Wanted ***

If you find an unfamiliar rawness and originality in the action sequences in "Wanted," it's no accident. Director Timur Bekmambetov, who wrote and directed the two highest-grossing Russian films of all time, "Night Watch" (2004) and "Day Watch" (2006), brings the same sensuality, fresh perspective, and visceral action of those movies to his first Hollywood feature.

The "Watch" movies tell the story of an ancient rivalry of the forces of good and evil being fought in the criminal underworld and the supernatural other world of Moscow, and combine elements of sci-fi, horror, and action movies. What he lacked in budget Bekmambetov made up in breath-taking inventiveness. Available in both subtitled and dubbed versions, they are well worth the rental. And he's currently working on the final film of the trilogy, "Twilight Watch," reportedly due for release in 2009.

Angelina Jolie and James McEvoy chose this project well. McEvoy now has the actioner notch in his belt, and Jolie proves she can still deliver. There's a murky back story about an ancient league of assassins, but mostly the movie is a chance for a nerdy cube-dweller (McEvoy) to break out of his loser life and become something completely, fiercely different. It's a transparent teen-age fantasy, but it works.

And there's imagination to burn. The action sequences - superbly edited by David Brenner - will surprise, scare, and entertain, which is just what we want in a summer movie.

Rated R. 110 minutes. Timur Bekmambetov - Director, Michael Brandt - Writer (screenplay) (story), Derek Haas - Writer (screenplay) (story), Chris Morgan - Writer (screenplay), Mark Millar - Writer (comic book series), J.G. Jones - Writer (comic book series), Jim Lemley - Producer, Jason Netter - Producer, Marc E. Platt - Producer, Iain Smith - Producer, Mitchell Amundsen - Cinematographer, Danny Elfman - Composer, John Myhre - Production Designer, David Brenner - Editor. Distributed by Universal Pictures.

Principal actors: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common, and Angelina Jolie.