With the release of “Most Wanted,” Keenen Ivory Wayans is looking to achieve “triple threat” status as an entertainer, something not even Oprah can claim. Because while Wayans remains a superb sketch comedian and a competent talk show host, he leaves something to be desired as an action hero.
Of course, it doesn’t help that he has written himself a script that looks, feels and smells like it came straight out of a beginning screenwriting class, complete with clumsy exposition, questionable motivations and broadly written characters.
Wayans plays Sgt. James Dunn, a Gulf War sharpshooter and sniper who’s been sentenced to death for accidentally killing a superior officer who was ordering him to shoot a 10-year-old Iraqi boy. Just days before his execution, however, Dunn is visited in prison by Lt. Col. Grant Casey (Jon Voight, sporting a good ol’ boy accent), who is willing and able to grant Dunn his freedom. All he has to do is join Casey’s elite assassination squad. Dunn agrees, and is immediately given the assignment of gunning down a crooked industrialist (Robert Culp) at a gala event. But the first lady is killed instead, by a different member of the team, with Dunn being set up as the fall guy on the run.
What’s fascinating about this premise is that while Dunn was perfectly willing to murder an industrialist in cold blood, he is shocked — shocked! — when people accuse him of killing a woman. Nothing like gallantry in a hit squad.
And speaking of gallantry, the only person who realizes that Dunn is innocent is shapely Dr. Victoria Constantini (Jill Hennessy from TV’s “Law and Order”), who was videotaping the event. So Dunn takes her hostage, and together they lead not only Casey and Co. but also the police and the CIA on a merry chase through the streets and back alleys of Los Angeles.
The highlight of the film, aside from the huge amount of scenery-chewing by Voight (who obviously recognizes a ridiculous script when he sees one), is the stunts, most notably a gigantic series of car crashes on a freeway involving some 30 cars and a group of greedy citizens who are chasing Dunn for the large reward on his head.
But other than that, “Most Wanted” is pretty standard stuff, lacking any of the elan or panache that are obligatory in state-of-the-art action films these days.
As for Wayans, it might be prudent for him to stick to comedy and leave the Rambo shtick to the usual stiffs. At least until Stephen Seagal gets his own talk show.
”MOST WANTED”
(star) (star)
Directed by David Glenn Hogan; written by Keenen Ivory Wayans; produced by Eric L. Gold; photographed by Marc Reshovsky; production designed by Jean-Philippe Carp; music by Paul Buckmaster. A New Line Cinema release; currently playing. Running time: 1:39. MPAA rating: R. Violence, strong language.
THE CAST
James Dunn………….Keenen Ivory Wayans
Grant Casey…………Jon Voight
Victoria Constantini…Jill Hennessy
Donald Bickhart……..Robert Culp
Ken Rackmill………..Paul Sorvino
Spencer…………….Eric Roberts
