Gets and extra star or two for catching me off guard

Rating: 7/10 (1 September 2019)

As I understand it, "Wanted" is based on a comic book or a book or some kind. I am not familiar with the printed work--I've only just watched the movie.
The film starts off super strong and compelling, but as it goes on, it increasingly proceeds in fits and starts, albeit often violent ones. The special effects are very good, and for me at least, the story was pretty much completely off the wall, which is why I'm being charitable and giving it an extra star or two. There is no way I'm going to claim that I knew where this story was going or that I saw any of it coming, which I really liked and allows me to mostly forgive the herky-jerkiness of the plot.
In the end though, I felt that "Wanted" was mostly a triumph of style over substance, and I doubt I'll remember it very well pretty soon. It goes without saying that it ends with an action movie blow-out fight, although it was satisfyingly untypical. As I mentioned earlier, because it's at the unique end of the plot spectrum, it's sneaking by with an extra star or two. I've simply seen so many movies, of which a large number are nothing more rehashes of plots that have been done to death, that I almost automatically bump up the rating of any film that seems to offer something new or unexpected. I'd call "Wanted" a flawed gem, and I have no regrets about watching it; however, it's a long, long way from being any kind of a masterpiece.