A lot of people are talking about Keanu Reeves’ new film, “John Wick,” which hit theaters this week but I was able to get to the theater to see it yesterday without having heard much about it at all. I’m starting this blog with a review of “John Wick” because what I have to say about this film will give a lot of insight into my opinions on modern films and in particular the action genre. I totally disregard the stereotype that girls don’t like action movies, that being said, I don’t like action movies, or at least, I don’t like what action movies have become today. Look at this year’s line up of “action” films on IMBD and you’ll see entire cities, planets, even galaxies threatened and heroes facing impossible odds. Don’t get me wrong, those movies can be great, but what I’m missing, and I don’t think I’m the only one, is the “Die Hard” and “Speed” type films of olden times, one man doing what he does best: kicking ass. No planet ending consequences, just the protagonist’s life on the line and a bad guy to really hate.
There’s been a few movies I could argue have come close to achieving this in recent years, such as “Drive” or “The Transporter,” but “John Wick” has stood out to me as a piece-de-resistance for my action movie palette.While the fate of the galaxy may not have rested on his shoulders, John Wick went about his story of revenge with about as much determination as if it did. There’s something immensely satisfying about rooting for a guy who just wants to kill the jerks who killed his dog and stole his car. That’s all “John Wick” is and never pretends to be anything more and that is what I love about this movie. When you go see this movie (and you should), think about how they set up John Wick’s character. As the audience we are first introduced to him as a grieving widower and are given glimpses into his ex-assassin life; the conversation with his old partner after his wife’s funeral, speaking Russian at the gas station, these are clues that tell us John Wick is something more, but it isn’t until one of my favorite scenes in the film that we learn the truth about John. In what I can only describe as a fit of determined rage, John smashes through his concrete floor to reach his hidden weapons. The scene cuts between John hammering and Viggo berating his son for killing John’s dog and stealing his car and letting his son and the audience know that John Wick is basically a badass. This is all the audience needs to know to feel that rush of excitement knowing that John may really be able to take down basically an entire mob group and even the leader’s son, that at the very least this is going to be awesome.
Now, don’t get your expectations up for a grand masterpiece of cinema. I love Keanu Reeves, I do, but when he’s in a serious role there’s a serious lack of emotion in the way he delivers his lines and that is noticeable in this film. But let me tell you, actions speak louder than words and for this film they spoke volumes! The choreography involved in the fight scenes in this film blew me away, as well as the fact that the cameras followed all the quick action shots very well. With all the CGI and special effects available today I think a lot can be lost in the overwhelming amount of detail and speed that can be shown on screen. I hate to point fingers but films like the new “Transformers” movies are very guilty of fast paced, disorienting action sequences. In comparison it was very clear that the cinematographers and choreographers of this film put a lot of effort into making beautiful action sequences. Bloody, gory, guys-getting-shot-in-the-head, violent as hell but beautiful all the same. After the quick initial set-up you will constantly be on the edge of your seat, and since John Wick is mostly the strong-silent type, you won’t be too distracted by the robot one-liners.
A final aspect that really drew me to this film was the way they portrayed the hidden world of assassins. The hotel in which John and other assassins stay while attending to “business” offered witty interactions between John and the hotel manager as well as other guests. Having characters there that recognized John right away from years ago when he was an assassin was a great tool to add to the mystery and intensity of the character. I would be happy to see a whole film delving deeper into the mysteries of The Continental as well as the gold coin system that the assassins use.
I say “John Wick” is my kind of action flick because it was unpretentious, at times humorous, and constantly faced-paced and filled with violent, intense, but awesome action sequences without the need for calamitous or “world-ending” events to fuel the protagonists actions or force additional stress on the audience. A hero without many morals, who kills all those who stands in his way just for a “stupid dog,” that can still manage to get an audience on his side and even wanting to stand up and cheer him on at times is a wonderfully written and played character indeed. Keanu has brought back the action movie that I love and with those expectations I don’t see why you won’t love it to. I highly encourage you to check this one out.
The film’s official website can be found HERE.
I’d love to hear what you thought about “John Wick” or action movies these days in general so leave me a comment and I’ll be sure to reply or bring up your thoughts in the future if you happen to change my mind or bring up a great point!
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