When I first heard about John Wick, I immediately thought 'generic action film'. That usually sees me not bothering on paying money to see something that will be predictable, mildly enjoyable and will bring nothing new to the genre.
It seems that this film has won over with the audience and critics. On paper it sounds quite a surprise success, giving that the director is more known for his stunt work and the writer for doing a couple Dolph Lundgren straight to DVD flicks, and for some reason Eva Longoria is the producer.
While there is little on depth to the story, and realism to some extent is thrown out of the window or gets cartoony, the level of fun and excitement is so strong and of high-quality.
From the opening scene, you can already get the tone of the film. It hits you hard, and you are there for the ride for every minute. The opening act sets the story up nicely with a really heart-breaking moment. Then the rest of it is pure action that it would feel right at home in the 80's or 90's.
Keanu Reeves gives a great performance. For a guy that is 50 when this was being filmed, he still looks that he is just entering his 30's. People forget how much Reeves respects his audience, and does a lot of his own stunts.
It is great to see Michael Nyqvist in a film outside of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. He does the main villain role really well. Willem Dafoe certainly moments to shine on screen with great effect. Alfie Allen shows that his time on Game Of Thrones has landed some bigger film roles that is making the most of. Adrianne Palicki shows that she is one of the best physical female actors out there at the moment. My final mentions must go to Ian McShane and Joe Leguizamo. Despite the little screen-time, they fitted in well and I hope they are used in the sequel.
What it does really well, is set up a really interesting world of hit-men. I can totally understand why a sequel has been made, as you can definitely see many more installments being made without it being done because the money says so.
I will mention the lack of story again. The plot is really simplistic and there is little to think about. But there are probably films that I have rated much higher than this that I would less. The wonderful amount of fun this film is having, gives it great re-watchability.
Another thing that elevates the level of entertainment, is the surprising of comedy. It is in such a dry way that fitted into the tone really well.
It is beautifully shot and its night club style colour scheme is a feast for the eyes. The way the action is choreographed and shot, it reminded me a lot of The Raid. The fight scenes and stunt-work are really brutal, and unlike some that are usually too flashy. These look like they are performing proper fighting moves and they are beating the crap out of each other. Even the women have their moments of bad-assery.
Despite its negatives, I will still give this a high rating. It is clear to see that a detailed script is not on the film-makers minds. They play to their strengths well, and I cannot to see them make more films like this. It is great to see modern audiences see how great Reeves is. If any future sequels are to be made, then I hope the level quality is as good as this. Just imagine if they had a fairly well layered story.
Rating: 8/10
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