John Wick

It's hard to find anything bad to say about John Wick. The action is beautifully choreographed, the setup is surprisingly emotional for an action flick, and Keanu.... What more is there to say? If you love action or even just like it you will be in for the ride of your life.

An incredible film that brought a very 70s and 80s cinema to this era. Not only that, it brought back a struggling but beloved actor like Keanu Reeves and connected him to a character for a decade, once again becoming an icon like Mr. Anderson/Neo in "The Matrix." Simple premise, brilliant execution. It's a film with a purpose from its conception, but it also develops the character layer by layer. It gives us context, motivation, unbridled fury, and a brutality that other films have subsequently attempted to emulate with much less success and impact.

Nothing suggested that this film would become a saga with several sequels, millions of dollars, a series, spin-offs, and much more.

It has brought actors forgotten by Hollywood and the big spotlight back into the spotlight, and that's appreciated.

A separate detail is the work of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, those wonderful choreographies that one saw in Asian action films or anime, and that gave it that unique touch that characterizes it today.

And all of this was "only" triggered because some Russian thugs decided to steal Baba Yaga's car and kill her dog...

He never misses, he is literally unstoppable.... He's got a particular set of skills that would make Liam Neeson look like a catholic priest... Did I mention he shoots a priest in the leg? This action movie was "perfect"..... Is it in the realm of the best subjective movies of all time, Godfather, Shawshank or The Dark Knight? Well no but in terms of the genre it's self? I'm giving it a perfect 5 out of 5 Stars... Hell continuity was even good, the dialog was sound and had moments of humor at every beat, and Keanu actually shows some range... Yeah you heard that right, raaaaange.... Not only that Mr. Wick even takes time to reload again everything just worked perfectly with this movie... I don't have anything to nitpick... The supporting cast was even good, this is a perfect fun action movie.... Dammit I gotta see this again. Remember children when the boogie man goes to sleep, he checks under his bed for John %^$% Wick...

JOHN WICK is a rare example of Hollywood getting things spot-on when it comes to creating the near-perfect action film. JOHN WICK is a relentless, pulse-pounding thriller that has plenty of similarity to the Liam Neeson classic TAKEN, albeit with a more simplistic (and also more emotionally intense) plot line. This is the kind of lean, pared-down film-making that's all about intensity and momentum. It sits well with classic international fare like POINT BLANK, SLEEPLESS NIGHT, MEA CULPA, THE MAN FROM NOWHERE, and THE RAID films.

JOHN WICK isn't a perfect film; some of the dialogue is sloppily, some of the writing is too broad, and occasionally the music is intrusive. However, when it gets things right, as it frequently does, you can forgive all of these minor niggles and sit back and enjoy the ride. The clever decision was made to employ a martial arts expert as director, so the emphasis is on realistic, superbly choreographed action sequences, and they're hard-hitting and plentiful. The nightclub set-piece is the obvious highlight, but nearly all of the action here is spectacular.

Keanu Reeves has been in lots of average or overrated films over the years but this stands as one of his very best, alongside SPEED. His dry, laconic turn is light years ahead of his other recent action flick, MAN OF TAI CHI. The supporting cast is basically unnecessary, but Michael Nyqvist, Willem Dafoe, and Alfie Allen all put in decent turns. In the end, though, JOHN WICK is all about the action, and quite simply it rocks. Bring on the sequel!

It looks as if the filmmakers realized that the public was sick of certain movies. Most movies nowadays are full of wire work, sci-fi, etc. often topped with icing made of needless or predictable background stories that add nothing. For example the beautiful girlfriend who gives the moral speeches or the troubled teenage daughter, who aren't present here.

Nothing of that is in John Wick. John Wick adds hardly a story, no character development, no needless character or background, no misplaced drama, no misplaced humor and not too much eye candy, nothing of that. What John Wick offers is action, action and more action. In fact, it is one long action scene, with some lines and close ups added. But that is not a problem. The directors promise action and deliver. While delivering they made it look good and convincing, without trying to be more, and they're smart enough to give the movie a satisfying beginning and ending.

And for those who claim that Keanu Reeves is a horrible actor..... you are right. But his blank expression is perfect for this movie. Leave the acting to the bad guys and the delicious guest part for Willem Dafoe.

If you're tired of movies with forced drama or loaded with CGI, John Wick will be a pleasant wake-up call.