAvoy) when we first meet him--a humiliated office drone. Picked up by Fox (Jolie), Wesley's informed that the dad he never knew was just killed and also happened to be an assassin who belonged to a secret society called the Fraternity. Wesley is taken to meet boss Sloan (Freeman) and told to man up so he can get revenge on rogue Cross (Kretschmann), who offed his pops. After some brutal training, Wes heads for his confrontation. The violence is as excessive as it is ridiculous. So what? It's also well-done. Adapted from Mark Millar and J.G. Jones's cult comic.