John Wick Review

3.5 Stars

 

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) used to be a hit man for the mob.  He retired when he met the right girl and left that life behind.  Before she died from cancer, she left him a gift: a puppy named Daisy.  That puppy was all he had left from her, and it was the only thing keeping him from going over the edge and back to the dark side.  One night, some punks who wanted to steal his car picked the wrong guy to "set off" as the posters claim.  We quickly learn two things: first, those punks weren't just average punks, they were connected to the Russian mob in New York City; and second, Wick wasn't just a hit man, he was the Russian's top hit man who single-handedly took out the competition.  The Russian mob boss, Viggo (Michael Nykvist), calls in every available reinforcement to handle his son's blunder.  His son says he isn't afraid of John Wick.  Viggo corrects him saying, "You should be."  Judging by the trailer, Viggo will need all the reinforcements he can find and that still won't be enough in this dark, action-packed revenge thriller.

 

  This movie delivers everything the preview claims it will deliver and once again Keanu Reeves has picked the perfect movie for his acting abilities.  The dialogue is limited and there are some good one-liners throughout, but most of it is action.  The only criticism I can make, that I noted in my preview, is that some of the gun fights are a little unrealistic.  Wick has been out of the scene for 5 years now and makes some comments throughout the movie that he is "rusty" when he shows up at places with some battle wounds.  Yet, when it comes to the gun fights, his aim is dead on perfect while his opponents couldn't hit water if they fell off the Titanic in the middle of the ocean.  

When Viggo is telling his son about John Wick, he tells the story of a Russian folklore character called the Boogeyman.  His son laughs at the idea of Wick being that man and Viggo tells him that Wick is worse, he's the one you send in to kill the Boogeyman.  There are two important lessons about being John Wick.  First, as I mentioned before referring to the posters for the movie, "don't set him off".  And these unapologetic punks do just that.  The second lesson is don't burn your bridges.  In sprite of what John Wick was and what he did, he made some powerful allies and lived by a certain code that helped him many times throughout the movie.  It's this code that is more powerful than money that kept Wick alive and helped him to exact his revenge.

I predicted 3.5 stars and I'm going to keep that rating.  The preview perfectly sets you up for precisely what the movie is.  Like Liam Neeson in Taken or Sylvester Stallone in Get Carter, Reeves is the perfect actor to portray John Wick and is believable and enjoyable in the role.  It is extremely violent and graphic, but it is also fun and humorous at times.  My friend, Nick, feels this is one that should definitely be purchased for a home collection.  I'm not sure I'd go that far, but I do think it was worth the price of admission in the theatre and one I would readily watch again when it is available for rent.  So, what movie will be on my mind next?  We shall see.