Not quite there

Rating: 6/10 (26 November 2017)

The simplicity of this film is attractive. Straightforward characters, motivations and storytelling. It doesn't get hung up on unnecessary backstory or fleshing out characters beyond what they need to be. For an all-out action film, this is a good and refreshingly honest choice - it maintains the pace, makes the transitions through the story slick, and allows you to sit back and enjoy it. It is also a risky tactic, because the lack of depth demands that every element of the film be tight and foolproof. It nearly pulls it off - the performances, which have to drive the narrative and create the energy in the absence of detail - are all excellent, and the leads very well cast.
Unfortunately, the film seems to chicken out at certain crucial moments, falling back on tired tropes to manufacture tension. Wick makes one or two decisions which do not fit in with the limited picture we have of him, and therefore feel incongruous. There's a clumsy 'kill everyone except the woman and then regret it later' cliché. Most disappointing is the age-old 'antagonist walks away leaving henchmen to kill hero' trope, which feels utterly stupid and out of place in a world constructed as deliberately ruthless. Viggo is supposed to understand the situation and the man he is up against. He knows his ability to escape impossible situations, and he knows how many times his own men have failed. He has no affection for John, and he wants him dead, but he leaves his armed henchmen alone in the room to suffocate him with a plastic bag!? This ruins the whole atmosphere and aesthetic of the film.
Despite these disappointing moments, this has enough to it to make it a worthwhile watch. An honest action flick is one to be praised.