Despite the fact that I’ve seen quite a few James McAvoy movies since my first McAvoy Meter review, I’ve kinda been slacking on updating everyone on my drooling sessions. So here’s another one, of his most recent movie, “Wanted.”
Year of Release: 2008. Synopsis: Wesley Gibson is your Average Joe accountant working a dead-end job, dating a cheating girlfriend, and best friends with an annoying jerk. When he discovers he’s the son of a super-human assassin–and he possesses all of the same capabilities–he is inducted into the elite world of professional high-stakes killers. Loosely based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar. Character: Wesley Gibson. Lead character of this action-packed film also starring Angelina Jolie as his assassin school mentor.
How Much Screen Time Does James Have?: It’s basically all James all the time. But, Is He Shirtless?: Yup. But only in one sequence. A pity since he significantly beefed up for the role.
Most Memorable James Moment: When Wesley lets loose on his irritating boss and co-workers after discovering his new found badass powers.
The Bottom Line: The movie is utterly stupid and unbelievable, but entertaining. James doesn’t get much of an opportunity to flex his acting muscles in between all of the ultra-violent shooting, dodging, and running, but when he does, he reminds us that he is in fact a great Actor. Although the genre and action in the movie is super-cool, his wardrobe and hair don’t (and can’t) really capitalize on his boyishly handsome looks. His American accent wavers at times, but in general pretty believable.
Final Rating: 5 on the McAvoy Meter for his dominating screen time and cool stunts.
Although I love both, I have to say, James is on a hot streak and has been doing some of his finest acting work in the recent pictures he’s been in…Ewan hasn’t had a hit in a while. But both are capable actors, although IMHO, Ewan will always be my favorite hottie Scottie. You just cannot beat Obi-Wan.
I have often been accused of having incurable Anglophilia, but IT’S JUST NOT TRUE, OK? I actually have Scotophilia, which is the obsession with Scottish people. Am I to be held negatively responsible for their hot accents?
8:29PM: Sitting down with a quart of Ben & Jerry’s right now in front of the television, waiting for the Oscars to start. Will update when something notable happens.
8:35PM: Daniel Day Lewis, earrings on both ears… yay or nay? Colin Ferrel, how/why is he allowed at the Oscars?
8:36PM: James McAvoy! Sitting next to wifey and nominee Saoirse Ronan.
8:40PM: I love the joke about the black/woman President, “how will we know it’s the future?”
8:42PM: Jennifer Garner, why is there a giant piece of hair falling all over the front of your face? Girlfriend has never met a boob-squishing strapless dress she hasn’t liked.
I skipped over reading anything Angelina said, but I was particularly intrigued by what James McAvoy had to say about the movie that inspired him to be an actor:
It sounds weird, but there’s a film called “The Goonies.” [Laughter] And I mean it with all my heart. As a young boy that film made me cry because it’s about how you still have your problems at 10 years old or 12 years old. When I was little, you didn’t get chased by pirates and you didn’t get chased by gangsters and nobody was trying to kill you with guns, but your adventures were no less exciting. It helped inspire my imagination.
As you may have realized, I have gigantic crush on newly BAFTA nominatedScottish actor James McAvoy. Since becoming infatuated with him, I’ve started to rent and go see a good number of movies in which he’s starred in.
And since a good majority of other girls I have talked to about James McAvoy also seem to have swoon-worthy feeling towards him, I thought it might be a fun idea to review as many James movies as possible–but based on slightly different criteria than most critics would use. Basically the only criteria that will matter to my reviews pertain to how much screen time James has in the movie, how often he is shirtless, and other similarly important factors.
…when it comes to drinking, that is… Check out this preview clip from the Golden Globes Dateline special where Atonement star James McAvoy (and my favorite Scottish actor of the moment) reveals how his inability to drink large quantities of alcohol prevented him from becoming the “rocker” child he longed to be in his youth:
Sadly, due to the WGA and SAG boycott of NBC’s broadcast of the Golden Globes, you will not see dear Jamesy pick up his award, if he is to win for Best Actor.
Ever since he scampered onto the screen as Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, James McAvoy has been on my shortlist of most favorite movie star crushes. Sorry, but I’m a sucker for pale, blue-eyed Scottish boys. Throw in the fact that he’s wee (James is only 5′7″) AND has a vague resemblance to Sondre Lerche, and well, I’m hooked of course. Just like Scot hottie Ewan McGregor, James is a very fine actor, which increases his hottness by 10.
Anyhoo, I just saw him in Atonement, the film adaption of the novel by Ian McEwan co-starring Kiera Knightley. Having read the book before seeing the movie was probably the main cause of why I thought the movie wasn’t all THAT great, and I really wished that there had been more James (of course). Atonement still has nothing on his performance in The Last King of Scotland.
But in any case, I’d love to see him get recognized for his work in Atonement at this year’s Academy Awards, as well as Sondre for his music for Dan in Real Life. Just imagine it: James McAvoy AND Sondre Lerche at the Oscars. My head would surely explode!
Check out James being interviewed about being nominated for awards on “Shootout.” The full episode of him being interviewed alongside Atonement director Joe Wright) airs again this Sunday at 11am on AMC:
Here’s Sondre talking about music and blah blah blah to some dude from YeboTV:
