The movie opens up in a dark, albeit slightly confusing, place. We watch a beaten and bloodied Wick stumble out of his car, where he collapses. He passes out while watching a video of his wife, whom he recently lost to cancer. In the first few minutes of the film, we witness their last few moments together, the funeral and watch an odd one car chase. Shortly after the funeral, Wick gets a delivery – a puppy that his wife arranged to be delivered after her death. She wanted to give Wick a companion to help him learn how to love again. The puppy’s name is Daisy. The relationship looks like it is going to be a failure until one day they begin to bond.
One fateful day, Wick and Daisy are out enjoying a ride in his ’69 Mustang, when they stop to get gas. While pumping gas, Wick has an encounter with Iosef Tarasov, played by Alfie Allen of Game of Thrones. Iosef is the son of a Russian mob head who also, just so happens to be Wick’s former boss. Iosef wants to buy Wick’s car – “everything has a price”, a lesson that Iosef soon learns. That night, Iosef and his friends break into Wick’s house and takes away the one thing that has become the most precious to him, Daisy the final gift from his wife.
Upon learning that Iosef has broken in Wick’s house, Viggo Tarasov attempts to talk Wick, also known as the boogeyman, out of killing his son. Unfortunately, Iosef must pay the price for his immature actions, killing the puppy. When Viggo realizes that nothing will stop Wick from coming after his son, he orders a hit on Wick…game on.
I must admit, I was a bit worried during the first five minutes of the film. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, there wasn’t a lot of talking and I was confused at the action taking place on the screen. Fast forward, however, a few moments into the film when Wick encounters the Russians and suddenly it becomes a whole new picture. The action scene where Wick kills all of Viggo’s assassins was pure symmetry in motion. That scene alone was worth the price of admission.
Is it far-fetched that anyone would go to such great lengths to seek revenge? Sure, but what a way to go. The action had most of the audience yelling, shouting and cheering during almost every action sequence. Is it plausible that a Russian mob would actually be scared of John Wick? Probably not, but once you watch Keanu Reeves at his martial arts best, who cares? Is there a moral to the story? Sure, never mess with an ex-hitman.
Several of the actors gave decent performances. Michael Nyqvist does a good job playing Viggio, Iosef’s father and head of the mob. Movie viewers may remember Nyqvist as the villain in the Mission Impossible movie, Ghost Protocol. John Leguizamo also has a small supporting role.
John Wick is a captivating action film and I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.
Rating: R (for strong and bloody violence during the entire film, language and brief drug use)
Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min.
Directed By: David Leitch , Chad Stahelski
Get it on Amazon:
John Wick [Blu-ray]
I paid for the movie ticket with my own funds and have not been compensated for this review.
