Truly Dreadful Film

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

At first I thought this show was going to be a cheap rip off of The Shield, but I was pleasantly surprised. I normally would not be into a show like this (see my NCIS rantings) but Wanted had the unique idea of capturing one of LA's 100 most wanted criminals in each episode as the backdrop for all their stories. Unlike a lot of other crime shows in which the focus is usually "how can we find new ways/reasons for someone to be murdered?" I was on board from the first episode. At times it did try to channel some of the shock value violence that was hallmarked by The Shield, and The Wire to a lesser extent, but it played fairly well on Wanted. I was also surprised how well the role of the team leader was portrayed by Gary Cole, who I would not have expected in a role like that. Some of the other characters weren't quite as likable right out of the gate, but could have been if they'd had the time to develop. I can hope maybe Wanted will be given another chance in the future, but if not, I still look forward to owning the DVDs.

I LOVED this show! I loved the in-your-face I'm-not-going-to-put-up-with-your-crap dialog between the characters. Despite their differences, they always had each other's back yet made mistakes along the way and actually took RESPONSIBILITY for their errors...something many people need to learn how to do. Gary Cole was fantastic as the leader. He loved his team and he loved his family.I cannot BELIEVE TNT canceled this show. I watched every episode. I wish they would consider bringing it back. If they have time slots to show four hours of "Without a Trace" then surely then can fit in one hour of "Wanted".

This wasn't my favorite show, but I thought that it was a very good show. I've never watched The Shield that the other commenter mentioned (maybe I should), but I thought the Wanted characters were believable and I enjoyed learning about them. It was a little hard-core and some of the characters were somewhat harsh, but I enjoyed it because the show was different than anything else that I watch and I enjoyed learning about the characters. While a bit harsh, the characters were likable. The one thing I didn't like was the politics against them so early in the show. That could have waited (or never entered the picture). I have to wonder if this was part of the reason for the show being canceled. I'm disappointed. I wish they would reconsider. I miss the characters.

There are more similarities to The Shield than the previous reviewer (A Mess - September) says. It's gritty. Mistakes happen, wrong decisions are made...just like real life. Some filming techniques are the same with the 'hand held' camera effect. Actors 'get in the way' of the camera moving around like people do instead of taking up a fixed position. The camera moves from actor to actor in dialog, just like you do when witnessing a conversation, instead of jumping from face to face. It's like the viewer is following the action rather than watching it. Language is more realistic for the kind of situations they are in. One final similarity...it's a really good show!