Definitely refreshing. Good action flick.

Rating: 8/10 (28 June 2008)

Preemptive warning: There is a lot of blood and a moderate amount of swearing in the film, so if you're opposed to seeing things like bullets going through heads and rats being blown up, veer away.
Now, having said this, my brother and I caught it today, and we both loved it. From the other reviews, we were expecting something more comedic, and were a bit confused on that point.
It is a bit more comedic than your average action flick, yes, but don't expect a comedy. It is an action flick with a slice of comedy thrown in to get its points across, and it employs it well.
The main protagonist, one Wesley, is one of my favorite actors (albeit not well known for whatever reason), and plays the part rather well. Jolie and Freeman are, pretty much as always, good, so the cast is at least spot on. There are a few underdeveloped areas and characters, lore-wise and a few of the other companions which Wesley meets I would liked to have known more about, but at 2 hours already, I doubt most would sit through a film double that length.
But the film itself is not terribly much about the character themselves. It's entertaining, with plenty of special effects and eyecandy, not to mention some great stunts, but the reason I found it so refreshing is that it actually had a punch-line to it. There was a message, and even though I was utterly confused because of my preconceptions for a little while, soon I was in the groove and lovin' it.
I won't spoil the ending message, because the entire film is a build-up to a single line at the end, and it's all good stuff.
Check it out if you're interested, you won't be disappointed.