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Update: November 2, 2014
Dragonlord's Review of JOHN WICK (No Spoilers)
Bottom Line: Keanu Reeves returns triumphantly to the action genre in this lean, stylish, revenge thriller brimming with slick action choreography, precise balletic gunplay and a rich, enthralling criminal underworld the characters inhabit in.
This simple revenge tale about a retired hitman (Keanu Reeves) going on a bloody warpath after Russian mobsters killed his dog, a parting gift from his dying wife, would have been your typical humdrum B-movie schlock but in the hands of directors and famed stunt coordinators David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, John Wick is transformed into the year's most surprisingly wickedly bad-ass action flick. After a marked absence from the genre, Reeves is in excellent form and the character fits perfectly with his reticent demeanor.
The action is a nice mix of martial arts and gunplay - you have the grace of martial arts, but then the bang of the gun. It's a great throwback to John Woo's signature gun-fu combat. Praise goes to the filmmakers for wanting to do long takes, not a lot of cuts and have the action happen in front of you. With a steady blend of gun-fu, judo, jiu-jitsu and, even introducing a new combat style, gun-drifting, Leitch and Stahelski expertly deliver one action highlight after another in a near-nonstop thrill ride.
The film's criminal underworld is so layered and colorful and governed with their own unique set of rules and codes. Services are paid in gold coins, eerily reminiscent of the Hades ferryman from Greek mythology. New York's Continental Hotel provides safe haven for assassins with the rule that no business can be conducted on premises. A big part of the charm in John Wick is the eclectic supporting cast and spotting some of the recognizable actors in small but distinguishable roles. Alfie Allen, who plays a simpering, spoiled brat, is as despicable here as he is in Game of Thrones. Adrianne Palicki plays a sexy contract killer and provides a good case why the actress should headline a solo action movie.
The techno music used in the club scene was great but the inclusion of KALEIDA's song "Think" in was just sublime.
"People keep asking if I'm back - yeah, I'm thinking I'm back," Wick at one point says. And coupled with the upcoming action drama John Rain TV series on the way, Reeves certainly is back with a vengeance.
Rating: 8/10
Link to the official JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 thread:
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/john-wick-chapter-2-first-trailer-released.3372171/
Dragonlord's Review of JOHN WICK (No Spoilers)
Bottom Line: Keanu Reeves returns triumphantly to the action genre in this lean, stylish, revenge thriller brimming with slick action choreography, precise balletic gunplay and a rich, enthralling criminal underworld the characters inhabit in.
This simple revenge tale about a retired hitman (Keanu Reeves) going on a bloody warpath after Russian mobsters killed his dog, a parting gift from his dying wife, would have been your typical humdrum B-movie schlock but in the hands of directors and famed stunt coordinators David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, John Wick is transformed into the year's most surprisingly wickedly bad-ass action flick. After a marked absence from the genre, Reeves is in excellent form and the character fits perfectly with his reticent demeanor.
The action is a nice mix of martial arts and gunplay - you have the grace of martial arts, but then the bang of the gun. It's a great throwback to John Woo's signature gun-fu combat. Praise goes to the filmmakers for wanting to do long takes, not a lot of cuts and have the action happen in front of you. With a steady blend of gun-fu, judo, jiu-jitsu and, even introducing a new combat style, gun-drifting, Leitch and Stahelski expertly deliver one action highlight after another in a near-nonstop thrill ride.
The film's criminal underworld is so layered and colorful and governed with their own unique set of rules and codes. Services are paid in gold coins, eerily reminiscent of the Hades ferryman from Greek mythology. New York's Continental Hotel provides safe haven for assassins with the rule that no business can be conducted on premises. A big part of the charm in John Wick is the eclectic supporting cast and spotting some of the recognizable actors in small but distinguishable roles. Alfie Allen, who plays a simpering, spoiled brat, is as despicable here as he is in Game of Thrones. Adrianne Palicki plays a sexy contract killer and provides a good case why the actress should headline a solo action movie.
The techno music used in the club scene was great but the inclusion of KALEIDA's song "Think" in was just sublime.
"People keep asking if I'm back - yeah, I'm thinking I'm back," Wick at one point says. And coupled with the upcoming action drama John Rain TV series on the way, Reeves certainly is back with a vengeance.
Rating: 8/10
Link to the official JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 thread:
http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/john-wick-chapter-2-first-trailer-released.3372171/
