
Laura’s Rating: 4/5 Stars
John Wick is everything you want in an action flick: a tragic past leading to a revenge plot, cool guns, fast cars, Russian bad guys, and Keanu Reeves. It is currently part of a trilogy (with more movies being planned).
The Analysis:
The movie centers on John Wick (Reeves), who has just lost his wife to a terminal illness. He grieves while seeking comfort from his adorable puppy, Daisy, a last gift from his wife. When some Russian thugs break into Wick’s home to steal his car and attack his dog, they don’t realize who they are messing with: The Babba Yaga (aka The Boogeyman). It turns out that Wick is a retired hitman, one of the best ever. Iosef, one of the Russians that attacked Wick, is the son of Viggo, the Russian crime lord in New York. John begins a war path of revenge against Iosef and anyone that stands in his way, even if it means going up against the entire Russian mob.
While I wouldn’t say that the plot had incredible depth (it is an action film, not a drama), there is a bit more to it than your average blockbuster. I love the setting and concept of the Continental Hotel, a ritzy NYC hotel which caters exclusively to criminals and assassins. Serving as a sanctuary for the hunters and the hunted in the business, The Continental has its own set of services and rules, including a ban on conducting business on company grounds. I love the upscale, civilized vibe of the hotel juxtaposed with the harsh, violent work of its clientele. The Continental and its services are also part of a larger organization that oversees the people in this line of work, which is explored further in the sequels.
John Wick had some of the feel of Kill Bill, while being much more mainstream and palatable. It is violent and mostly serious, but it does manage to sneak in some charming moments and even a few laughs here and there. The lore surrounding Wick is fascinating and makes the viewer want to learn more about his past and his reputation. Fellow assassins and crime lords make for eccentric characters that all have their own set of motivations. There are many action sequences with car races, shootouts, and hand-to-hand combat, but they do not entirely take over the movie, which I appreciate. John Wick is one of the best action films I have seen in a while and I’d recommend it to fans of action and crime movies.
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