John Wick is a movie about an unstoppable killer facing ridiculous odds on a quest for righteous retribution. What sets it apart from the dozens of other films that play in this milieu is its portrayal of a secret world of assassins in its periphery, giving an otherwise standard tale of revenge a dash of compelling flavor. The film loses steam in the end as it succumbs to the easy temptations of villainous cliché. But for a good long while, John Wick provides plenty of stylish fun.
When we meet the titular character (Keanu Reeves), he is mourning the recent loss of his wife. Then he receives a delivery: a final gift from his wife. It's a beagle named Daisy. John is just starting to get used to life with a dog when a gang of thugs led by Russian mobster Iosef (Alfie Allen) breaks into his house, steals his car, and kills his dog. Unfortunately for Iosef, John Wick is actually a retired assassin, and he's willing to declare war on the entire Russian mob to get some retribution. John dives right back into the underground world of assassins, checking back on old contacts in order to get to his target.
The most interesting bits of John Wick lay out a hidden world of assassins, one with its own rules and social niceties. It is ultimately what gives the movie its distinct sense of style, fueling the story through portions that don't have the main character killing people. There is plenty of dark humor mined from the strange civility with which these killers interact. And the economy depicted in the film is pretty fascinating. There are, of course, people who specialize in cleaning up messes. There is an entire hotel dedicated to serving the needs of these killers. And they have their own form of currency. These little details add up to construct a really compelling world.
Outside of that, the film delivers a pretty straightforward story of a wronged man seeking revenge. The action is fairly well done, with the camera lingering on shots long enough to let the violence register. But on the whole the action sequences do tend to go on a bit longer than necessary. While these sequences are well choreographed, they tend to repeat themselves past a certain point. And since we are so convinced of the main character's competence, there just isn't enough peril to keep fueling these scenes. It especially feels tired as the film nears its conclusion, as the villain suddenly decides that he wants to become a cliché. Still, it's fun while it lasts. The choreography finds novel ways to show people getting shot in the face. The hand-to-hand fights aren't as quick as they could be, but the steady camerawork is a real treat. Keanu Reeves is excellent in the lead role, the film really highlighting his strengths as an action hero. Reeves has his limits as an actor, but his placid exterior is really perfect for the genre, his characters emerging as emotionless forces of nature undaunted by all and any threat. The supporting cast provides the flavor, with memorable turns from veterans like Willem Dafoe and Ian McShane.
John Wick can't keep up the momentum. Its climax just feels like more of the same, the movie failing to make its final moments feel more important than all the stuff that came before. The movie just gets silly, its villain acting in ways inconsistent with what was earlier established for the sake of adhering to classic formula. But for the most part, the movie is pretty fun. It augments a standard revenge plot with copious amounts of style, depicting a weird, wondrous world of killers and the economy that allows them to function.
My Rating:
