HOT LEAD and cute dog

Rating: 7/10 (26 April 2019)

If there's a modern movie that better exemplifies the 80s action movie, I don't think I've come across it. The plot doesn't really have twists, and there are basically no subplots to speak of; it's just a straight line from beginning to finish. Reeves plays the titular retired hitman who's just lost his wife (to cancer) but who receives a beagle as a final present from her, delivered after her death. He has the dog for like two days before Russian mobsters invade his house to steal his vintage Mustang and kill the dog just for kicks. And thus the most plausible revenge plot in history is set into motion. There's a LOT of violence. A lot of characters die. Some of the action is very reminiscent of The Matrix. The weaponry is impressive, as is the hand-to-hand combat. There's a lot to love about John Wick the movie, as long as you're part of the intended audience, i.e., the action-movie fan.