By Jeremy Hannaford (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 29, 2014
It is always a satisfying surprise when a film turns out much better than people predict it to be.
Everything on the surface of John Wick made this film look like utter trash. The cheesy trailer, the complete lack of early publicity — in addition to having Keanu Reeves as its lead (consider how poorly 47 Ronin did last Christmas). The thought of stuntmen-turned-directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski helming this film also raised alarm bells.
But all that bad mojo is forgotten within the first five minutes — even though not a single shot is fired. Leitch and Stahelski create a convincing, pulse-pounding, and fluid action flick about a hitman avenging his dead dog.
Just mentioning that plot point sounds idiotic at first, but this film makes it work! This is due in part to some fantastic editing by Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, especially in the opening minutes. In a similar fashion to Steven Soderbergh’s The Limey, Ronaldsdóttir is able to convey Wick’s history, loss, and present situation in rapid time, all the while keeping the narrative in perfect motion. Along with great use of text translation that feels right out of Crank, the film never slows down.
What is probably the most admirable part of John Wick is how simple it is. Derek Kolstad’s script’s truly no different from that of his Dolph Lundgren flicks. But with Leitch and Stahelski behind the camera, this simplistic film is essentially perfected. The action scenes are meticulously crafted with some fantastic gunplay and a great use of mixed martial arts. While it certainly isn’t on par with films like The Raid, it provides some great moments. Keanu Reeves commits to his character by performing many of the stunts himself, and this constant participation heightens the film’s authenticity.
Probably my favourite part is the world John Wick resides in. His reputation as “the guy you hire to kill the fucking Boogeyman” is both subtle and humourous. There is no need for flashbacks, just solid acting and great text use. There is no need for a pre-show of violence. Simply through word-of-mouth and his demeanour, a solid hitman character is built.
Every time the film’s crime lord antagonist (played by Sweden’s own Michael Nyqvist) appears on-screen, he talks about John Wick. Much like how Tom Cruise built up the intrigue with his hitman character in Collateral, Reeves builds up great tension by holding off the violence until the perfect moment. And when it does happen, it is brutally awesome.
There are hitman revenge films and then there are hitman revenge films, and John Wick is definitely one of the best entities in this genre in recent years. It doesn’t try to change the game or offer something new. It takes a run-down method and proves itself as an extremely well-made film. John Wick is one of the best surprises of the year.
