Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Wanted 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Wanted is an action-thriller based on the original comic book series by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. The film stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman. Executive produced by Gary Barber (The Lookout, Unbreakable), Roger Birnbaum (Glass, Death Wish), Adam Siegel (Drive, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), and Marc Silvestri (The A-Team, The Covenant), Wanted is a fun spin on the title – with the central protagonist finding a new job.

Wesley (James McAvoy) feels like a deadbeat loser who has nothing going on in his life. Working a stale and dead-end desk job, Wesley doesn’t feel like much is going on in his life. In Wesley’s own view, his life is pathetic. Panic attacks and manic sweats are a regular occurrence. Despite stable employment, Wesley isn’t getting any thrills in life until the drop-dead-sexy Fox (Angelina Jolie) enters his life in a surprising way.

Fox introduces Wesley to an underground group called the Fraternity; an organization comprised of elite assassins. The organization is led by Sloan (Morgan Freeman) and Wesley is now a recruit because his father was murdered while active in the organization. Now with a new destiny and lease on life, the former deadbeat is now a part of the Fraternity. Can Wesley rise to the top?

James McAvoy is exceptional in Wanted. The performances are uniformly impressive in the film and the standout performance is absolutely down to McAvoy. This was a great role for the actor and one of the first roles in which he stood out as a major player in Hollywood. This performance was a fun one and one that certainly provided the actor a chance to showcase a nice blend of comedy and action. The frantic side of the character is also something that McAvoy excels at perfectly.

Angelina Jolie was also a major highlight of the film. Wanted has a good ensemble cast. Though Jolie is arguably underutilized in part she still has some great moments to shine (especially during the high-octane action). Jolie doesn’t have as much dialogue or characterization but she does have fun with exploring the role and the physical requirements of the action sequences. One sequence, in particular, shines: Jolie blazing bullets on top of a vehicle in a high-speed chase.

Chris Pratt also delivers a noteworthy performance as one of the supporting actors in the film. Before Pratt muscled up for Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, Pratt plays the aloof and obnoxious friend to Wesley – even though the two are best friends the pair don’t get along as well as they might like to. (The dialogue and comedic exchanges between the two are well-done).

The cinematography by Mitchell Amundsen (Transporter 2, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) is impressive and well done. Though this isn’t first-rate cinematography by any extent of the imagination, the work by Amundsen is nonetheless engaging, creative, and worthwhile. The visuals look nice and the style is certainly a good accompaniment to the action sequences. A solid effort by the cinematographer.

Edited by David Brenner (Avatar: The Way of Water, Born on the Fourth of July), Wanted has a kinetic and fast-paced editing style. This is one of the best things about the film and one of the reasons it is entertaining as a quick-paced action film. Brenner is a talented editor and the efforts here are quite nice. The style is adrenaline-infused and the results keep the action brisk.

The production design by John Myhre (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha) is a compelling aspect of the production as well. Myhre delivers a solid design and it works perfectly well for the action scenes. Though the production design seems less showy compared to some action films the results remain noteworthy and work well with the film.

The costumes by Varvara Avdyushko (Day Watch, Night Watch) are a highlight as well and the designs for Angelina Jolie are a standout in particular. The designs are creative and provide a nice balance of action-packed fun and sophistication. The results work well for the genre.

The score composed by Danny Elfman (Batman, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) adds some excitement to the production. The music adds a nice level of energy to the film and is a good highlight for Elfman. The results are certainly worthwhile. The song selections for the soundtrack are effective and well utilized as well.

Written by Michael Brandt (3:10 to Yuma, 2 Fast 2 Furious), Derek Haas (The Double, 3:10 to Yuma), and Chris Morgan (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Fate of the Furious), Wanted has a superb concept. This is what stands out the most for the script. The ideas are great – even though the script doesn’t utilize Jolie as well as it could have. The dialogue and development for McAvoy’s character impresses and is much more effective.

Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch, Day Watch), Wanted is a great showcase for the talents of the Kazakh-Russian filmmaker. Wanted is an adrenaline rush from beginning to end. The film has an outstanding sense of style. The action scenes are first rate (and one of the key reasons Bekmambetov succeeds so much as a filmmaker). Any fans of genre fare with a nice action bent will enjoy the thrills provided by Wanted.

Wanted 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Shout Factory, Wanted is presented in HEVC / H.265 2160p in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The presentation is outstanding and is one of the best aspects of the release. The 4K UHD encoding is exceptional and this is a remarkable upgrade for 4K. Featuring crystal clear and sharp video with good detail and fine film grain left intact during the film presentation, Wanted looks outstanding. The video doesn't suffer from bad encoding or DNR (digital noise reduction) and looks naturally filmic. A beautiful presentation of the film.

Wanted 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. The 24-bit high-resolution lossless audio sounds crystal clear and enormously engaging during the presentation. This is a quality audio presentation with good depth and LFE.

 The track sounds engaging throughout and the action sequences benefit a great deal from the surround sound mix (which is creative and well stylized). Impressive and engaging audio dynamics, Wanted also capably reproduces the score and the film soundtrack. An optional English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track is also provided on the release.

Wanted 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Alternate Opening (HD, 2:39)

Extended Scene (SD, 1:59)

Cast and Characters (SD, 20:00)

Stunts on the L Train (HD, 2:31)

Special Effects: The Art of the Impossible (HD, 8:28)

Wanted: Motion Comics (HD, 13:56)

Groundbreaking Visual Effects: From Imagination to Execution (HD, 8:07)

Origins of Wanted: Bringing the Graphic Novel to Life (HD, 8:06)

Through the Eyes of Visionary Director Timur Bekmambetov (HD, 9:06)

Wanted 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wanted is an entertaining thrill ride. Fans of the action genre who appreciate excellent staging will find the filmmaking exciting. Stars James McAvoy, Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman are all great in their respective roles. McAvoy, in particular, delivers a strong performance. Jolie has the most fun with her role and provides a sense of adventure with her action sequences. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch), Wanted is a great showcase for the director and action fans will find the film to be enormous fun.

The 4K UHD release includes an exceptional 2160p presentation and the release has beautiful film grain. The presentation is free from digital noise reduction and other annoyances. Wanted has arguably never looked so great before. Having seen the film theatrically, the 4K UHD is a big improvement with even more razor-sharp clarity than it had during the theatrical run. The film plays even better on 4K and is certainly a fun ride. Highly recommended.