wicked

It is extremely badass. One of the most badass movies I've seen in a long time actually.

JOHN WICK

I enjoyed this film. It's a straight up revenge action film. Simple simple plot with little dialogue consisting of mainly one liners and/or reactions. I liked the cast. Keanu was great in the role. He was believable and the hints of his backstory were cool. I liked the Continental Hotel and it's presence in the film. The action scenes were well done. Mainly the hand to hand combat style sequences were the best for me. The shooting itself got a bit repetitive towards the end which kind of diluted the film for me. Another thing that worked against the film was the music/soundtrack. It was boring and felt very by the numbers. It wasn't unique and didn't help to elevate the film and make it more interesting. The dialogue or lack thereof was also a problem that held the film back from being a great action film. In the end, it was certainly entertaining but quite unmemorable due the sound, dialogue and repetitive gunfire sequences.

Grade - B

With its emphasis on retro-hip craft and a detached storyline populated with self-conscious graphic-novel absurdities, John Wick is a solid example of a fashionable and largely fat-free contemporary action film. It stars Keanu Reeves as the title character, a former hit man turned suburban square whose wife has just died. Her parting gift to him is a dog. When a gangster's son and his henchmen beat the dog to death during a home invasion, John flies into a rage and plots a campaign of vengeance. Step one: he goes into his basement with a sledgehammer to recover a substantial arms cache beneath the concrete. Reeves is not the most demonstrative or nuanced performer, but this role fits him snugly, almost as if this were a sequel and he were reprising the part of this chic and distant action hero who moves with grace and wears a well-tailored suit with aplomb.

The film's finest points are its action sequences and its world building. John navigates a distinctive and extra-cinematic criminal underworld. Payments and bribes come in the form of gold coins. A hotel, the Continental, is a neutral zone where no "business" is allowed. A phoned-in dinner reservation for 12 is code for a dozen corpses requiring disposal. There are many such playful details, and a couple distinctive actors, including Willem Dafoe and Ian McShane, briefly show up as former peers in the rogue's gallery John left behind. When violence erupts, the result is filmed with clarity and a tantalizing sense of motion and strategy. A second-act nightclub showdown is a dance of gunfire and hand-to-hand combat on par with vintage John Woo spectacles or either of the celebrated Raid films. Unfortunately, this grand sequence also proves a tad problematic because it represents a culmination of the previously building tension, and, in my opinion, the film begins to lose steam afterward. Perhaps because John is just shown to be too adept an assassin and kicker of Eastern European ass, so the home stretch's bid to even the odds and place him in danger are contrived, strained, and not as fun as what came before.

B

Was digging the first half (poor puppy ) but the second half dragged imo. Some good action sequences, and I did enjoy how things weren't explicitly said in terms of how things worked but I wish the film was more tight and made me care a little more.

John Wick

Keanu Reeves is back! This movie is slick and awesome. It's like Collateral and Jack Reacher all mixed up, then with a layer of graphic novel on top. Super cool, great action, good enough cinematography, overpowering music, and it moves at a brisk and thrilling pace. Keanu wobbles on the acting, but then he always has, and this is actually one of his better performances. The dialogue is exactly what it needs to be for this type of revenge thriller. It's not flowery, it's simple, and it works. There's small blotches of humour throughout, but it's very subtle just how I like it. I love it when bad guys are Russian.

This is one of those top drawer action thrillers in the vein of Haywire. The club shootout is all kinds of awesome! As is the home raid. Ahhh, it's all so cool. I just want a John Wick 2 now.

A

After the fantastic reviews I expected a bit more than what was given. It was moderately entertaining but forgettable. I don't get the praise for Keanu's performance either, he was quite terrible. Sure, he was bad ass but when needing to act, he doesn't do it well. Still, it was entertaining and worth a rental.

B-

Agreed, but physically, his acting was pretty awesome.

For what it is, I loved it. For revenge action movies, this is top notch. This was a perfect role for Keanu.

A-

Pretty entertaining film, the final fight just felt lame though

B

One of the best pure action movies of the past few years. It was refreshing watching action scenes that didn't have a shaky cam effect. The night club scene was awesome. Very well-choreographed action scenes. Loved the lighting in the film. It's very slick and stylish. The music was great. I'm not a huge Keanu Reeves fan but he was likable here. May have been even cooler with a better actor but I won't complain. It's a very fun ride. Bring on a sequel!

I will agree with what many said in that there's not much in the way of story. But it does what it sets out to do well and I dug it a lot.

A-

Wow. Consider me surprised. I am really pleased you liked it. Perhaps it has a shot at the most overlooked film of 2014.

A well-paced revenge actioner marred by weak character development and unimaginative actions. Keanu Reeves is fit as the calm and mythical title character. However, his portrayal tells little about the back story of the character. Also, Wick's history with other characters feels non-existing in the script. The movie displays a cool dark atmosphere. The action scenes are okay but none too memorable and fresh.

B-

I was just the slightest-bit disappointed in what was otherwise a fun action flick. Keanu Reeves needs to find a network willing to let him just play this type of character for a TV show, because this is a role in which he thrives.

B+

Oh my oh my. How did I miss this in the theater? This was my exactly what my 2013 needed. Perfect balance of gun, melee and vehicular carnage. Story wise I probably would have prefered it ending aftet he killed Theon Greyjoy, but as a lover of well-crafted action sequences I can't imagine living on without having seen what John can do with a car.

A+

I partially blame you all for not fully selling me on this.

The action is the standout obviously. The music and cinematography are also superb thogh. And while nobody gives an oscar worthy performance, every actor does their part well. And I like how they filled out the bit parts with people from The Wire. That's never a bad strategy.

Top 3 of 2014.

i thought it was older than that?

It actually came out in the second half of 2014.

It feels like its been on HBO since second half 2014.

Just watched this the other day because I was interested in the sequel. Surprisingly only thought it was OK. Undeniably great action sequences, particularly the club scene, but the whole thing is fairly standard-issue other than that and it actually ends up being kind of boring by the end. C+

John Wick was relentlessly average. *C*

I rewatched this not too long ago and while it doesn't hold up as well as when I first saw it this is still a really enjoyable action/revenge flick. I just love Keanu Reeves here and I don't think he gets enough credit for what he pulled off with this character. Say what you will about his acting, but I felt he was really committed to the role and it helps that he does nearly all of his own stunts.

Many actors, especially former action stars are too lazy to do that these days, but you can tell he's really into it. Also, the action in this film is fantastic and on par with The Raid films IMO.

I can't fucking wait for John Wick: Chapter 2.