Turbo-paced, gravity-defying, sanguine-splattered and morally ambivalent: this is “Wanted” in a nut-shell. The film marks Angelina Jolie’s returns to the action mould as heavily-tatted assassin Fox who is charged with rescuing nobody Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy making his timely Hollywood blockbuster debut) from a miserable existence and inducting him into the folds of the Fraternity, a secret clan of killers headed by Morgan Freeman’s Sloan, in which Wesley’s absent father had been the golden boy before his calculated betrayal and murder.

That’s pretty much all you need to know to get a feel for what we’re talking about. Is it a bit of a “Matrix” knock-off? Absolutely. But then again, the premise on which the “Matrix” relies is hardly new. “Wanted”, like “Matrix”, like “Star Wars” – hell, like “Lord Of The Rings” and, dare I say it, the New Testament – is based on the ancient blockbuster formula of Average Joe who is plucked from his Average Life by a Wise Old Teacher and introduced to a World Of Magic And Mystery through which he realises his Ultimate Potential and experiences a Life-Affirming Realisation. The formula is as old as humanity itself, but there’s a reason why it reappears over and over again in popular culture – because it’s fucking awesome and we’re all fucking nuts for the idea that each of us could be the next Neo or Wesley Gibson. Weave in the perfunctory Freudian/Oedipal threads, add a relatively original spin and you’ve got Cinema Gold, baby. Welcome to Blockbusters R Us plc. Ta daa – “Wanted”.

So is it all that different from the centuries of noise that preceded it? To put it simply: yes. It’s had some iffy reviews, but I quite liked it.

“Wanted” more than earns its 18 restriction and is chock with gore, blood, bullets and knives. The stunts are Matrix-esque and the things that Wesley and his mates can do with cars will make your eyes bleed. The relentless action, however, does come at a price – Russian director Timur Bekmambetov (”Night Watch”, “Day Watch”) struggles a bit with the dialogue, which feels forced throughout (McAvoy’s cringe-worthy yank accent doesn’t help), and the heavy soundtrack is perhaps a little cheesy. But the Ruskie does bring a decidedly un-American, Machiavellian feel to the comic-inspired picture which makes for a refreshing change from the wealth of US competition that the movie faces within its genre.

The last twenty or so minutes of “Wanted” are arguably its finest. A lot of the seemingly scrappy loose-ends and plot-holes from the rest of the movie suddenly come together as events and preconceptions are artfully twisted and turned. McAvoy’s mandatory Keanu Reeves showdown is executed with a flair that would make John Woo cream his pants, and the film’s closing sequence masterfully completes a relatively well-concealed circle on a number of levels, leaving the audience with a sweet, satisfactory aftertaste. We’ll just agree to forget about the movie’s silly final quip.

Whilst “Wanted” does suffer in certain departments, it is thoroughly entertaining and offers mindless, bloody escapism in gigantic, heady dollops. If this sort of shit is up your street, check it out.

Oh yes – you also see Angie’s naked ass. Nice.