(note: the wonderful puppy above is the not the puppy in the film)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAvug-z7lqM>
With a title like John Wick, I almost immediately rolled my eyes when I heard about this film.An action film with an aging Keanu Reeves? After the massive disappointment and debacle that was 47 Ronin, I did not hold my breath. Light the fuse and let it burn, I thought! Until I saw the trailer. Keanu Reeves in pure action escapist fare? Count me in! I was comforted by the fact that the film seemed closer to the skilled genre exercise he directed and co-starred in, Man of Tai Chi (an excellent little kung-fu flick), as opposed to one of the turkeys he has appeared in such as The Day the Earth Stood Still. Even images of the original Matrix danced through my head, and my anticipation grew exponentially. I am pleased to report that John Wick is everything I had hoped for, and then some. I said "whoa" a number of times and even felt the urge to high-five my colleague sitting next to me at one point, though I was met with a cold, soulless stare. Straight up action films aren't for everyone, after all!
The film has a simple revenge flick plotline that doesn't deviate far from what is expected. Wick begins the film as a man in mourning, an ex-hitman having recently lost his wife. She leaves him a pre-trained dog to remember her by, and then supreme bastard and son of a Russian mob boss Iosef Tarasov comes along with his crew and ruins John's life (along with his wonderful car). You can guess what happens from there. However simple the revenge set-up may be, it's effective enough in setting Wick on the warpath. Reeves is world-renowned for his stellar range as an actor (heh), and he plays to his strengths here, all stoic and all business. He impresses in the numerous and well-choreographed fight scenes and shootouts, moving with a smooth and assured coolness through waves of baddies. I was exceptionally pleased by the brutal battles, with Reeves utilizing an interesting method of gun-fu to put the pain on all the fools that dared to cross him! Though lacking in traditional fisticuffs, the film has a couple of standout action sections that take place in a nightclub and at a rainy waterfront property (no spoilers here!), while the film as a whole is all well-shot. Somewhat surprisingly, the film also has a well established world and assassin hierarchy already in place, with Wick calling and paying "cleaners" to come to his house after a night of "hard partying", as well as using a hotel expressly for covert operators, run by the always welcome Ian McShane as a sort of "no-kill" zone where assassins can go relax and play pool or drink ice tea under neon lighting without worrying about looking over their shoulders constantly. It was refreshing to see that the respect that Wick had earned as a top-tier hitman actually had a payoff other than the henchmen cowering and saying "No, it cannot be! You were DEAD!" The little chunk of world-building in the film went a long way in allowing me to get involved in the proceedings, simple plot beats be damned!
The directing is as assured as Reeves is in action, with stuntman Chad Stahelski successfully helming the feature and delivering all the action beats in crisp, extended shots, allowing the kinetic fights on display to be seen in all their violent glory. It's refreshing to see a fight scene framed clearly, showing off the skilled stuntman and Reeves at work. If you ever wondered what the hell was going on in a Bourne fight scene (to be honest, I got nothing but love for the original Bourne trilogy, including the fights), you will be more comfortable here, as no unnerving shaky cam in IMAX projection= no barf bags necessary! As for the cast, Willem Dafoe is solid as a former hitman associate who is still somewhat close to Wick, offering his usual dark and somewhat chilly presence, and Michael Nyqvist (original Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series) works well as the Russian mob boss in over his head. Attractive assassin Ms. Perkins is capably played by Adrianne Palicki of Coffee Town fame, enough so that I wondered about her past relationship to Wick throughout the movie, and Lance Reddick (THE WIRE!!) makes the best of a small role as the assassins' Four Seasons hotel manager. Dean Winters (Mayhem from those Allstate Insurance ads) also appears briefly, adding a humorous presence to the mostly humorless proceedings. Also, Alfie Allen deserves a special mention for being a huge bastard as Iosef Tarasov. I thought he was bad on Game of Thrones, but this film proves he has a future playing a villainous rich prick in any feature he so chooses!
Overall, the film is a return to action star form for Keanu Reeves and a welcome showcase for his particular set of skills. Though insubstantial in the plot department, the film is a thrilling and well-shot antidote to the over-edited and toothless action films that have become all too common. If you're an action aficionado, you need to see this movie! The rest of you, go see Interstellar (hint hint). Cheers!
3 Strong "Whoaaas" out of 4, Dude
3 out of 4 stars
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