Directors: Chad Stahelski, David Leitch
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki
Running Time: 101 minutes
Certificate: 18
Special Features: Commentary by directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch / Several behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Released in the US last year and in UK cinemas earlier this year John Wick took everyone by surprise by actually being good. Let’s face it as, much as we love him, Keanu Reeves hasn’t had the best track record recently.
Happily though the run of bad luck has finished with John Wick one of the best films of his career. Keanu puts all of his hard earned martial arts skills to use as he effortlessly kicks, punches and shoots his way through the run time. The film introduces us to a new subset of martial arts known as ‘gun-fu’, a craze which is so slick and stylish it should really be experienced. The action builds up to a Hell of a crescendo in the middle in a stand-out fight sequence set in the coolest nightclub ever captured on film, The Red Circle.
The plot is simple, Reeves plays Wick a retired assassin, the best that the underworld has ever known. After his home is broken into and his dog murdered Wick goes on a one man rampage to exact revenge.
Peppered with an eclectic and interesting series of background characters including a body disposal crew and the greatest hotel concierge ever the world of John Wick has been well though out and feels incredibly real.
John Wick is a true visual delight and is a feast for all the senses. Each scene is bathed in a different coloured filter from red to blue with some greens and yellows thrown in. The use of all the various hues gives John Wick an otherworldly edge. When these visuals combine with the non-stop action the result is an adrenaline-soaked graphic novel brought to life.
With more head shots than an entire series of The Walking Dead, John Wick is a perfect blend of Taken, The Crow with it’s own special brand of knowing humour; it is a return to form for Keanu Reeves.
Special features include a commentary from stuntmen-turned-directors which is full of interesting anecdotes. Then there are a series of featurettes which showcase some amazing behind-the-scenes glimpses at all those fantastic fight sequences, the best being one entitled Don’t F@%K with John Wick‘. This piece goes into great detail about just how hands on leading man Keanu Reeves really was with the project.
John Wick is out now on Blu Ray and DVD.
