Critics Ratings: 2.5 Star*

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Willem Dafoe, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki

Direction: Chad Stahelski

Produced: Basil Iwanyk, David Leitch, Eva Longoria.

Written: Derek Kolstad

Genre: Thriller

Duration: 1Hrs 42 Mins

Director Chad Stahelski, who was often stunt double to Keanu Reeves (most notably for The Matrix), dons the director’s hat and ushers the reclusive leading man back into the limelight with John Wick. The trailer promises more than the standard Hollywood badassery and judging by the reviews, is off to a flying start.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is an unhappy man. He has lost his wife to cancer and his amicability to the tragedy. Very soon, he loses his car and his pooch to the son (Game of Thrones’ Alfie Allen as Iosef) of Russian mafioso Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) because he declined to sell his shiny Mustang to him. It is one thing for a man to lose his wife. Quite another to be deprived of his best friend and swanky ride. This triggers him into Action Hero mode, though frankly there could be worse reasons to step out with all guns blazing. A candle’s wick needs only the slightest spark.

Still, if the premise seems incredulous to the audience, the antagonists do touch upon it in the film. John’s vendetta is attributed to the attachment he feels for the dog, a parting gift from his terminally ill wife so that he could cope with the loss.

 

This little detail is explained away but can also be ignored in favour of the build-up to the revenge drama. Watch out for the scene where Viggo explaining to Iosef why he messed with the wrong man is intercut with a vengeful John smashing a floor open to unearth his long-forgotten ammunition (which is still in ship-shape).

John Wick works because of the element of absolute cool, a catchy soundtrack, the gun fights which are better choreographed and also for providing an interesting setting for an Assassins’ watering hole – the Continental Hotel. Lance Reddik has an interesting cameo as Charon, the manager, aptly named if you understand the reference from Greek mythology.

But the overall set-up begins to wear thin after a while. When the novelty of the serious action fades away, you are left with scraps that give the déjà vu feeling of ‘been-there-seen-that’. It is the second half, in particular, which succumbs to the contrivances reserved for the action genre. The climactic confrontation between the hero and the baddies peter down to a disappointing face-off. Willem Dafoe and Adrianne Palicki could have been more significant to the plot, but here is where its highly linear narration works against them.

 

John Wick has the panache in parts of a noir graphic novel and more specifically of a video game. The English subtitles translating the Russian dialogue look much better than the staid white font, with key words being emphasised in bold shades of orange and blue, which adds to the comic book feel.

The violence is highly stylised, though you would rather be in on the action to make the lagging melee stunts interesting instead of just sitting by in the sidelines. John Wick does feature as a playable character in the videogame Payday 2, if that idea seems more enticing.

Not as purportedly brilliant as the raving reviews suggest or as drab as the typical action fare, John Wick makes for a reasonable DVD watch over a lazy weekend.