Might as well be playing a video game

Rating: 5/10 (24 January 2015)

John Wick starts with promise and quickly devolves into stupidity, hijacking the current template for action films pioneered by 'The Raid' series in which a single, determined 'hero' takes up arms against hundreds of nameless, one dimensional bad guys in a rapid fire killing spree.
It's not that I have anything against bloodshed in film, provided it serves a purpose. But there's really nothing of substance here to grab onto, leaving us with scene after scene of revenge-murder chic that plays more like a video game than a film. Never has cold blooded murder looked so cool.
John Wick is nicely shot and opens on a dreary and mysterious note, one that I wish the film would have sustained with a better story and better character development. Without the fundamentals we might as well be pressing buttons. Jump, Wick. Dive, Wick. Shoot, Wick.
If I try and step back and critique it purely as action entertainment - the film is lacking in interesting choreography or chase sequences. Basically Wick happens upon completely unbelievable scenarios over and over again, pulls a gun out and shoots. No matter how many times the filmmakers put him into uncompromising positions, I never feel like he's in any danger. The routine gets boring after the first half hour and eventually the autopilot sets in.