John Wick: The New Standard For Action Movies Today

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2018)

First of all, I just have to say that, a lot of the action movies I've watched are filled with cliche, sometimes unrealistic and over the top and especially predictable in life-or-death scenarios, but John Wick is different in my opinion. And that's why I liked this film. Plot-wise, there isn't really much, after all, it's just John Wick going after and taking revenge on people who have disturbed his peaceful life by stealing his car and killing the dog his late wife gave to him. The real gemstone, shine, and luster of this film is none other than the cinematography. The action scenes were all very well shot. They bring a sense of awe and surprise at its execution and deliverance. Everything is all stable (no shaky cam this time, yay!), fluid, paced well with no dragged out elements, and they did it in such a way that still lets you understand what is going on. You don't need to wonder to yourself what is happening. It isn't like a lot of action movies these days that use shaky cam a lot, dragged out, and shot with lots of cuts, to the point you don't understand what's happening and gets boring really quick. Moreover, everything is still kept realistic, as the action never forgets reloading and proper stance, as well as attention to detail from everything I've gathered. Here it is, y'all, the movie that has very well-shot action scenes that you don't need to wonder to yourself what is going on. So sit back and enjoy the fun!
I have mentioned earlier in this review that a lot of action movies I watched are filled with a lot of cliche, and sometimes very over the top, predictable, and unrealistic when it comes to life and death situations. Seriously, I've seen this happen a lot. I'm no stranger to it. So you may be wondering, how exactly did John Wick defy our expectations (even mine) of an action movie, especially given these regular aforementioned flaws that we regularly see in action movies? Well, first and foremost, one common thing I noticed with action movies then again is how they may come off as unrealistic and over the top, especially when it comes to predictability. However, John Wick is different from this as stated earlier. He is not an unkillable person like we always think with main characters in action movies. Take Fast and Furious 8 for example. That movie may have been a fun watch for me, but it came off to me as too over the top, and sometime through I realized they weren't gonna die and that something would happen that would save them in the end, in some unrealistic way. John Wick in contrast gets hit and beaten up many times, and even gets captured and even almost killed at times. It is with this that you start to believe in the stakes of this film, that in his quest, you actually worry about him and think, "He's been through a beating a lot, I wonder how this is gonna play out." You also may be thinking at this point, how exactly? He seems to kill tons with ease, so doesn't that make it a tad bit over the top like you said? Well, let me tell you this. If you remember the one scene where Viggo Tarasov chastises his naive, arrogant, and bratty son Iosef for starting a war with Wick, it is stated that he is a former hitman who used to work for the Russian Mafia, notable for clearing many missions deemed difficult for the average hitman, even one that Viggo acknowledged as being impossible before John Wick parted ways with them, thus earning the nickname "The Boogeyman". This manages to shed a different light on this argument as Wick is presented as being an expert in his field, who, with the level of skill he has, presents himself as a literal one-man army, that can take down people with ease. That adds a logical foundation to how he does what he does. He is presented with a BACKGROUND, instead of something illogical that many would deem hard to believe.
To end, if you want to see an action movie that will undoubtedly defy your expectations, John Wick is a must-see. It wastes no time getting down to business, does not drag things out to the point it gets boring, has extremely well-done action scenes that will leave you on the edge of your seat with palms sweating, and to top it all off, has a very intense tone and atmosphere all throughout that makes you feel every single thing this movie has to offer. You absolutely cannot miss out on this. If you haven't seen it yet, go and see it now! I promise you will not be disappointed.