Movies in Review: "Wanted"

So, saw the new Jolie/McAvoy movie "Wanted" tonight with E.

Not sure that a second of the flick passed without someone's brains being shot out, but that's beside the point of this post. The movie is high adrenaline, high action, explosive CGI stunts and sequences, interesting (and some predictable) twists, and a sorta corny ending line. (Perhaps it was the delivery? I don't know, McAvoy could say damn near anything and be perfect in my eyes. It just seemed a little unnecessary.)

Anyway...

As I left the theatre, wondering how many heads were shot up (or through), I realized that I was able to connect to a part of the movie on a personal level. It was McAvoy's monologue toward the beginning. Between the images of his cramped cubicle, data-entry life; his girlfriend's affair (BTW, Ang, Sex and the City was FAR more graphic); and his fat, loud, donut-and-cake eating boss, which was another very stereotypical Hollywood portrayal of obese people (was it even necessary to show her to such an extreme?!?), McAvoy's character talks about his mundane and pointless life. Basically it was about how mind-numbing, unimportant, and uninspiring his job is.

I felt his pain.

I even leaned toward E to tell her that. She laughed. I hope she realizes that I was serious. 'Cause I was. I really felt his pain. And then he started killing people left and right. I don't think I'll go that far -- I'll just move to New Hampshire and hopefully start a new chapter of my life and not recycle an old one.

Then there was the underlying question: "Who am I?" I also related to that a bit.

Side note: Speaking of "killing people right and left" read the following article about this guy in Houston who shot and killed two burglars who were taking things from his neighbor's house in 2007: Joe Horn. The guy got off this week and won't be charged with the murders. We had a discussion about this at lunch. An interesting, eye-opening discussion. I won't post it here, but I'm curious about what any of you think. Right decision... or wrong? Personally, I feel it's wrong (wrong to get off with a slap on the hand, for killing people that weren't even stealing your things), but then things are pretty backwards here in Texas in regard to guns. [Read the article that started the great lunch debate: here. Or CNN's Roland Martin's commentary here. For the record, I agree with everything he said.]

Back to the movie: The beginning monologue (if you can technically call it that) was about all that was realistic to me. The rest was a bloody -- and fantastically intense -- display of angst.

I give the movie a B- maybe a C+.

I'll probably buy it for my DVD collection. You know... for times when I just feel like killing something. [Not sure that I've ever been pushed that far, but we all have our breaking moments, I'm sure.]

I don't think the movie had any negative effects on me as far as violence is concerned. Although . . . I did sorta speed home after dropping E off. "Weaving" in and out of traffic as I jammed out to my new Shinedown CD. Track one has a nice "killer" -- although somewhat repetitive -- vibe.

:) Fun times.