Movie Review: John Wick · 10:03pm Aug 1st, 2018
I'd meant to type this up before I went on my trip, but oh well.
John Wick.
AKA, "The one where Keanu Reeves proves he can act."
Or, if you'd prefer, "The dog-owner's revenge fantasy." 
This 2014 neo-noir action movie is a veritable masterpiece of story, worldbuilding, and yes, action. The first thirty minutes of the film are quite minimal in dialogue, and yet the audience is deftly led into the plot of the movie and why we should care.
After the death of his beloved wife Helen (played by Bridget Moynahan), John Wick (Keanu) finds one last memento of her and their love, in the form of an adorable beagle puppy named Daisy. Forming a connection with the dog, John takes her out in his vintage Ford Mustang.
At the gas station, John encounters some thugs. One of them, spoiled mob boss' son Iosef (played by Alfie Allen of Game of Thrones infamy) wants John's car, but he refuses to sell.
That night, the hoods break into John's home, ambush him and beat him senseless, steal his car and worst of all, kill Daisy.
When Iosef takes the car to get its plates and identification changed, the chop shop owner Aurelio (played by John Leguizamo) freaks out, punches him and threatens him to never come back.
Why?
Because you see, Iosef didn't just steal the car (and kill the dog) of any normal guy.
No, he stole the car, and killed the dog, of the man who was the most feared and impressive hitman in the entire underworld.
John had gotten out of the business of killing, but now, he's coming out of retirement...
I could gush about a lot of the movie's action scenes. But I'll restrain myself to discussing just two:
First of all, the scene where Iosef's father Viggo (played by Michael Nyqvist) sends a squad of killers to John's house to try and stop him from going after Iosef. This is our first real introduction to John Wick in action, and it uses action, choreography and camerawork masterfully to create a tense and thrilling shootout, as we swiftly understand WHY the mob fears John Wick so much, and how a dozen men are nowhere near enough to stop him. (The buildup to this scene, with the gunmen's approach intercut with Viggo quietly singing a lullaby about Baba Yaga, is quite strong too; Nyqvist's deep, soft voice and the ominous words of the song adding an eerie atmosphere to the scene.)
The second scene I'd like to talk about, is perhaps the film's most iconic - in which John invades the Red Circle nightclub in his first attempt to kill Iosef. What ensues is perhaps one of cinema's best constructed shootouts since The Terminator's assault on Tech Noir in 1984. Easily most of John's impressive bodycount comes from this scene, and the moment when Iosef witnesses one of his guards killed in front of him (and can see John staring right at him) makes for an absolutely delicious "Oh crap" moment. 
Adding to the scene is the lighting and music. The use of cool blue and hot red lights at different moments through John's hunt give the entire scene an almost ethereal quality, and the music only adds to the striking feel of the scene. I was literally up on my feet throughout this part of the movie, grinning like a mad fool as I watched John dispatch opponents with cold precision.
The rest of the movie doesn't let up. John Wick continuously displays astonishing skill and craftsmanship in creating new set pieces and advancing its story.
A particular triumph of the film is in its worldbuilding. The film presents John's old profession as a secret society of hitmen, and brilliantly averts telling us how it works in favor of just showing us how the assassins go about their business. Particular highlights of this society include "dinner reservation" and what that actually means. XD
Another triumph of the film is in its dialogue. Not a word is wasted, and all of the actors are able to invest their characters with enough depth - even in the most minimal of scenes or exchanges - to suggest real history and depth to them.
In particular is Reeves. Now, admittedly, I'd never watched any of the work that made him something of a joke, but I knew of his reputation as an actor infamous for "dull surprise" and lack of emotion. Here, however, Reeves channels that into an electrifying performance, portraying John's cold resolution to fantastic effect. And when there are moments for Wick to show his emotion, Reeves delivers magnificently... There's a scene early in the film, where John receives Daisy's carrier, and finds a note from his wife attached to it. John's reaction to reading this last message from his beloved is powerfully gut-wrenching, and I remember feeling genuinely misty-eyed watching Keanu's emotional response. Another powerful moment in the film is the one and only time John displays real rage, in confronting Viggo about his hunt for Iosef. It's both a jarring moment, and incredibly effective because of that.
Other standouts are hard to name with a few examples, so I'll just throw out something of a list.
Willem Defoe has a part in the movie as Marcus, an old friend of John's from the past. He's an interesting character, both for the fact that you are kept guessing as to his motivations, and also for a few bits where you can see him preparing odd vegetable smoothies
Ian McShane plays Winston, the owner of the Continental, the hotel where the assassins all stay. McShane is only in the movie for two brief scenes, and yet both times he leaves a powerful impression as the man that everyone respects.
Lance Reddick is also a delight as Charon, the concierge of the hotel. Always professional and completely unruffled, he leaves a lasting impression on the viewer, especially in the scene where he calls John's room.
Adrienne Palicki also plays a part, as villainous assassin "Mrs. Perkins." As someone who was a fan of her work on Agents of SHIELD, it was fun to see her in this film, especially with the implication of prior history between her and John.
Two last bits I'd like to mention, include Kevin Nash as nightclub bouncer Francis, and Tom Sadowski as police officer Jimmy. Both characters leave an impression because they're smart enough to know you stay the hell out of John Wick's way and avoid giving him any trouble.
So that's John Wick.
Definitely give it a watch. You will NOT regret it.
My brother got me to watch this a while back. I was blown away to say the least. The action scenes had me breathless. In my opinion Wick could take Bond, Bourne, and Bryan Mills all combined into one. His ability and drive to find this man that wronged him and cut the last connection he had to his wife is just something else. What got me was Iosef himself. He really thought his father would be enough to save him. He got a very bad dose of reality.
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Well said, and I feel I must agree. John Wick could take all of those guys. XD
And also, yeah. Iosef really had no idea what kind of man he'd just fucked with. I love that scene with him and Viggo, as it's a great display of acting from Michael Nyqvist - he's furious and upset, because he knows his son is a dead man walking and he can't get him to understand that.