The story is unpretentious and nothing really new, about a former mob hit man who goes on rampage after members of the Russian Mafia beat him up, killed his dog (a gift from his wife who just passed away and delivered to him after she was gone to help in his grieving) and stole his vintage Mustang car, without knowing he is the dreaded Boogeyman. But the way it’s smartly directed by former stuntman Chad Stahelski (Keanu Reeves’ double in “The Matrix”) is really something else, giving the tired old action flick genre a fresh new twist. From the start, there’s no doubt you’d sympathize with Keanu as John Wick. You actually applaud when he kills the abusive son of the Russian boss, Josef (Alfie Allen from “Game of Thrones”), who killed his dog and all the men who try to protect him, including his dad Viggo (Michael Nyqvist.)
All the rousing no-holds-barred shootouts and live action stunts (yes, no CGI effects here but the real deal) are excitingly choreographed, staged and executed for the big screen. Once John Wick starts his ferocious vengeful killing spree, the momentum of the action sequences never stops and the body count gets very, very high. The script also provides its own milieu for hitmen, like a cleaning group who comes in to dispatch all dead bodies and clean up the crime scene, and a very exclusive hotel where killers can seek some rest after tiring episodes of violence. When Keanu is disturbed in his sleep by a female assassin (Adrianne Palicki) and they make a lot of noise while furiously fighting, the hotel even apologizes for what happened by giving Keanu a new car.
No one can question Keanu’s agility as an action star, even if, like Tom Cruise, he just turned 50 years old last September. He is at his best and oh so obviously does his own stunts: shooting, wrestling, stabbing, rolling, grappling, and demolishing all his foes like a killing machine fired up on all cylinders. Giving good support are Willem Dafoe as his former colleague who helps him out and pays dearly, Ian MacShane as the hotel owner who punishes the female assassin for breaking the rules, and Nyqvist (the original lead character in “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” before it was remade by Hollywood) as Viggo.
