John Wick [2014] is the action/thriller (directed by Chad Stahelski) about the aforementioned retired hitman (played by Keanu Reeves) returning back to the underbelly after a bunch of well-connected punks decides to mess with the wrong guy on the wrong day, steal his car and kill his dog.
Whoa, Keanu — a winning role. Vengeance usually ends ugly, with blood spilling all over the place. John Wick is no different, with revenge as the cornerstone. It feels as if the filmmakers know how much audiences are yearning for more original action flicks, so they've jammed so much action that seems to end and begin with gusto seamlessly. Reeves perfectly embodies an experienced hitman who demolishes all who oppose him and makes for an invigorating cinematic experience.
Cool subtitles and cinematography. This is one good-looking action film. Even the subtitles are stylish — they're colorful and unique and enhance the viewing experience without ruining the momentum of the fight scenes.
Everything is surface-level, but I like it that way. Who is John Wick besides a mourning expert super-assassin with a quench for vengeance? But more importantly, why is Ryan O’Reilly (Dean Winters) from the superb TV show Oz even doing there? It's not pertinent to the introduction of the assassin named John Wick, and these things will be explored more in further sequels.
More action than anything. It’s better this way. You see, the assassins like to hang together in their own bars and hotels away from the general population. When Wick goes back into the assassin world, leaving the ‘real’ one behind, this separation of the two worlds permits us to be entirely immersed in John Wicks's murderous mission. It is better to avoid the guilt of potentially causing collateral damage to innocent bystanders. The great fight choreography should be mentioned.
John Wick — for lovers of action, creative subtitles & Keanu Reeves.
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