John Wick (2014) Directed by David Leitch & Chad Stahelski. Starring: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen. IMDB says: “An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.”
The plot of a man going on a bender of ass-kicking after being wronged is basically its own genre at this point. It’s a crowd pleasing venture that essentially just requires some entertaining and impressive fight sequences to get the job done. John Wick is the latest in this chain of crowd pleasers. John Wick is broken after the loss of his wife and his last thread to continue in life is a puppy she leaves for him. When he happens to be targeted by some young gangsters that are completely unaware of who he used to be, Wick goes on a murderous rampage after they make the grave mistake of killing his dog. It’s truly one of the best reasons for revenge that I’ve ever seen. After he’s attacked he kicks back into his hitman days that he’d left behind, and won’t stop until he kills the little shit that took the last thing he cared about.
John Wick feels so much like a graphic novel adaptation that I was surprised to find out it’s an original property. There’s a distinct crime universe in this movie that was my favorite part. First, you have the introduction of Wick’s hitman past which you’re only clued into by gangsters talking about him in an “oh shit” kind of way that makes you instantly know he’s a badass you don’t want to mess with. Kind of hokey but it works. Then you’re dropped into this seedy crime world where everyone knows each other, there’s a hotel that acts as a neutral zone for baddies, and even a sort of code of ethics. They aren’t presented in any sort of information drop fashion, but instead casually revealed as Wick goes about his business. It’s a refreshing sense of world building that I was not expecting.
Wick is directed by two men who are career stuntmen and choreographers. It shows in the generally well shot, fun and creative fighting sequences that rely mostly on gun violence (totally against my feelings on guns but weeeee it looks cool so forget my morals). Wick is honestly a badass because he’s a firm believer in a blunt shot to the head, or a swift double tap that allows for no last second retribution from his targets. Not particularly flashy but he gets the job done with finesse.
I wish Keanu Reeves had a bit more punch to the character. He’s very monotone throughout with a few jokes that have serious deliveries. Wick is no McClane, that’s for sure. He just has that very Keanu-thing about him that’s not particularly the Hollywood X-factor, but his own weird vibe that lands somehow. In the supporting roles, you have Michael Nyqvist as a hammy villain, Alfie Allen playing a very Theon-like character (can’t you just picture Theon killing a dog and thinking it’s awesome?), Willem Dafoe as an old mentor of Wick, Ian McShane as the slick hotel owner, Adrianne Palicki as a hitwoman, and the Beeper King of New York who’s like the mob’s accountant or something (I really was not sure). Basically the requisite number of familiar faces to fill out the cast. Side note: why are the gangsters always Russian or some other Eastern European?
Overall, there’s plenty to enjoy and it’s a solid popcorn flick. Wick is very much in the mold of other movies of its type though and despite some of the cool flourishes doesn’t do enough to stand apart from the pack. If you’re in the mood for some action, come for the shoot-em-up’s, and stay for the mob cleaner to pick up afterward.
