I’ll be honest, I was nervous. I feared that Wanted would be just another Smokin’ Aces or Shoot ’em Up. Not that I didn’t enjoy those two movies, I did, but I hoped Wanted would be something more. I wasn’t disappointed. What I was disappointed about (as I’ve already blogged) is the limited release it has in the UK, hardly any performances and no premier seating. Anyway, we decided to catch it today and I’m glad we did.

Wanted is the story of a collection of assassins (The Fraternity) who are under siege from a rogue member, and they need Wesley (James McAvoy) to come and save them. It’s based very loosely on a comic book of the same name (there are some major differences, it’s not a comic book adaptation, it’s a screenplay based on some concepts in the comic book). It’s rated 18 in the UK, and it deserves that rating with some reasonably graphic scenes. As you can imagine, being about a group of assassins, there’s a lot of killing and I’m sure the movie will be lambasted as glorifying gun use.

But the reason I wasn’t disappointed is that Wanted is deeper than just a movie about killing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a deep movie, but it’s not simply another Shoot ’em Up either. The screenplay is interesting, McAvoy’s character (the only one who really has any depth) is well played, the pace is superb and the adrenaline pumping action is very, very good. But what brings this movie just a notch above the standard is the tale of morality and what happens when you achieve absolute power.

The twists aren’t unexpected, and they aren’t ground breaking, but they turn an otherwise flat action movie into something just a little more thoughtful and I’m looking forward to seeing it again as soon as it comes out on DVD.

Once the credits were rolling and what it was about began to sink in, I found myself playing earlier scenes in the film back in my head straight away; realising how some of the elements and threads had been laid down from a very early stage. That was enjoyable and gave the movie more credibility in my view, that it wasn’t merely an excuse to see Angelina Jolie shooting guns and looking hot – although that’s a credible aim as well, obviously.

Don’t take the kids, don’t take your pre-conceptions, but do go along expecting something fun, entertaining and not entirely without morality.

It would be wrong to say that Hollywood only delivers big blockbusting movies that appeal to the lesser emotions, but it would be right to say that sometimes Hollywood manages to deliver big blockbuster movies that are gripping, visually impressive and exciting to watch. Iron Man is really entertaining.

Iron Man avoids the mistakes of so many comic book conversions and bad sci-fi movies. The story is simple and yet engaging, that simplicity ensures there aren’t any moments where you wonder what happened, what’s going on or why something is happening. That simplicity also provides a good structure to keep the story moving at all times with a good pace. The effects don’t obliterate the excellent performances from the main cast either. Downey’s performance is superb, full of charisma and character. Maybe he’s a little over the top, but this is a comic book hero.

So anyway, it’s exhilerating, interesting and exciting, the visuals are stunning and crisp and the sound track was moving and thrilling. I really enjoyed Paltrow’s performance as a counter-point to Downey. There aren’t any huge guffs in the plot, we know who the good guys are and we find out who the bad guys are, and righteous justice is delivered to all who deserve it.

A visual feast, without being overly busy on-screen, and thoroughly entertaining.