A lot of action films have become run of the mill. They mostly fall into two categories these days: ungainly extravaganzas of motion and noise that try to cram as much CGI in the screen as possible, and a flurry of car chases and fight scenes cut to shit by frenetic editing in the vain of Paul Greengrass' Jason Bourne movies. And more often than not, that's all there is to these movies. There's rarely any solid characters or plot to ground the action. There's just action. Thank you for your money.
With all of this sound and fury signifying nothing, movies like John Wick are a breath of fresh air. This is one of the best action films in years, if not ever. It harkens back to the movies of decades past, like the uncannily invincible heroes of '80s Schwarzenegger and Stallone flicks, and the jaw-dropping, exquisitely filmed action sequences of the old school martial arts films featuring Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. It helps that the film is directed by experienced stunt choreographers, and features actors willing to put the work in to make these stunts believable. And with its beautiful blend of style and substance, it feels like the wonderfully deadly love child of John Woo and Michael Mann's best work.
But all of the balletic combat in the world would feel shallow without a solid foundation to stand on. Luckily, John Wick has story and characters to match all of its technical brilliance.
We are introduced to the titular protagonist, John Wick. He's a man in mourning following his beloved wife's death, trying to get on with his life with the help of the puppy she left for him. Then some Russian thugs decide to assault John, steal his prized car and kill his puppy For the Evulz. To the dismay of criminals far and wide, this reawakens the legendary boogeyman that John once was. Donning a sharp black suit and unveiling an arsenal of weapons, John Wick confronts his Dark and Troubled Past, becoming The DreadedOne-Man Army everyone knows, respects and fears with good reason. This is an action hero of such unparalleled skill with both guns and hand-to-hand combat, he even puts Reeves' previous heroes like Neo and Constantine to shame.
And every other character pulls their weight too (the Big Bad, in particular), doing a great job of selling the sense of danger and reverence our laconic main character inspires. It helps that they all exist within a World of Badass that comes off like a fancier version of Sin City, running purely on Rule of Cool without coming off as ridiculous. Everything is calibrated just right.
In case it isn't obvious, I adored this movie. Other action filmmakers could learn a lot from the example of John Wick. It is truly exemplary.
A new standard for action movies
A lot of action films have become run of the mill. They mostly fall into two categories these days: ungainly extravaganzas of motion and noise that try to cram as much CGI in the screen as possible, and a flurry of car chases and fight scenes cut to shit by frenetic editing in the vain of Paul Greengrass' Jason Bourne movies. And more often than not, that's all there is to these movies. There's rarely any solid characters or plot to ground the action. There's just action. Thank you for your money.
With all of this sound and fury signifying nothing, movies like John Wick are a breath of fresh air. This is one of the best action films in years, if not ever. It harkens back to the movies of decades past, like the uncannily invincible heroes of '80s Schwarzenegger and Stallone flicks, and the jaw-dropping, exquisitely filmed action sequences of the old school martial arts films featuring Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. It helps that the film is directed by experienced stunt choreographers, and features actors willing to put the work in to make these stunts believable. And with its beautiful blend of style and substance, it feels like the wonderfully deadly love child of John Woo and Michael Mann's best work.
But all of the balletic combat in the world would feel shallow without a solid foundation to stand on. Luckily, John Wick has story and characters to match all of its technical brilliance.
We are introduced to the titular protagonist, John Wick. He's a man in mourning following his beloved wife's death, trying to get on with his life with the help of the puppy she left for him. Then some Russian thugs decide to assault John, steal his prized car and kill his puppy For the Evulz. To the dismay of criminals far and wide, this reawakens the legendary boogeyman that John once was. Donning a sharp black suit and unveiling an arsenal of weapons, John Wick confronts his Dark and Troubled Past, becoming The Dreaded One-Man Army everyone knows, respects and fears with good reason. This is an action hero of such unparalleled skill with both guns and hand-to-hand combat, he even puts Reeves' previous heroes like Neo and Constantine to shame.
And every other character pulls their weight too (the Big Bad, in particular), doing a great job of selling the sense of danger and reverence our laconic main character inspires. It helps that they all exist within a World of Badass that comes off like a fancier version of Sin City, running purely on Rule of Cool without coming off as ridiculous. Everything is calibrated just right.
In case it isn't obvious, I adored this movie. Other action filmmakers could learn a lot from the example of John Wick. It is truly exemplary.