Although James McAvoy's action film Wanted didn't debut as the No. 1 movie in the US (that honor went to Walle-E) it did open in second place with an impressive $51.1 million. Wanted was originally supposed to be released back in March, but Universal Studios decided the film was good enough to be moved to the summer. I saw both movies this weekend, and it was money well spent.
Source: Yahoo!Movies
News and updates on the work of Scottish actors around the world.
Being No. 2 to a Headlining Pixar film is certainly no shame -- I just saw WANTED for the 2nd time, and considering the audience reactions, I think this film will have a 'word of mouth' buzz, and do VERY well !
ReplyDelete(Can you say 'Sequel' ??)
You've seen it twice already? Now I really want to see it again.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the people I work with were talking about how much they loved it. For most of them it's the first time they've even seen James, so I'm really glad he's getting a bigger audience.
As for a sequel I posted something a few months ago about Universal studios hiring the writers to write one. So with the really good opening weekend it would be crazy for them not to shoot a sequel.
I know it's not 'fair' - but I DO get to see films for free - :-) (And - even better - get to watch bits of the McSexiness on my breaks at work!)
ReplyDeleteIs it ok to 'talk' about the film here? Should I say 'SPOILERS' in a post before doing so?
Sure you can talk about the film. If you put SPOILERS before it'll be cool.
ReplyDeleteDid you have a favorite scene?
SPOILER
I loved the part when Angelina's character kissed him in front of his horrible girlfriend.
SPOILER WARNING --
ReplyDeleteAh yes... the little smirk he gives at the end of the kiss is adorable !
I have to be honest though - my favorite scene is when he smacks Barry in the teeth with the keyboard ! Both times I saw it, the audience applauded, cheered and laughed !
The big action sequence at the end too - there was such wonderful shots of James in slow motion, looking so intense & tough.
Oh - and I think that was the BEST 'closing line' of a film since Viggo said "Let's hunt some orc" - :-)
Question for you --- were you not just a wee bit disappointed that the kiss was all he 'did' with A.J.? And, what happened to the scene that was in the trailer, where he says 'Do we bond now?' and she said 'Do you want to?' ??
(This is the 2nd time SHE has let a 'Chance' with a Scot slip by... remember Tomb Raider II ??) :-)
SPOILERS
ReplyDeleteI died laughing when he hit his best friend with the keyboard. It was just too hilarious and a little deserved.
I loved the action scenes where James and Angelina run down the train while it was moving. It just looked very beautiful and very powerful. I also liked the scene after he's just shot his father and he tries to escape from the train by jumping off it with his father's body - it was sadly beautiful.
Part of me thought there should have been way more going on between James and Angie because they're both very sexy people and they had very good chemistry. The other part of me is sort of okay with it because their chemistry was sort of an odd chemistry - could people from two totally opposite ends of the world have gotten together? It would have been pretty sexy though, any excuse to have James shirtless is good with me!
I hadn't noticed they cut part of the trailer out of the film. Why do they do that with movies sometimes? I bet they cut some scenes out. I wonder if they will put these on the DVD?
How can Angelina stand to turn down Gerard Butler AND James McAvoy in one lifetime? At least she got to kiss James. I would have demanded a kiss be forced into the script if it wasn't already there.
I liked the mysticism in the film which you don't get with a lot of summer action films. The whole idea that these people let a LOOM tell them how to live their lives is very interesting and sort of scary.
I hope some of your other readers will see WANTED too, and 'jump in' ! Meanwhile...
ReplyDeleteSPOILER WARNING
I have noticed that 'not in the movie' problem with 'trailers' before - I think it's because the trailers are often created long before the final cut of the film is edited. Sometimes the missing bits DO turn up on the DVD, but sometimes it was just from a different 'take' that the director decided not to use.
I suppose it's 'fan-girl' thinking to imagine Angelina or any actress asking for more 'fun stuff' to be put into a film -- but it's hard not to think that way! NOT like we really need MORE reasons to envy them anyway ! :-)
Being serious - in WANTED 'Fox' must have had mixed feelings towards 'Wesley', considering she knew all along what they were setting him up to do. He DID affect her emotionally - he was able to get her angry, and also to make her want to 'support' him, in the eyes of the bimbo. But she may have been choosing not to get any closer to him than she did.
The 'LOOM' part was cool - and even though the source of the story is basically a 'comic book' - it made me wonder if there was such a story or legend from real history. ('300' was a comic book too!) I did have to wonder though - if they were not hired or paid for the killings, WHERE did all the money come from! Wesley had 3 MILLION in his account, and someone had to buy all those guns and weapons (not to mention the property taxes on a castle in Chicago! - lol)
One more (quick) 'James' point - I loved when he was trying to catch the loom shuttle, and there was the slow-mo shot of his beautiful eyes tracking back and forth!
BTW - I'm sure you've seen it - but 'just in case' -
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2072614656/tt0493464
If anyone has seen Wanted and wants to comment on it they definatly can - whether you loved it or hated it.
ReplyDeleteBTW,thank you for the link to the lovely picture of James!
SPOILERS
Fox probably did have an emotional attachment to Wesley. Even though she was setting him up she eventually sort of gave up her life for him. It must have become sort of lonely for Wesley because who did he have left after Fox died? Even though she was planning on getting rid of him, she was the reason Wesley was able to have a reason to live.
Now that you mention it, where did all the money come from? Who exactly hires the assassins? If they kill people to serve the loom then who on earth pays them? I know Sloan, the leader of the assassins decided to misuse the loom for his own benefits but it makes me wonder who was paying them so much. Wouldn't Fox have asked why they could become so rich even though they were taking orders from a machine?
I also just noticed that there was a giant castle in the city of Chicago! Weird.
Are you going to get to see it again? I only wish I could get you a ticket ! :-)
ReplyDeleteSPOILER WARNING -
I was thinking... I suppose if the 'textile mill' was real, and working, they could be making money that way -- and being around 1,000's of years, perhaps they had good investments - :-)
Though - as I've said - I ADORE the closing scene - I would have liked to have seen Westley with that Monk (the bullet making guy) who obviously had a close relationship with the father. You are right that he has no one else, either from his old life or from the Fraternaty.
One more tidbit - I just noticed today (peeking in on my break!) when he hits Barry with the keyboard, the letter keys that go flying in slow-mo actually spell out... that 'particular' foul-language phrase! :-)
I nearly did go see it again, but a friend I haven't seen in two years subjected me to Hancock of all films. And with The Dark Knight coming out Lord knows if I'll get the chance to watch Wanted again before the DVD comes out.
ReplyDeleteSPOILERS
Hey, you're probably right about the textile mill making money. I didn't even think of that. Over the years they probably made a ton of money.
Maybe in the sequel Wesley and the Monk will work together seeing as how he seems to be the only link to Wesley's past.
LOL, someone noticed the word in the keyboard scene in one of the Russian trailers for the movie (international trailers are always so awesome). That scene was hilarious.
I hear you... I had to 'screen' a print of Hancock for work, and enjoyed it mainly because it was so different - and I do like Will Smith - but it's not a film I'd really recomend, unless the person is a big fan of his.
ReplyDeleteI also have not had the chance to see 'Wall-e' - which I want to see very much, and then this weekend we will get 'Hellboy' and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' in 3-D!
I'm afraid that WANTED may not even play any more after 'Dark Knight' opens! :-(
It's just so great when one of my 'guys' is in a film that I enjoy so much! While I loved James in Atonement, and it was so beautifully filmed - it's just too sad to watch too often - I know I'll never get 'enough' of Wesley!
Hancock was different. I expected it to be one thing and came out going, what just happened? It was so strange I still cannot decide if I like it or not.
ReplyDeleteWall-E was very good. I won't give anything away, but it's very sweet and adorable :)
I'm glad James has a film I can watch over and over again, which is great. The Last King of Scotland is too brutal and Atonement makes me weep buckets, to the point where my mother was terrified of watching it in theaters because she thought she'd make a spectacle of herself. She's reading the book now though.