I fell into the habit of keeping a few action film titles on hand, because every time my mom is in town she asks for something to watch. Our bedroom's layout makes it difficult to connect our TV to any cable connection, so she can't even watch the local channels even if she wanted to. She's more of a sandals and swords kind of film viewer, but since those are released with less frequency, I usually offer films in the action genre instead.
I ended up recommending John Wick and, because I miraculously had free time and the jellybean was uncharacteristically in deep sleep despite a moderately loud volume that night, was able to watch it with her.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is barely coping with the loss of his wife (Bridget Moynahan), but finds comfort in the gift of a puppy she arranged for him to receive after her death. Unfortunately, a chance meeting with a trio of Russian gang members lead to them breaking into his home, beating him up, stealing his car and killing his dog. The incident proved to be his breaking point and he enacts an act of revenge that pits him against his former employer, Russian crime syndicate leader Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), whose son Iosef (Alfie Allen) was the leader of John's attackers. Little did Iosef and his friends know that John was a former assassin who worked for Viggo and was instrumental in the syndicate's rise to power before he retired to live a quiet life with his wife. And nothing, whether Viggo's men or fellow assassins, would stand in the way of John Wick's revenge.
I never did get around to watching Man of Tai Chi and 47 Ronin, despite my early interest in their trailers, so it felt like I haven't watched Keanu Reeves on screen for a long time. And John Wick was an excellent movie to re-acquaint myself with his work as an actor. I never did agree with the opinion that Reeves is a wooden, one-dimensional actor. I mean, try watching the Bill & Ted films, My Own Private Idaho and The Devil's Advocate, which are among a rather long filmography, and you will find that there's range. Sure, it's not Meryl Streep range (who else does?), but enough to have a long career in an industry that witnesses a revolving door of now-hot-tomorrow-not actors.
In John Wick, Keanu Reeves's titular character, whose hold on his fragile emotions unravel at the uncalled for act of violence that severs one of his last ties with his recently deceased wife. He played the character who was in parts cool in the face of violence and odds against his favor, and at times volatile when his prey continue to evade him. If you still consider him stoic, then all you need to remember is that John Wick is one of the greatest assassins of their world, which means he's used to killing and can be calm about it (there's a scene in a club where other people took a while to notice the mayhem that is John indiscriminately killing those who tried to get between him and Iosef).
Yet, while Keanu Reeves holds the film together, he's just one part of an impressive cast. Michael Nyqvist makes everything he's in better; Willem Dafoe is always his awesome self as fellow assassin Marcus; Alfie Allen does well in continuing his streak of playing self-entitled scions as Iosef; Ian Mcshane as Winston, embodying the silent yet equally impressive power as proprietor of assassin friendly the Continental Hotel; and Adrianne Palicki as Ms. Perkins, another assassin who John previously worked with, further cementing my belief that Adrianne Palicki is the best female action star around aside from Yvonne Strahovski. (Side note: Watch Adrianne Palicki as Mockingbird on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and tell me if she's not a good fit for the Ghost in the Shell live action adaptation)
The story of revenge in John Wick is simple and familiar enough. You know that John Wick will want revenge for his murdered dog (which is basically just the tipping point of his rather stressed state of mind), but it was a matter of executing how he would get that revenge. Considering his reputation as Baba Yaga, it was bound to be bloody and violent.
John Wick wasn't designed to win awards and instead embraces what it is at its core... an action film. Directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch worked previously in the industry as stunt coordinators, and it shows in their work. The film is a collection of excellently staged stunt fighting and flashy scenes. And I loved every minute of it. It doesn't dwell on too much drama, and the characters' motivations are easy enough to understand but doesn't make you feel like you're being treated like a stupid viewer. Neither does the show shy away from sprinkling a little bit of humor. I found the varied reactions to the question "Are you back?" to be a source of amusement, with the individuals posing the question showcasing reactions that range from the scared to the interested.
The film is a sum of parts that are familiar to film viewers, but also with the added flair by writer Derek Kolstad regarding the world of assassins that John Wick was and is now again a part of. Yes, it's far from being the perfect film, but there's enough of the good parts to make you settle in for a satisfying movie night, especially if you want something that's easy to watch but without dumbing it down for its viewers.
No, John Wick won't be winning any awards, unless it's in the action or stunt related category. It is, however, a winner at being an entertaining film.
Happy viewing!!
Labels: Action, Film, John Wick, Must-Watch
