I went to see Wanted on Friday, and even though many of the themes are the same from the MIllar comic, everything else was totally off.  From the “fate” weaving machine, to the magic bullet theory, what was really missing was the “Oh Shnike!” moments that played better in the comic.

Was the movie enjoyable?  As an action flick, yes.  As a comic book adaptation, a big no.  I’ve heard some grumblings that the movie was a real downer, with the bad guys winning in the end.  In a movie filled with moral ambiguity having the lesser evil win, sat just fine with me.

Still, I missed the super villains, and the jumping to other worlds.  Perhaps that would be too fantastical for audiences to grasp and enjoy in a year when the movie theaters are filled with comic book adaptations.

While Wanted did well in its first weekend, bringing in $51.1 million - half of the opening weekend gross of Iron Man, and just slightly behind Incredible Hulk - it fell way behind Disney’s Wall-E, which brought in $62 million.

If fan reaction was tepid this past weekend, I expect Wanted will tumble at least 60% next weekend.  If you want a good action movie with some very very cool action sequences, then Wanted is probably a flick for you.  If you want to see Shithead and Fuckwit and a slew of other super villain cameos, then reread your Wanted trade.

It looks pretty good, and borrows a great deal from the original, but without F-Wit and S-Head (and all the other superhero references) this will be a good movie, but not a perfect adaptation.

High Definition version can be found here.

When we discussed Wanted in the last Major Spoilers Podcast, we speculated how far the film would deviate from the original series. While there are still some things that will be very different, there are a great number of things that are taken directly from the page.

Empire Online has a quick featurette on its site that compares the book and the movie.

via Empire Online

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up. This week on the Major Spoilers Podcast, the panel will be reviewing Mark Millar and J.G. Jones’ Wanted from Top Cow.

What if everything in your life was out of your hands and those around you propelled your fate? Your girlfriend left you for your best friend; your boss gave your job to someone better. What if then, after all this, someone gave you back total control? What if he revealed you were the next in line to join a secret society of super-villians that controlled the entire planet? Mark Millar and J.G. Jones provide a look at one man who goes from being the world’s biggest loser to the deadliest assassin alive.

We want your feedback on the trade paperback, and if you would like your comments to appear in the show, hit the comments section below to chime in.

Check out the latest Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman trailer for Wanted.

Wanted Exclusive Trailer

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Cool.

I haven’t read the comic series, but after seeing the new trailer for the Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman movie, I really want to see Wanted (and not just because of the implied nude scene pictured above).

If you missed the XLII commercial spot, head over to Yahoo! Trailers to check out the TV spot and theatrical trailer.

via Yahoo!

Top Cow has announced the launch of the Wanted website in support of the upcoming feature film based on the Mark Miller and JG Jones series, and staring Angelina Jolie.

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You can read that headline in a number of different ways. If you are familiar with my life outside of comics, you’ve probably seen me write or comment about the Red One digital camera developed by Jim Jannard of Oakley glasses fame. This is one of those revolutionary pieces of technology that should officially release in a couple of weeks at the National Association of Broadcasters convention.

In order to get a piece of equipment out to the mass market, it needs to be tested and developed, and that means beta testers. As much as I want one, like many others I’m going to have to wait. But not everyone suffers the same fate as poor poor pitiful me. Word out of Prague this morning is the Red One camera will be used to “film” Universal’s adaptation of Mark Miller’s graphic novel Wanted.

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Who doesn’t want Angelina Jolie? According to Variety, Universal Pictures has snagged the actress to star with James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman in Wanted. The action film is based on the graphic novel of the same name.

McAvoy will play a young man who discovers his father is an assassin, only to learn shortly thereafter that his dad has been murdered. The youth is drafted to follow in his father’s footsteps. Jolie will play an assassin who teaches the ropes to the wannabe killer.

The script is by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, with a rewrite by Dean Georgaris, and is to be directed by Timur Bekmambetov.

via Variety (link)

James McAvoy has been signed on to star in the Universal Pictures adaptation of Top Cow’s Wanted. The story follows a put-upon young man who discovers that his long-lost father is an assassin. After his dad is murdered, the son is recruited into a covert organization of killers and trained to follow in his father’s footsteps.

via Hollywood Reporter (link)