*Directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch
*Starring Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allens, Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane and John Leguizamo
How’s it going, guys? So I feel when the perfect opportunity comes I want to get out reviews for films that pertain to a new release. Like if a sequel to a film is about to release and it’s an anticipated film I want to see and I enjoy, or love, the original, I’ll try and review the previous film/films before the next installment. So, in honor of this week’s release of John Wick Chapter 2, I thought what better way to prepare for the next installment then to go back and watch the first film. Here we go!
THE PLOT: A former hitman named John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on the loose to seek vengeance after a few criminals decide to strike and kill his pet dog given to him from his recently deceased wife.Unfortunately, when this film released in late 2014 I was not able to get around to seeing this film in the theaters. I tried to see it one day and it didn’t work out, so as time passed I just never had the chance to see it in the theater or watch it at home. I knew this would be a great time to finally see it with Chapter 2 and in regards to the first film I heard nothing, but great things. Safe to say...this film was a freaking BLAST! I loved this movie!!!
I have to say that as a film in the action genre, it delivers in every way and not because the action sequences are really impressive, but the purpose of what makes great action films great in the first place is the driving force. It’s about what happens in the story that propels such action from happening. What exactly are the motives behind such violence happening in the movie rather than just being fun and entertaining? The plot of this film is actually very well handled and makes sense for such things to happen. I really got a grasp of the story because of the emotional stakes that were involved and why Wick was motivated to strike back. He was a character that had motives I could understand and because of such tragic things he went through in the past involving his wife, he was a character you could sympathize with as well.
Speaking of the character of Wick, Keanu Reeves portrayal was absolutely fitting for this role because my impression was that he was supposed to come off as this stern character, who wants vengeance but is incredibly clever at the acts he pulls. Reeves made the character intriguing, but also is one to commit to very well done action sequences. The actions sequences pulled in this film were so impressive to watch on screen and were made under such talent that it came off as the some of the best action scenes I’ve seen in recent years. Is it Mad Max Fury Road level action? Not really, but for the type of grounded action it had to pull while still being in the vein of 80s/90s action films, it couldn’t have been done in a better fashion. It was well choreographed in camera, but how it was filmed and edited didn’t feel off-kilter and made difficult to follow. This was action you could get into because of how it blended with a very compelling story.
Now, surrounding the action, the film as a whole I thought was actually very well directed. It was fast paced, but not in a way that was too fast. There was still emotion in some scenes that didn’t feel glossed over. The film sets you off with a great emotional hit in its opening scene and the couple scenes following that. You understood the past about this character and then once a conflict starts to happen, it just keeps getting more and more enticing. Also, the side characters in Dafoe, McShane, and Leguizamo were very solid in their roles. They had you interested and opened doors about the past Wick had between all these characters. They might have not all had a lot of screen time, but there was still enough there to have me interested about how they served a purpose for the story. In addition to such a well made visual presentation the soundtrack for this film was very euphoric and it had that cool techno feel to it all, which really fit the tone of film.
The only issues I have are quite minor and I guess even though I liked the villains of the film and thought very good performances were brought in by Michael Nyqvist and Alfie Allen, I feel as though they were perhaps a little underdeveloped. They kinda almost feel like they were there to just conjure up the conflict, but you do learn a little backstory and even though it doesn’t make up for why there’s a conflict in the first place, it’s still decent that there was more effort in the writing. Also come to think of it the motivations could’ve been that villains wanted to cause trouble because they could, but then again it still is something to question. Also, since this film does feel like a typical action film, it probably is a little easy to see where the story will go. It can get a little predictable, but in the end, I could overlook such aspects.
Are these flaws a little apparent? Sure, but this was still a film that did justice to the action genre and was still incredibly entertaining from start to finish. Reeves did a terrific job in the role. There was a fine balance of a compelling story with flawless action sequences and in that regard made this one of the best action films in recent years. John Wick is a refreshing reminder that when action films are made under such care and talent, it can stand the test the time for being a quality piece of action cinema.
Verdict: A
There you have it! That’s my review of the first John Wick. I’m glad I can finally jump on the bandwagon of fans of the first film and get excited about this next movie. I cannot wait to see it! John Wick proves action films can be done right and let’s hope the same goes for its sequel. I hope you all enjoyed reading my review of John Wick and be on the lookout this Sunday for my review of John Wick Chapter 2. I also have a review for The Lego Batman Movie coming Saturday. Be on the lookout for those next reviews and be sure to look me up on the social media interwebs:
Twitter and Instagram : @alexjcorey
facebook.com/thealexcorey
Thank you all so much for reading and be sure to see some movies and all that good stuff! Take care! :-)
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