John Wick. Yes, really.

From liveforfilms.com.

For those who have routinely written off a Keanu Reeves movie simply because Keanu Reeves is in it, his latest film, John Wick, actually works because he’s the guy who’s in it. It’s an action movie, no surprise, but it’s also a very tongue-in-cheek film, firmly aware that it’s a movie that’s not trying to be profound or groundbreaking, which makes it just a fun movie to watch. It’s directed by Reeves’ former stunt doubles in the Matrix, Chad Stahelski and Davit Leitch (though Leitch is uncredited).

The premise seems silly: John Wick is a retired hitman, who is also a recent widow. His life now revolves around taking care of his adorable beagle Daisy, a parting gift from his deceased wife, and driving around in a Boss 429 as anger management. The action begins when a Russian mobster’s son takes an interest in Wick’s car and decides to break into his house, beating him and killing Daisy in front of Wick. Wick decides, after burying Daisy, to get back at the people who did this. Yes, folks, this is puppy revenge. It’s both inane and fascinating, the sheer ludicrousness becomes the framework from which you watch the film. It’s going to be nuts because the very idea of it is nuts.

From Collider.com.

From there, it’s revealed that Wick wasn’t just a hitman, he was the hitman, and the stupidity of the young mobster, Iosef, played by Game of Thrones’ Alfie Allen, pits Wick against his former employers in the Russian mob. Iosef’s father, mob boss Viggo Tarasov, played by Michael Nyqvist, underscored Wick’s reputation: Wick was called Baba Yaga, or the Russian version of the Boogeyman, but, as Tarasov clarified, “He’s the one you called to kill the Boogeyman.”

It all goes downhill from there, with Wick reentering his old life, killing everything the mob sends against him. The action is frantic and exciting, with the camerawork and choreography working well together to create very stylish action sequences. There’s a lot to be said for the cast, too. Adrianne Palicki, John Leguizamo, Willem Dafoe, Bridget Moynihan, as well as Allen and Nyqvist all contribute to the over-the-top feel of the film. In this case, Keanu’s, well, brand of acting suits Wick, who doesn’t express a lot of emotion, but isn’t a complete robot either.

The film reminds me of anime and The Matrix, with good reason as the directors are fans of one, and worked in the other, which is also influenced by anime. It’s action-packed but it paces itself well, breaking the action long enough for the audience to settle down again. Also, it isn’t all huge set pieces; the more interesting scenes are actually the small, tight fight scenes, where the choreography is allowed to be seen. Reeves’ experience in The Matrix makes this easy for him to pull off. There is also this sense, in the acting and in the action sequences that everyone in the film, from the actors to the people behind the camera, that they’re clear on what they want to achieve. There isn’t a lot of high concept here, just ass kicking and a lot of style. Which goes to show that high concept doesn’t mean good film.

It’s definitely a surprise, since I had such low expectations of it from the beginning. It’s a fun ride and I for one think that it will make a good franchise as long as they stick to this particular mode of storytelling. Come to think of it, it’s a bit like James Bond, only grittier and, well, Keanu-ier. In any case, it’s definitely worth a watch. So yes, John Wick. Really.