"John will come for you and you will do nothing, because you can't do nothing."
Do you hate complicated films where your brains hurt while trying to keep up with the story ? Do you start to drool spontaneously when watching endless violent action scenes ? You answered twice "Yes Sir" ? Well, then "John Wick" is cut out for you. Because the story is simple in a way that even your goldfish can follow it easily and it it contains a concatenation of rough,cruel liquidations. I never thought that stealing a Ford Mustang and wringing the neck of a puppy could result in a never-seen, raging revenge. John Wick, however, thought otherwise. This retired former hitman leaves a bloody trail in New York, after they steal his car and kill his dog, donated by his deceased wife. The fact that this is committed by the son of his former boss, who's from the Russian mob, doesn't impress him. Instantly he demolishes his basement floor. Years ago, he buried his whole arsenal of weapons and other adult toys there, just to forget his past and change gear in his new life.
Digging up Keanu Reeves again, certainly wasn't a bad idea. The man has a natural talent for portraying an icy cool killer. His emotionless visage is perfect for the role. And the less dialogs in a film, the better. It's not the dialogues, he has to struggle through, that gives him the appearance of a cold-blooded assassin, but his stoic calmness and the expressionless gaze does. He demonstrated this already in "The Matrix" and also in "47 Ronin" (wrongly considered by many as a pulp film). If you want to keep track of the number of victims, you should purchase a large oversize abacus.
I enjoy a straightforward action film, with not to much frills and where the emphasis lies on mindless brawling and shooting. It shouldn't be serious all the time. Although after a while I felt kind of impassive about it and sank deeper into my cozy seat to watch it with such an infinite look. I compared it with a ride on a wildly popular, matchless rollercoaster. During your first ride, you feel the adrenaline rushing through your body and you rush back to the entrance full of enthusiasm just to experience that indescribable feeling once again. During the tenth drive you're sitting in it very relaxed, looking around in search for the next challenge. That's "John Wick" in a nutshell. A flashy rollercoaster ride that starts fiery and impressive, but as the journey takes longer, the euphoria fades away slowly.
In terms of genre, it's ultimately of the same level as "The Equalizer". Only the latter contained a bit more story, I thought. In "John Wick" you have a stolen car and a dead dog on the one hand, and on the other hand an increasing number of corpses. That's it. And yet it's pure enjoyment witnessing the flashy action and shown coolness. Chad Stahelski, a former stuntman (interesting fact: he was the one who played Neo in "The Matrix" during dangerous scenes), doesn't beat around the bush and creates a series of precisely choreographed fight sequences. Without much effort he succeeds in giving Reeves the reputation of a bogeyman. But as Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) remarks it himself: "John is not exactly "The Bogeyman". He's the one you sent to kill the fuckin 'Boogeyman.". And this top assassin moves in a swirling way to eliminate his enemies with a well-aimed shot. His shooting technique is slightly off-track and looks somewhat forced. But that doesn't keep him from transforming the place where he appears, into an outright shooting gallery.
There were some pretty surreal scenes which impressed the imagination. Like the "Continental" hotel, the professional cleaning team and the reputation of John Wick in itself and his cult status hovering around him as an aura. "The Continental Hotel" could serve as a scenic design in a future Batman movie, which bathes in a real cartoonish atmosphere. It's a famous meeting point for notorious assassins, with its own monetary system, an unnaturally friendly desk clerk that meets with all the needs of the guests and a resident physician who can be called for when guests return reasonable damaged after taking care of their "business". There is only one golden rule which is mercilessly punished after being violated. It's prohibited to arrange matters in the hotel itself.
For most of the supporting acts you can safely say that there's a total lack of character development. Most are no more than a shadow in this film, who come momentarily into view and then they're mercilessly being slaughtered. But it seems as if they are suffering from anemia, because despite the continuous aggression, there is very little blood splattered around. So only Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen (Iosef) and Willem Dafoe remain. Michael Nyqvist wasn't very convincing as Viggo and was at the times too theatrical. Alfie Allen played the well-known roll as the conceited, imagining-himself-being-untouchable son of a criminal who as he starts to realize what predator is hunting him, needs a larger size Pampers. Not that very original. And Willem Dafoe tries, but gets little screenplay to play himself into the spotlight. So Reeves is the only one to steal the show. And he does that with panache and style. Once he slips into that measured black suit and swings a duffel bag full of toys for adults in it, over his shoulder, he walks confidently towards you while the camera zooms in. And then you can brace yourself. Magnificent.
"John Wick" isn't exactly of a high level in cinematic terms but does meet the requirements of the targeted audience. A pure action movie full of spectacle. Unfortunately, there are rumors that the sequel "John Wick" is planned already. I admire Reeves that he's still capable to portray a character as Wick at his age of 50. He can take that kind of personage to a next level, but I'm afraid that this sequel will be a weak carbon copy from the original.
Wow, Barry Eisler is someone I highly admire and watched this as he is working with Keanu on Rain. However the acting was poor, bad editing, poor pace, weak arc and depth and hyped music and may camera angles. Of the last 5000 films I've watched, this is perhaps 5th worst
NOOO NOT THE LE WOOFER DOGGO MLEM NOOOOOOOOO NOT THE LE LONGBOI BARKER SNOOTER PUPPERINO PUPPER NOOOOOOOO UR DOIN ME A HECKIN FRIGHTEN BY HURTING THE BLEPPER DOGGER BORKER CHONKER FLOOFER I AM BAMBOOZLED
NOOOOOO NOT THE WOOFER DOGGO NOOOOOOOOO NOT THE HECKIN POOR GOODBOI PUPPERINO BORKER LONGBOI CLOUDY BOI NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT THE BAMBOOZLED MLEM BLEP BORKING FLUFFER DOGGERINO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOUR DOIN ME A FRIGHTEN I'M SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW
made by stuntmen so the action is great but lacks logic, the dialogue is stilted and dry, and the relationships in the film are undercooked. fans of the action in 'shooter' (2007) will find something to root for here.
This is a mans movie. Very entertaining action, the stuntwork and coordination is on point. Kaneu Reeves is great, with all the action and stuff. The way he delivers the cheesy lines too. He is just great. "People keep asking if I'm back. Yeah - I'm thinkning I am back". Just so great. The soundtrack is as steriotypical rock as you get. Suits the movie so well. Of course the movie doesn't make sense all the time, and the lines is cheesy as fuck, but that's ok. This kind of a movie is suppose to be like that.
I wasn't expecting much from this movie, but man, it was so fun to watch! It's just a straight up action flick, doesn't pretend to be anything else, and it succeeds in entertaining. Well directed, and the fight sequences and music were great. Loved it.
In the circles I run in, I'd always heard an inordinate amount of hype for John Wick and the series in general but never got around to watching it till now. I have to say the hype far outweighed reality unfortunately. It has all the makings of a true blue action popcorn movie but the cheeseiness is inserted at just the right times to make it seem almost amateurish.
I totally get that Wick is an unstoppable killing force, akin to a literal hurricane of death and destruction, yet the movie seems to stop at every opportunity to continually remind you again and again through dialog of that fact. He's the Bogeyman incarnate, he's virtually superhuman, when death goes to sleep at night it checks under the bed for John Wick, et cetera et cetera on and on.
They attempted to make the character at least appear vulnerable at times, but it's done in such a hamfisted way that it comes across as disingenuous and just ticking a box. Almost as if someone in the writing meetings raised their hand and said, "uhh guys, we have to make him at least a little vulnerable and beat up otherwise he'll just be Superman with a gun." I don't think they really pulled it off.
The stunt work is the best stuff here, long cuts to see all the action and Keanu very obviously doing a lot of his own fight work.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 37
americanadian25
Really liked this one, here's my full review.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm9zOIg7p-I
ikkegoemikke
"John will come for you and you will do nothing, because you can't do nothing."Do you hate complicated films where your brains hurt while trying to keep up with the story ? Do you start to drool spontaneously when watching endless violent action scenes ? You answered twice "Yes Sir" ? Well, then "John Wick" is cut out for you. Because the story is simple in a way that even your goldfish can follow it easily and it it contains a concatenation of rough,cruel liquidations. I never thought that stealing a Ford Mustang and wringing the neck of a puppy could result in a never-seen, raging revenge. John Wick, however, thought otherwise. This retired former hitman leaves a bloody trail in New York, after they steal his car and kill his dog, donated by his deceased wife. The fact that this is committed by the son of his former boss, who's from the Russian mob, doesn't impress him. Instantly he demolishes his basement floor. Years ago, he buried his whole arsenal of weapons and other adult toys there, just to forget his past and change gear in his new life.
Digging up Keanu Reeves again, certainly wasn't a bad idea. The man has a natural talent for portraying an icy cool killer. His emotionless visage is perfect for the role. And the less dialogs in a film, the better. It's not the dialogues, he has to struggle through, that gives him the appearance of a cold-blooded assassin, but his stoic calmness and the expressionless gaze does. He demonstrated this already in "The Matrix" and also in "47 Ronin" (wrongly considered by many as a pulp film). If you want to keep track of the number of victims, you should purchase a large oversize abacus.
I enjoy a straightforward action film, with not to much frills and where the emphasis lies on mindless brawling and shooting. It shouldn't be serious all the time. Although after a while I felt kind of impassive about it and sank deeper into my cozy seat to watch it with such an infinite look. I compared it with a ride on a wildly popular, matchless rollercoaster. During your first ride, you feel the adrenaline rushing through your body and you rush back to the entrance full of enthusiasm just to experience that indescribable feeling once again. During the tenth drive you're sitting in it very relaxed, looking around in search for the next challenge. That's "John Wick" in a nutshell. A flashy rollercoaster ride that starts fiery and impressive, but as the journey takes longer, the euphoria fades away slowly.
In terms of genre, it's ultimately of the same level as "The Equalizer". Only the latter contained a bit more story, I thought. In "John Wick" you have a stolen car and a dead dog on the one hand, and on the other hand an increasing number of corpses. That's it. And yet it's pure enjoyment witnessing the flashy action and shown coolness. Chad Stahelski, a former stuntman (interesting fact: he was the one who played Neo in "The Matrix" during dangerous scenes), doesn't beat around the bush and creates a series of precisely choreographed fight sequences. Without much effort he succeeds in giving Reeves the reputation of a bogeyman. But as Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) remarks it himself: "John is not exactly "The Bogeyman". He's the one you sent to kill the fuckin 'Boogeyman.". And this top assassin moves in a swirling way to eliminate his enemies with a well-aimed shot. His shooting technique is slightly off-track and looks somewhat forced. But that doesn't keep him from transforming the place where he appears, into an outright shooting gallery.
There were some pretty surreal scenes which impressed the imagination. Like the "Continental" hotel, the professional cleaning team and the reputation of John Wick in itself and his cult status hovering around him as an aura. "The Continental Hotel" could serve as a scenic design in a future Batman movie, which bathes in a real cartoonish atmosphere. It's a famous meeting point for notorious assassins, with its own monetary system, an unnaturally friendly desk clerk that meets with all the needs of the guests and a resident physician who can be called for when guests return reasonable damaged after taking care of their "business". There is only one golden rule which is mercilessly punished after being violated. It's prohibited to arrange matters in the hotel itself.
For most of the supporting acts you can safely say that there's a total lack of character development. Most are no more than a shadow in this film, who come momentarily into view and then they're mercilessly being slaughtered. But it seems as if they are suffering from anemia, because despite the continuous aggression, there is very little blood splattered around. So only Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen (Iosef) and Willem Dafoe remain. Michael Nyqvist wasn't very convincing as Viggo and was at the times too theatrical. Alfie Allen played the well-known roll as the conceited, imagining-himself-being-untouchable son of a criminal who as he starts to realize what predator is hunting him, needs a larger size Pampers. Not that very original. And Willem Dafoe tries, but gets little screenplay to play himself into the spotlight. So Reeves is the only one to steal the show. And he does that with panache and style. Once he slips into that measured black suit and swings a duffel bag full of toys for adults in it, over his shoulder, he walks confidently towards you while the camera zooms in. And then you can brace yourself. Magnificent.
"John Wick" isn't exactly of a high level in cinematic terms but does meet the requirements of the targeted audience. A pure action movie full of spectacle. Unfortunately, there are rumors that the sequel "John Wick" is planned already. I admire Reeves that he's still capable to portray a character as Wick at his age of 50. He can take that kind of personage to a next level, but I'm afraid that this sequel will be a weak carbon copy from the original.
http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be/2015/02/john-wick-2014.html
boulderman
I got into films as they draw opinion.Wow, Barry Eisler is someone I highly admire and watched this as he is working with Keanu on Rain. However the acting was poor, bad editing, poor pace, weak arc and depth and hyped music and may camera angles. Of the last 5000 films I've watched, this is perhaps 5th worst
dream_tiger
Big, loud, dumb movie.maxdbn
One of the most exciting action movies I've ever seen. Can't wait for a sequel.Falkhorn
NOOO NOT THE LE WOOFER DOGGO MLEM NOOOOOOOOO NOT THE LE LONGBOI BARKER SNOOTER PUPPERINO PUPPER NOOOOOOOO UR DOIN ME A HECKIN FRIGHTEN BY HURTING THE BLEPPER DOGGER BORKER CHONKER FLOOFER I AM BAMBOOZLEDNOOOOOO NOT THE WOOFER DOGGO NOOOOOOOOO NOT THE HECKIN POOR GOODBOI PUPPERINO BORKER LONGBOI CLOUDY BOI NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NOT THE BAMBOOZLED MLEM BLEP BORKING FLUFFER DOGGERINO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOUR DOIN ME A FRIGHTEN I'M SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW
monty
Trash.anjos
Mindless action. Great if you like Quake and Super Mario Bros.mdclarke
made by stuntmen so the action is great but lacks logic, the dialogue is stilted and dry, and the relationships in the film are undercooked. fans of the action in 'shooter' (2007) will find something to root for here.Chikamaharry
This is a mans movie. Very entertaining action, the stuntwork and coordination is on point. Kaneu Reeves is great, with all the action and stuff. The way he delivers the cheesy lines too. He is just great. "People keep asking if I'm back. Yeah - I'm thinkning I am back". Just so great. The soundtrack is as steriotypical rock as you get. Suits the movie so well. Of course the movie doesn't make sense all the time, and the lines is cheesy as fuck, but that's ok. This kind of a movie is suppose to be like that.filmyjo
just an average flick... 6/10.[sad] one-liner gist : “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."
I never liked these gangster crime drama flicks anyway ;-)
Gonna skip watching the sequels. :-)
ynrozturk
I wasn't expecting much from this movie, but man, it was so fun to watch! It's just a straight up action flick, doesn't pretend to be anything else, and it succeeds in entertaining. Well directed, and the fight sequences and music were great. Loved it.Cadeicus
Great use of music in this film. Especially in the fight scenes.Sobchak
Good fun!DisneyStitch
In the circles I run in, I'd always heard an inordinate amount of hype for John Wick and the series in general but never got around to watching it till now. I have to say the hype far outweighed reality unfortunately. It has all the makings of a true blue action popcorn movie but the cheeseiness is inserted at just the right times to make it seem almost amateurish.I totally get that Wick is an unstoppable killing force, akin to a literal hurricane of death and destruction, yet the movie seems to stop at every opportunity to continually remind you again and again through dialog of that fact. He's the Bogeyman incarnate, he's virtually superhuman, when death goes to sleep at night it checks under the bed for John Wick, et cetera et cetera on and on.
They attempted to make the character at least appear vulnerable at times, but it's done in such a hamfisted way that it comes across as disingenuous and just ticking a box. Almost as if someone in the writing meetings raised their hand and said, "uhh guys, we have to make him at least a little vulnerable and beat up otherwise he'll just be Superman with a gun." I don't think they really pulled it off.
The stunt work is the best stuff here, long cuts to see all the action and Keanu very obviously doing a lot of his own fight work.
Showing items 1 – 15 of 37