JOHN WICK (2014)
Summary:
An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything away from him.
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Review:
John Wick follows an
exceptional rule – leave out the parts that people skip over anyway. If you’re
into the macho, people-hitting-each-other-till-their-faces-break kind of genre
film that follows Leonard’s rule, this is it. The character of John Wick is
presented to us as if he’s a pre-existing franchise character, with no
backstory beyond “sick wife who died” and whatever is implied by the way people
react when they hear someone pissed him off: a very understated “Oh” that says
it all.
The product of
newcomer writer Derek Kolstad – and a reunion between Keanu Reeves and his
stunt men collaborators-turned-directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski (The
Matrix Trilogy) – John Wick excels, unapologetically, at what it seeks to be: a
fun, pulpy, violent B-movie action romp, built upon a cool mythology within a
compelling Noir world.
Kolstad’s script for
the film is a pleasantly surprising comic book-style bit of pulp fun that never
takes itself too seriously, and delights in creating an intriguing underworld
sandbox for the characters to play in. From a system of currency, to coded
language and an established mythology (dominated by the legend of John Wick),
exploring the world of high-powered mobsters, assassins, vixens – and all the
middlemen in between – is half the fun of the film. As for the actual
narrative: it’s blessedly simplistic and unsophisticated, with no illusions of
grandeur: John is wronged, someone must pay, and anyone who gets in the way as
he makes his odyssey of vengeance ends up in a body bag. Simple.
Again, Kolstad’s
strength is in his total self-awareness about the hokeyness of the material.
Instead of trying to ground his larger-than-life hero in “realism,” he fully
embraces and has fun with the over-the-top action fantasy, crafting great humor
out of John Wick’s reputation as a badass, and people’s reactions to his return
(or even mere mention of his name). While the action also delivers, it’s this
almost satirical riff on the old Clint Eastwood tough-guy archetype that is
probably the most enjoyable aspect of the film.
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That’s not to say
that directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski are slacking when it comes to
creating both the visual and physical dimensions of the film – because they
most certainly are not. With so many famous movies on their respective stuntman
resumes (The Matrix Trilogy, Bourne Trilogy, 300, Fight Club, Ninja Assassin,
Jumper, V for Vendetta – to name a few…) it’s no surprise that the pair are
able to put together some of the slickest action sequences seen in the
post-Raid: Redemption era – certainly a step up from the usual Hollywood action
fare.
While the action may
not be that revolutionary or inventive, it is very well executed, slick and
polished in design. With his “Gun-Fu” fight style, John Wick is almost
hilariously efficient as a whirlwind of death and destruction – which
admittedly lowers the stakes of each battle, as the outcome is almost never in
question. Nonetheless, it’s a lot of fun to watch. When the violence and action
isn’t taking place, the directorial style isn’t nearly as proficient; however,
some good production and set design – plus some nice cinematography – help keep
the eye reasonably satisfied whenever things slow down.
The other standout
in the film is Michael Nyqvist (Mission: Impossible 4, Girl with the Dragon
Tattoo), who gives an unexpectedly scary, comedic and quirky performance as
Russian mob boss, Viggo Tarasov. Nyqvist can make savagely beating a man to
death into an off-kilter black comedy moment – and his abilities are refined
enough for the directors to entrust several scenes to him, sometimes just
reacting to things alone onscreen. And it’s all great to watch. Alfie Allen, on
the other hand, comes off more like a loose mimic of his Game of Thrones
petulant brat character, Theon Greyjoy, and is not all that compelling as a
villain (more of a MacGuffin, really). Thankfully, Nyqvist is there to provide
the necessary anchorage.
There’s explosions,
laughs, and eye-popping action choreography…everything you could want from an
action film. Cinematic greatness it’s not, but “John Wick” never aspires to
more than what it needs to be: an exciting reminder of why action movies are
fun in the first place.
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