John Wick ( Official Trailer 2014) 2:30
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Dont set him off. Courtesy Village Roadshow.
- news.com.au
- 28 Oct 2014
- News Entertainment
IT sounds like a joke, perhaps the premise for a Wayans brothers spoof called Revenge Movie. Keanu Reeves goes on a killing spree after someone kills his dog.
But it’s not a joke, it’s the best Keanu Reeves movie in years. You’d have to go back as far as the first Matrix to see him acting this cool in a part that really suits him.
The waning star is 50 years old now, going on 30 — those cheekbones are holding out well — and he’s right in the older-man sweet spot to start making angel of vengeance pictures. Liam Neeson better watch his back.
John Wick is an action film co-directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Picture: AP/Lionsgate/David Lee Source: AP
So, about that dog. It’s a sweet little puppy that is the last gift John Wick (Reeves) receives from his wife, who has died young after a long illness. When he crosses paths with some Russian gangsters John finds his house invaded and the puppy meets a cruel fate.
The perpetrator is Iosef Tarasov, played by Alfie Allen. Just like the character Allen has been playing on Game Of Thrones for the past four years, Iosef is a self-entitled little worm and he has just made the biggest mistake of his miserable life.
Because John Wick didn’t acquire his palatial house and flashy car working on Wall Street. He’s a former top assassin — the kind other assassins speak about in hushed tones.
Soon he is digging up a cache of firearms and embarking on a collision course with the criminal organisation run by Iosef’s father Viggo (Michael Nyqvist).
It’s formulaic stuff but the movie has been stylishly directed by Chad Stahelski, a former stuntman (no surprises there). The cast is strong — Willem Dafoe provides able support as another top assassin — and Stahelski captures the rush of a body count going far beyond what’s justified, which is after all what makes revenge pictures so much fun.
John Wick is a former assassin ... the kind other assassins talk about in hushed tones. Picture: AP/Lionsgate/David Lee Source: AP
The emotional pull is strong: John’s rampage is his way of acting out the Stages Of Grieving for his lost wife, and who needs Denial and Bargaining when Anger is your forte?
When he checks into a special luxury hotel for assassins, whose rules of sanctuary protect them from the law and each other, the movie gets a good injection of black humour.
Too bad the climax is typically repetitive and protracted — 10 minutes less and Keanu would have had all the more momentum to carry him into a career renaissance.
John Wick goes on a revenge campaign after Russian gangsters kill his puppy. Picture: AP/Lionsgate/David Lee Source: AP
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Nick Dent is group editor, Time Out Australia
Film John Wick
Released by Roadshow
Star rating 3/5
Director Chad Stahelski
Rating MA15+
Running time 103 minutes
Verdict: Revenge is sweet for Keanu’s career
Originally published as Keanu kicks big-time butt
