There is always a legitimate (or at least a sensible) reason why you should not mess-up with a seemingly gullible stranger with nice vintage ride, particularly if you decide to bully him for not letting his ride go and you end up killing his dog for self-pleasure. Chances are, he is John Wick, a now retired former hitman who works for some ruthless gangster in the city. To make it more interesting, that some ruthless gangster he used to work with was your father and the dog you killed was the memory token from her dying wife. So it turns out that John possesses some deadly skills and talents. So you know you had made a mistake and you are in a deep trouble that not even your powerful father can get you out. What is your next plan? All I can tell you there is no easy way out of this mess – so good luck!
Keanu Reeve was once an action star and his best days in the genre got to be from the days of “Speed” or “The Matrix” trilogy. With “John Wick”, we witness a baptism of fire for the actor. Coincidentally, at one point, John even shouts at his captors, “People keep asking if I’m back. Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.” How subtle it is. Then and again, the whole premise surrounding "John Wick" as a potential new Reeve’s action vehicle is not entirely without its own cliché. In fact, this is the kind of revenge drama that you have probably seen it countless of time before in the past, probably some in the present and probably again in the future. But there are some strange kinetics and momentums that give this revenge flick with lots of flavour, while maintaining the most basic and integral parts of an old-fashion hitman drama. And yet, the most important of all, is its ability to entertain you.
The great success lies in the Derek Kolstad’s script which offers a well-balanced between stylish action and purposeful substance; plus a protagonist whom you can easily root for and the rich world-building spectacle. It is also not that hard to sense the presence of comic book influences in it. And unlike most of the recent revenge drama, such as this year's "A Walk among the Tombstone" or "The Equalizer", “John Wick” sucks you in by avoiding heavy plotting or convoluting story to run with it. Add in with the exceptional direction and the choreograph setup from the stuntmen-turned-directors, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, the duo displays a highly gritty, pulsating and acrobatic action gun sequences to run the show. But if there is one thing I did not enjoy from "John Wick" is the rather stereotypical characterizations.
“John Wick” does seem to be neither forgettable nor disposable in its own genre because it benefits from clear visions that are set by the filmmakers along with a revitalized performance from Reeve. It is a movie that starts out enough only to leave you enough. B+
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Keanu Reeve was once an action star and his best days in the genre got to be from the days of “Speed” or “The Matrix” trilogy. With “John Wick”, we witness a baptism of fire for the actor. Coincidentally, at one point, John even shouts at his captors, “People keep asking if I’m back. Yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.” How subtle it is. Then and again, the whole premise surrounding "John Wick" as a potential new Reeve’s action vehicle is not entirely without its own cliché. In fact, this is the kind of revenge drama that you have probably seen it countless of time before in the past, probably some in the present and probably again in the future. But there are some strange kinetics and momentums that give this revenge flick with lots of flavour, while maintaining the most basic and integral parts of an old-fashion hitman drama. And yet, the most important of all, is its ability to entertain you.
The great success lies in the Derek Kolstad’s script which offers a well-balanced between stylish action and purposeful substance; plus a protagonist whom you can easily root for and the rich world-building spectacle. It is also not that hard to sense the presence of comic book influences in it. And unlike most of the recent revenge drama, such as this year's "A Walk among the Tombstone" or "The Equalizer", “John Wick” sucks you in by avoiding heavy plotting or convoluting story to run with it. Add in with the exceptional direction and the choreograph setup from the stuntmen-turned-directors, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, the duo displays a highly gritty, pulsating and acrobatic action gun sequences to run the show. But if there is one thing I did not enjoy from "John Wick" is the rather stereotypical characterizations.
“John Wick” does seem to be neither forgettable nor disposable in its own genre because it benefits from clear visions that are set by the filmmakers along with a revitalized performance from Reeve. It is a movie that starts out enough only to leave you enough. B+
Numerical Rating (In case you are also interested):
Story: 4.0
Casts: 4.5
Cinematography: 5.0
Effects: 4.0
GREEN-TEA-O-METER: 16.9/20.0
Story: 4.0
Casts: 4.5
Cinematography: 5.0
Effects: 4.0
GREEN-TEA-O-METER: 16.9/20.0
Trailer:
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John Wick
Casts: Keanu Reeves, Alfie Allen, Michael Nyqvist, Bridget Moynahan, Adrianne Palicki, Willem Dafoe, Jason Isaacs
Distributor: Tgv Pictures from LionsGate Entertainment
Director: David Leitch, Chad Stahelski
Screenplay: Joel Zadak , Derek Kolstad
Rating: 18
Release date: 6 November 2014
Running time: 101 minutes
Casts: Keanu Reeves, Alfie Allen, Michael Nyqvist, Bridget Moynahan, Adrianne Palicki, Willem Dafoe, Jason Isaacs
Distributor: Tgv Pictures from LionsGate Entertainment
Director: David Leitch, Chad Stahelski
Screenplay: Joel Zadak , Derek Kolstad
Rating: 18
Release date: 6 November 2014
Running time: 101 minutes
