Keanu Reeves plays the titular character out for revenge following the theft of his car and the murder of his puppy in the action-packed John Wick. Review after the jump.
It’s a fair assessment to say that in recent years, great action films have been pretty hard to come by. The 1980’s up to the mid-90’s saw an incredible amount released upon moviegoers; films such as Die Hard, Predator, Blood Sport, Commando, Rambo are still beloved by millions to this day. So when a film, such as John Wick, creeps upon us, we feel nothing but surprised and shocked. Yes, John Wick is a great action flick.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a former hit man for the mafia who has since retired after meeting his wife-to-be. His “ordinary” life is then turned around after the death of his wife. If that wasn’t bad enough, the local kingpin’s son steals Wick’s car and kills his puppy – unaware who Wick actually is.
This act brings Wick back into the open as he looks to gain his revenge and is willing to kill anyone who stands in his way – even former colleagues.
John Wick is a violent film, no doubt. Unlike other action films where the protagonist may shoot an enemy once and walk off, Wick makes sure the job is done by shooting his gun a few more times to the body before finishing with a bullet to the head. He uses anything and everything at his disposal, sheets, knives, and bottles – anything within his grasp to leave destruction and death.
Directed by first-timers Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, John Wick looks and sounds great. With Stahelski also being a famed stuntman for many Hollywood blockbusters, the fight scenes look both realistic and brutal. Brilliantly choreographed.
As for the main star, Keanu Reeves can get some stick by critics for certain performances, but he shines here as a man wronged and hell bent on making those responsible pay. It’s easy to forget the Reeves has been responsible for some brilliant action movies through the years. Movies such as The Matrix, Speed and Point Break. Now, we can add John Wick to those list of greats.
Reeves is supported by some greats too. Willem Dafoe (Platoon, Spider-Man), Michael Nyqvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Adrianne Palicki (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), Ian McShane (Deadwood) and John Leguizimo (Carlito’s Way, Spawn) are all on top form.
John Wick is certainly an action film that we recommend and we are looking forward to the already announced sequel.
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