Sooooo much fun. Completely exhilarating! Great trip to the movie theater. Very different from Iron Man, but just as completely what I am looking for in an action movie. My two favorite movies of the year so far. No fucking doubt about it.

I LOVED IT. Dad LOVED it. Nipper loved it. Michelle liked but didn’t love it. The Chicago Reader hated it (prompting this response from Michelle: Damn! I liked it a little more than that dude. Who apparently doesn’t understand the difference between REALITY and a FUCKING MOVIE.).

Where it suffers in comparison with Iron Man:

• The underlying mythology isn’t as strong. With Iron Man, it’s very clear why he decides to do what he does, what’s driving him, it makes sense in a very cause-and-effect way. When he sits in front of the press and says “somehow we’ve become comfortable with zero accountability” it’s like a jolt to your (any actual smart, responsible person’s) heart, a direct attack on the fucked up situation of today. With Wanted, it’s more smoke and mirrors. A very “In the Name of the Rose” or “DaVinci Code” type background. I mean, that’s fine, except that no one ever questions “who’s running the loom?” No one ever wonders who’s in the background pushing the buttons? The assassins committed to this society BELIEVE the loom is doing it all on its own? (Although in other ways, this does work for me. That whole “secret society buzz” has a very comic book feel to it, so I think it works in the movie, I just think it doesn’t work AS WELL as Iron Man’s themes.)
• The situation isn’t as personal, or it technically should be, but it’s not presented that way. While RDJ’s character in Iron Man is in many ways someone living a life who just doesn’t care, when he does begin to care, it’s very personal. His name on the weapons, his legacy, etc. In Wanted, McAvoy sort of falls into things with an extreme lack of knowing what’s really going on. Things eventually become personal, but not at first, and they become personal via lies and misinformation that creates a kind of distance from any emotional effect. In other words: Iron Man becomes a MORAL QUEST. Wanted is about a gang of slaughterers. Fun, but kinda sick. Iron Man engages you on another dimension. As my Dad put it: It’s probably not good to kill people you don’t even know.
• The Hero’s Glamour Factor. While RDJ’s character may not be on the moral highground to begin with, he’s not a frustrated loser working a shithole job and getting blindsided by his best friend either. He’s a little easier to fall in love with in that “beginning of the movie, suck you in, make you want to watch him” way. Much as I love Bright Abbott dearly, oh, man, I hated seeing him be the swindler of McAvoy.

Where it SHINES in comparison to Iron Man!!:

• Hello, four words: Female Fucking Action Hero. Jolie* is just as much a focus as McAvoy, or any of the other assassins (even moreso). As Dad points out, “she is a MAJOR part of this movie, her part is outstanding and she’s outstanding in it.” Whereas in Iron Man while Gwyneth Paltrow is actually good (a rare enjoyment of her on my part), and has great chemistry with RDJ, her role is soooooo sidelines. And very retro, the female “secretary” role, even with sass is STILL the female secretary role. I mean, she goes to the final confrontation in 5-inch spiked heels to stand on the sidelines and shriek in distress. She’s good when she’s in it but she’s so auxiliary.
• The Sets, particularly the Factory. While they make sense in the storyline, Iron Man’s modern office buildings and desert caves don’t really do as much for me as the sets in Wanted (although RDJ’s house is pretty cool). The textile mill/factory is really majestic in a way, I LOVED all the car chases through the El structures and the stuff on the El itself (I love you, Chicago! You’re so pretty!). And the train scenes at the end with his dad? And when Jolie drives her car onto it! VERY COOL!

Where both movies are GREAT:

• Effects, effects, exhilarating effects. Even my Dad who is not generally fan of CGI bullet fights (Peckinpah and Walter Hill did it better, OLD SCHOOL, and he will happily talk your ear off about it), even he loved the “fight” scenes in Wanted. How about the final showdown at the textile mill, where McAvoy is picking up other people’s weapons as his way to reload? AWESOME!
• Wit, sarcasm, banter. Both movies have enough of this to be interesting BEYOND the effects and the drama and the Super Heroness of it all. Comic relief so you don’t become bogged down by the horribleness of some of it.
• The “training” scenes. RDJ in his laboratory with his robot helpers and McAvoy gettin’ schooled by Jolie. Like the scene where he’s trying to grab the shuttle? And then when he finally does? All done with nice touches of humor.

I could go on (and on…) but believe it or not, I actually have something else to do right now. Shocking!

Need I even say it? Highly recommended. (BOTH)

*And if you enjoy Jolie in this, I recommend you check out Mr. & Mrs. Smith (which I LOVED a ridiculous amount!) as well as the two Tomb Raider movies, because she is great in these mixes of physicality/sass/sex/etc.