A faint echo of the past rather than an invigorating retro blast.

Rating: 5/10 (3 November 2014)

I can't say I understand why many people are raving about John Wick. Is it that people's expectations are so low these days? Maybe it's because the film is reminiscent of The Matrix and because it features refreshing old-school action choreography. Sure, it seems like with the character of John Wick, Keanu Reeves is back to his glory days of Speed (1994) and The Matrix (1999). But this alone doesn't make for a good film. John Wick is an often enjoyable action movie, but there's nothing original about it. Gone are the days of bright upbeat action movies like Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Lethal Weapon (1987) and Under Siege (1992). Yes, those days seem so far away now. Today we have to watch dark, depressing and truly violent action movies like John Wick and The Equalizer. If you want to see action in an upbeat movie now you have to watch a special-effects summer blockbuster. But, to be fair, John Wick does contain some humor, the cinematography by Jonathan Sela is impressive, some of the action scenes are truly entertaining, and that movie poster of Keanu with a gun sure does look cool. In fact, sometimes the film reminds one of the glory days of action movies. Reeves is confident in the leading role. Michael Nyqvist seems to be enjoying himself as Viggo Tarasov, the film's main antagonist. In addition, most of the supporting cast are good, though there isn't a single character that I found interesting. Director and stunt veteran Chad Stahelski refuses to embrace the post-Bourne Identity (2002) trend of shaky-cam action. That's commendable but the action choreography is still unremarkable even if it is competent. John Wick can kill people without problems. If the character had been infused with more style, however, and provided with more of a personality the film would have been more enjoyable. Derek Kolstad's traditional and predictable screenplay also drags the film down. When Wick goes on his vengeful killing spree he begins with the pawns and works his way up to the head of the crime syndicate. So, even though John Wick is mostly a competent action movie, there's nothing in it that can elevate it to the status of a classic. I don't recommend it, but if you're in the mood to see an action movie you may like it.