Score: **** out of ***** (B+)
Long Story Short: Keanu Reeves is back in the spotlight as an action star, leaving behind the sci-fi of The Matrix for the bloody body count of a revenge story. The role fits Keanu well, and the veteran action crew behind the scenes make the violence more compelling than most. However, it's some of the little things, and new twists (a "hit man hotel"?!), that make John Wick stand out and a possible new franchise.
Back to action and popcorn this week, with the surprising return of a faded star. It's not the time of year that I expect these types of films to come out - usually, it's more of the dramas that I've seen the past few weeks (OK, other than Fury). The long-awaited Interstellar will be up next week, with a likely mix of other blockbusters and awards contenders after that. I had not even heard of John Wick until a week or two before its release. Reeves has fallen so far since The Matrix that he just doesn't command A-list attention (and rightly so). But this film was getting good buzz, and had a surprisingly good score on RT. A change-of-pace film in October with a chance to see Reeves back in form? I'll take it. John Wick was directed by Chad Stahelski (Reeves' stunt double in The Matrix!) and stars Reeves, Michael Nyqvist and Willem Dafoe.
John (Reeves) is a Sad Keanu at the beginning of the film, mourning the recent death of his wife from cancer. However, he soon receives a special present that his wife had secretly arranged for him before her death: a puppy companion. Gradually, John begins to come around, but trouble is just around the corner. He happens to run into a rich Russian brat one day, who takes a liking to John's '69 Mustang. That night, the Russian and his buddies break into John's home, steal his car, and kill the puppy (I felt I needed to be specific about this to warn dog lovers like myself who would be quite disturbed by this. Never mind the rather large human body count later in the film...).
Now John's had it: out comes Mad Keanu, and we learn about his profession previous to his marriage - one he was exceedingly good at. The bad guys have pulled John back in, even if unwittingly, and now there's going to be hell to pay!
The cast is pretty good, certainly by the standards of the genre. Most importantly (and happily, for fans of The Matrix), Keanu is a good fit as the main character. Reeves is not exactly a stellar actor, but the part is built to his strengths: a cool dude who can kick everyone's butt in style. Keanu is also decent at presenting basic vulnerability - both emotionally and in the action scenes. Where this part diverges the most, though, is the fact that Wick is not really a hero - it's to Reeves' and the script's credit that we are rooting for him. Michael Nyqvist has the next biggest part as the dad of the Russian brat and head of the Russian mob. He is fine, though unremarkable. The brat, played by Alfie Allen (Theon from Game of Thrones) is certainly a dislikable guy, a bad guy whose boasting far exceeds his courage (and the film fittingly doesn't give him the honor of a memorable demise).
Three members of the supporting cast give the film a bit more personality than the average action flick. Willem Dafoe plays a veteran hit man whose allegiance you can't be sure of until pretty late in the film - not that that's new for a Dafoe character, but his motivations are genuine. Adrianne Palicki plays a spunky assassin, fellow acquaintance of Wick's. Also now cast in Agents of SHIELD on TV, Palicki seems to be positioned as a new female action star, and she has the athleticism and demeanor to thrive. Finally, in a very small role, Lance Reddick (Fringe) plays the manager of a "hit man hotel" and adds a much needed dose of fun and silliness in the form of a serious man.
John Wick is a pretty traditional action movie in many ways, but its execution and a few new twists make it stand out. We've seen it before: the once-great hit man/cop/dispatcher-of-bad-guys has set aside his violent ways, only to be pulled back into the fray, often reluctantly at first. Reeves does a good job showing that he really doesn't want to be a hit man anymore, and goes about his business without joy. He's not quite grim about it, but perhaps "professionally detached" (at least most of the time). Oh, right, and there's lots of action, too. In reading about the film, Wick employs something called "gun fu", which is close quarters gun play. There's blessedly little to no steadi-cam or lightning edits - the filmmakers, former stuntmen themselves, showcase not only the skill and intensity, but also the frequent elegance, of the action. Wick takes down a lot of bad guys, but the action generally avoids becoming stale by A) providing variety of takedowns/settings and B) keeping Wick a very talented yet flawed fighter.
And then there's the new twist to the old genre. John Wick is sort of the James Bond of hit men (who is becoming more and more of a hit man himself, I suppose). As I mentioned earlier, there is a "hit man hotel" featured in the film, and it plays a crucial role not only as an interesting idea but also as a backbone for the plot itself, beyond just the revenge element. Sprinkle in a little MIB, even - individuals who definitely do not fit into regular society, yet exist right in the midst of it (a downtown hotel) - and you have a unique backdrop that is introduced in this film yet could be further explored in sequels. The hotel already has some interesting figures - led by the desk manager - and there's lots of potential for more.
***
This is one of my longer reviews, which I was not anticipating even just before sitting down to write it. Perhaps this is because while the film itself is not groundbreaking (albeit very good), it diverges from my expectations the more I think about it, and lays the groundwork for a potential franchise. There are plenty of signatures available to be used in future installments, similar to 007 (although to a lesser extent) and his martinis, cars, and so on. Those signatures, little things in and of themselves, have either been done poorly or ignored entirely in film for quite some time. Yet they tend to be the things that stick with you. I'll let you identify John Wick's signatures for yourself. Meanwhile, the film overall is, again, rock solid. Keanu is back, the action is exciting, and it clocks in compactly at a little over 1.5 hours. Add in some neat twists - particularly the "hit man hotel" - and we could be looking at the first in a franchise, if it does well at the box office. John Wick, like last week's Fury, obviously isn't for all tastes (and stomachs) - but if it is for yours, I recommend that you give it a try.
"John Wick TeaserPoster" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Wick_TeaserPoster.jpg#mediaviewer/File:John_Wick_TeaserPoster.jpg
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