JOHN WICK Review
Keanu Reeves is back to kicking ass on the big screen, and I couldn’t be happier. His latest film, John Wick, is about an ex-hit man who after his dog — who was given to him by his now dead wife — is killed by some thugs goes on a manhunt for the man behind it all and it just so happens that the perpetrator is the son of a Russian crime king. The film’s plot is incredibly simple and a little bit ridiculous but in the case of John Wick it only makes the movie better.
The film’s tagline is, “Don’t set him off.” I’m really glad nobody in the film follows that advice because the action starts early and is unrelenting until the final minutes of the film. It’s great seeing Reeves back in the swing of things. The film never takes itself too seriously, it knows its audience is there for a good time and it delivers.
We never see John Wick in action before he was retired, but as the film goes on and the scenes become more brutal you see why every single criminal is basically completely terrified of him. He is a force of nature that will stop at nothing.
The movie reminded me a lot of Equilibrium in its use of gunplay as being a frenetic action. John Wick’s guns are basically another appendage.
The film has a great, pulpy, barebones noir feel that supplements the somewhat slick stylized violence. The lighting in the movie is incredible, reds, blues, greens are all used in an overt way that give the film a real comic book feel.
There are also some really cool story beats that help flesh out the world of John Wick, such as a hotel operated as a sort of criminal safe haven with strict rules. There’s also a currency used throughout the film that is used only for indecent things.
Is it wrong that I want a franchise out of this film? I know we don’t need more sequels but the world of John Wick is just too great to not return to it.
I highly recommend seeing John Wick when it is released on October 24th. I know I’ll be seeing it at least one or two more times.
Originally published at geektyrant.com on October 14, 2014.
