10 Movie Mentors Who Were Actually Complete Morons
8. Sloan - Wanted
Universal Pictures
Sloan seems to suffer from the same sort of training-based idiocy as Ra's Al Ghul. Played by Morgan Freeman in a rare bad performance - yeah I said it - he brings in James McAvoy's Wesley Gibson to help kill errant assassin Cross, who left Sloan's organisation and now seems to really want to kill the poor, panic attack-stricken chap.
So under the pretence that Cross killed his father, Wesley undergoes an extensive, brutal training regime to help turn him into Captain Assassin and face down the betrayer. So far, so Star Wars. Now, I dont have to tell you that Sloan, or more precisely his men (and Angelina Jolie) succeed. It'd be a pretty poor film otherwise. But as soon as Wesley actually kills Cross, Sloan springs the surprise and orders Wesley himself killed to block out the fact that he's been manipulating everyone using a loom (seriously). Wesley avoids becoming fish food and turns the tables in what must be the only rat-based vengeance to ever grace on the silver screen. All this begs the question: why train a man of questionable loyalty to such heights in the first place? Granted, the film attempts to explains this by saying Cross is so awesome he'll kill everyone who dares cross him but his son, but this doesn't go far enough.
Frankly, the whole idea just seems fraught with risk. What if Wesley figured out that Sloan had been lying to him all along before the intended time? All it would take was one errant photograph in the Fraternitys headquarters, and the whole mission would be kaput. In fact, why even train him properly at all? We've already established that Cross wont shoot Wesley if he sees him, but he's more than capable of defending himself if Wesley turns violent. Why not keep him as a quivering wreck, and have him covertly cap Cross at the first opportunity? By giving him the skills and later the motivation, Sloan effectively signed his own death warrant. It would have been funny if it wasn't so easily avoidable.
Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League.
You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.
