Ancillary Research: Magazine Review Analysis: Wanted (EMPIRE)

Film Information:
'Wanted' is an American action-thriller, following the character Wesley Bibson (James McAvoy), as he discovers he is the son of a professional assassin. The film was directed by Timur Bekmambetov on a budget of $65 million. The film was released in June 2008 and distributed by Universal pictures. The film has a BBFC age rating of 18, due to it's violent and sexual tendencies. The review has have chosen for analysis is from Empire magazine (a predominantly British based magazine company)

Images:
This review page feature three images from the film. One of the images is behind the scenes and features the director and main actor coordinating a stunt including a gun. The caption below the image identifies the people in the picture for the reader. This identifies the genre of the film as action, as it is a genre that typically includes action sequences and violence. The second image displays the main actor (James McAvoy) running, in what is likely to be an action sequence within the film. This again places the film within the action genre and suggests to audience that the film is fast paced and exciting. The inclusion of James McAvoy within both of these images also identifies who the main protagonist and lead actor is, and thus may intrigue fans of his previous work. This may also be true for the inclusion of the director in the first image, as fans of his work will be drawn to the film.

The third image on the page is of the secondary protagonist of the film played by Angelina Jolie. In this image we see her driving a car and shooting a gun our of the window. In this image, Angelina's character is depicted as a strong female lead. This therefore subverts many of the typical female archetypes within film and thus may intrigue the audience and appeal more to female viewers. Also, the inclusion of a gun throughout these three images suggests to the viewer that violence is a key element of the narrative for this film. Therefore singling out lovers of action and violence as the target audience of this film.

Mis En Scene:
Within the images shown, Bibson has been dressed in worn, dirty clothes. This connotes grit and toughness and thus conforms to the action genre of the film. The location of the first image also suggests this. The derelict environment and rubble across the floor again connotes violence as it appears to be a battlefield-like location. Again, the use of guns as props coincides with the violent narrative of the film.

Use of Colour:
There is a very consistent colour scheme within this review. A muted green has been used frequently throughout the page for both text, backgrounds and text boxes. This colour marries well with the green of Bibson's jacket and thus the page appears professional and visually interesting. The colour green may also connote themes of growth that coincide with the narrative as Bibson learns to become an assassin. This is the only use of colour within the review and therefore presents all of the information as equally important as no text has been specifically highlighted.

Orthography and Graphology:
Orthography has been used throughout the page in order to highlight the beginning of each new segment. The first portion of every leading sentence had been capitalised and written in a green font. The draws the reader's attention and highlights important information. The majority of the text however, remains in a simple-to-read Times font and therefore ensures that the information remain clear and easy to read for the viewer.

A text box has also been included within this review displaying the institutional information of the film. The title of the film has been written in a white font, thus making it stand out against it's green background. The title for each piece of information has also been highlighted in a bold font, in order to make the information clear for the reader.

Text:
The first line of the review immediately identifies the name of the film, the original material it was based upon and directly addresses the reader with the pronoun 'you'. This is a very direct approach in reviewing the film as the author is inclusive of the audience. They also jump straight into what the film is and what it is about, thus immediately providing the audience with information.

One quotation from the director has been featured on this page in a large, bold, white font; 'the CG will make James a hero!'. The use of an exclamation mark connotes a sense enthusiasm and thus makes the film appear more exciting to the audience. The use of the word 'hero' also hints towards the narrative of the film as a conventional action film, and again appeals to fans of that genre.

How Does the Review Advertise the Film?
This review displays a consistent marketing campaign with its use of colour and frequent referencing to the genre of the film. The review also includes institutional information along with images of the key cast members and director, thus intriguing the fans of the those particular individuals. Therefore I believe that this review page successfully draws in the correct audience and from there, uses effective language and imagery to advertise the film.