John Wick

“John Wick” continues what I like to call “The Punisher Paradox”. It’s this weird phenomenon where we seem to get a ton of cool movies about men who lose everything and wind up seeking justice at the end of a gun... but are way better than any of the Punisher movies that we’ve seen up to date. What I like about this movie is that it’s just like it’s main character. It’s lean, to the point and brutal.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is an ex assassin. He’s the killer they all aspire to be, or he was until he fell in love and retired. After his wife dies of an illness, he’s got nothing left to lose, except for his car and her last gift: a puppy. When some thugs who have no business messing with him do so, they unleash a world of pain on themselves, their subordinates and anyone associated with them.

Is the premise familiar? Oh yeah it is. You’ve seen this anywhere from “Taken” to “Death Wish”, but it feels fresh again thanks to its efficiency, style, and action. Within the confines of this genre, writer Derek Kolstad has crafted a sharp story. Looking at it from afar, the story should make you groan but as an element of this film, it really works. It sells you on John Wick’s character and his willingness to get revenge. You understand why he goes ballistic. You cheer him on all the way to the top of the food chain.

Right away I was invested in the film because the bad guys are lower than that black, sticky stuff gum turns into when it’s been under your heel for about a week and Keanu Reeves' performance. I know he gets a bad rap, but in the right role he excels. As an emotionally distant man, someone that struggles to express his emotions externally, he's very good. That's perfect for a man that used to kill for a living - way better than a killer that for idiotic reasons decides to spare women and children. And then, there are the stunts and action scenes. John Wick at work because is the antithesis of your typical 80’s action heroes. No witty one-liners, no opportunities for the bad guys to get up from seemingly devastating wounds, and plenty of moments that show his vulnerabilities. When John Wick gets you, he doesn’t just shoot you in the chest, he shoots you in the chest and then double-taps by pumping two bullets into your skull. He efficiently and methodically moves through his targets, eliminating them ruthlessly. You’ve never seen someone kill a villain with a car the way this guy does.

I have to applaud direcot Chad Stahelski, a former stunt coordinator (it shows) this is not a film where you get a lot of cuts in order to hide that they had to constantly swap the actors for stunt people. You get long, satisfying takes where John Wick dodges obstacles and gets into all kinds of intense firefights while taking down one enemy after another. It doesn’t go over-the-top in a way that demands you leave your brain at the door. There are a lot of really cool concepts, some nice twists, interesting characters and some good humour here too. John Wick may be stone-faced throughout, but Stahelski has some fun with the side characters and (I never thought I'd say this) the subtitles!

I have some gripes about the ending of the film, which is pretty conventional. I expected to see something smarter out of this movie. It’s not enough to distract me from the awesome action sequences, the stylish photography, the strong direction or the fact that I’d like for them to somehow figure out a way to make a sequel, but I have to mention it. “John Wick” is like a bullet to the back of your head: it’s quick, it’s efficient and it leaves an impact. (Theatrical version on the big screen, November 4, 2014)