Reviews»Movies»John Wick
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Kareem Ali 4

John Wick

 

  • The good

    Engrossing reason for John Wick to return to his former life. Great action.

  • The bad

    Still don't understand why villains shoot thousands of bullets at protagonist only to stop when have a clear shot and opportunity

  • The ugly

  • John Wick is an action movie starring Keanu Reeves about a former hitman struggling to start a new life following the death of his wife, only to be pulled back in. It’s not an easy life to get out of but John Wick was so good at what he did that it was more of a demand than a request because no one would dare come after him. And he really was out, and practically giving up on life after his wife died until he receives a gift she left for him. It’s a puppy and a letter reminding him to live and to take care of this puppy, Daisy, because she’ll help him get through this painful time. He eventually warms up to this irresistible puppy and starts to have hope. But he also has a ’69 Mustang that he drives in a closed course as a release for everything that’s pent-up inside him. However, when he comes across 3 Russian gangsters who admire his car while he’s at a gas station, things take a turn for the worse. He refuses to entertain any offers to sell his car so the 3 follow him to his home and break in. They attack John and then torture and kill Daisy right in front of him. They leave her body next to him to wake up to before stealing his car to sell to a chop shop. When John wakes up and sees Daisy’s body, all his hope for starting a new life vanishes as the one gift his wife left for him was brutally murdered. The 3 young gangsters didn’t know who he was but John contacts those he knows to learn the identities of his attackers, who just happen to be the son of his former employer. Refusing to accept apologies or any form of compensation, John vows to not stop until all 3 of them are dead. But can John contend with the entire Russian mob or has he been out of this world for too long?

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    “People keep asking if I’m back….Yeah I’m thinking I’m back”

    I wanted to check out John Wick just on the strength of that quote alone. Well, actually it was the action in the trailer with that quote at the end of it. So I didn’t go in with much expectations for a profound movie but I did want it to fulfil some requirements for me centered around my enthusiasm for that quote. First, I wanted to see at some point in the movie that he was indeed a badass before retiring. Secondly, there would have to be a convincing reason for him to get back into that lifestyle and wasn’t just some cliché event. And lastly, he would have to be a badass after making that statement so it wouldn’t feel like empty talk. But just like that particular scene in the movie would be much better (and longer) than it was in the trailer, the movie overall was surprisingly good in ways I didn’t expect. The start of this movie would already have John as a widower with flashbacks shown of him and his wife throughout, and especially when he received the letter and gift from her posthumously. This was extremely touching and Keanu Reeves was definitely capable of pulling off the “void of emotion and life without this significant development” role at this point. He still had other outlets such as driving his car on a closed course so the movie did an excellent job in establishing what truly mattered to him during this healing time. So the event that took place changing this was horrific and had me rooting for John Wick early on. (And if you’re a fan of Game of Thrones then you might harbor even more ill will towards Iosef, who is played very well by Alfie Allen, and not much different from his character in that series.) So his reasons for getting back into this life, or rather, going after Iosef and anyone in his way were satisfactory and didn’t feel cliché.

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    Now, when others would learn what Iosef and his friends would do they would want no part of him or would be filled with fear, and this would establish John Wick’s past stature. From the moment Iosef brought the car to his usual chop shop and the owner, played by John Lequizamo, knew and worked with John Wick regularly before, there was that feeling of yeah, they f*cked up. Even Iosef’s father, Viggo Tarasov, would be angry and fear for his son’s life knowing how John Wick was. He would give Iosef John’s backstory and how John worked for him but that he would be used for the worst jobs. So even the worst mobsters would have nightmares about John Wick and be a bedtime story/warning for their kids. Viggo would try to make amends with John to no avail, and of course Viggo wouldn’t just give up his only son because then there would be no movie. The somber tone which those would respond to this situation who knew John Wick wouldn’t be the only thing to establish his former stature. It would be the attack on his life, the way he would dispatch the initial hitmen, and the familiarity of those who he would work with. And of course, them asking him if his actions meant he was back in this life again permanently. He wouldn’t be completely invincible, and it wouldn’t even just be about him going into every situation guns blazing as the politics and structure of the former underworld he used to be apart of would be unveiled, and his knowledge and use of it would be vital. And this would be one of the things that would make this movie stronger because the acting would allow for somewhat of a story to develop without relying solely on Keanu Reeves’ performance.

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    The movie would, of course, rely heavily on action, and would be quite intense. There was plenty of exciting hand to hand combat, and the gunplay was sick and smooth at times. So yes, even though he was SLIGHTLY rusty, he was still living up to his notoriety and proving that the apprehension others had about him going after Iosef was well-founded because he wouldn’t stop until he was dead or had his vengeance. There was the occasional moment where suspension of disbelief was needed in terms of antagonists attempting to talk John Wick to death after letting off 100s of rounds but it didn’t disrupt the flow of the movie or take away from its fast-paced action too much. And that scene where John Wick says he’s thinking he’s back definitely had me feeling the same way. And that’s because this movie made for great entertainment.

     

    SUMMARY

     

    John Wick is a heart-pumping action film that actually has an engrossing opening to make you feel invested in the characters and events. The actual character lived up to the hype of his legend so I was very satisfied with that based on my initial reasons for wanting to see the movie. Keanu Reeves gives a decent performance and was definitely believable even if his lines were kept to a minimum at times, and it can signify his return as well. And overall the performances were solid so the story did advance in an enjoyable manner. And the action was intense throughout and held up in the various situations presented. If you’re looking for an exciting action film to kick back and enjoy then you definitely want to check out John Wick.

  • Rating ( 8.1 )
  • Total score 8.1

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