She Likes to Watch

“Wanted” comes out of the gate with guns a-blazing

“Wanted,” the new action flick starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie, is a study in incongruities.

Forget the laws of physics. Forget common sense.

This film takes place in an alternate universe where money is no object, assassins are culled from the hottest segment of society, and gunfire and industrial-size explosions fail to draw the attention of, say, a passing beat cop.

It’s all so ridiculous, so over-the-top goofy, that you’ll spend the entire movie with your mouth wide open in disbelief.

James McAvoy (”The Last King of Scotland”) plays Wesley, an overstressed office drone on the brink of emotional breakdown.

He hates his job. He hates his crappy Chicago apartment. He hates his cheating girlfriend and his frat-brother best friend.

Most importantly, he hates the fact that in 25 years of existence, he’s done nothing with his pathetic life to warrant a single Google mention.

Thanks to the magic of movies, that’s all about to change.

While picking up his anxiety meds at an all-night pharmacy, Wesley runs into a foxy woman with an important message: He’s the son of one of the world’s greatest assassins. He has a gift. And somebody’s trying to kill him.

“Wanted” wastes little time initiating Wesley into the wild world of The Fraternity, an ancient guild of assassins that takes its marching orders from the Loom of Fate.

“Our purpose is to maintain stability in an unstable world,” explains the group’s leader (Morgan Freeman). “Kill one, save a thousand.”

Of course, life as an assassin has its perks. How do sports cars, healing hot tubs and a super-hot co-worker sound?

Director Timur Bekmambetov, who wowed fantasy and horror fans with “Night Watch,” makes “Wanted” a gleefully violent adrenaline shot.

Each action sequence pushes the envelope a little further. Each battle boosts the body count.

Meanwhile, we get rumbles of romance between Wesley and the aptly named Fox (Angelina Jolie), and glimmers of our hero’s newfound drive.

Believability is another story, however. With factual fallacies like curving bullets and impossible car crashes, it’s best if you check your brain at the door.

In fact, if you want plot, logic and well-sketched characters, seek elsewhere. But if you’re hungering for the silliest cinematic romp since “Shoot ‘Em Up,” look no further.

That’s the real reason to watch “Wanted,” after all: You have to see it to believe it.

*** Photo courtesy of MovieWeb.com.