John Wick

Rating: 8/10 (23 September 2017)

I knew I wanted to see this movie one day, but after hearing so many recommendations, knowing it was a surprise box office hit, and obviously it spawned an equally successful sequel, I could not resist it. Basically John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has lost his wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan) following her terminal illness, to cope with her death, he receives a Beagle puppy named Daisy, as per her instructions. John bonds with the dog, they spend the day driving in his vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, at a gas station he encounters a trio of Russian gangsters, their leader Iosef Tarasov (Game of Thrones' Alfie Allen) insists on buying his car, John refuses to sell it. The mobsters follow John home that night, knock him unconscious, steal his car, and kill Daisy. Iosef takes the Mustang to a chop shop run by Aurelio (John Leguizamo), he recognises the car, upon learning that he stole it from John Wick, he punches Iosef and throws him out. John visits Aurelio, who tells him Iosef is the son of Viggo Tarasov (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's Michael Nyqvist), the head of the Russian crime syndicate in New York City. Viggo, finding out about Iosef's actions, beats and berates him, he tells him John Wick was his best assassin, nicknamed "Baba Yaga" (or the "boogeyman"). When John wanted to retire and marry, Viggo gave him an "impossible task", implied to involve multiple assassinations, John succeeded, establishing the Tarasov syndicate. Viggo calls John to stop him seeking revenge, he silently refuses, so Viggo sends a twelve-man squad to kill him, but John kills them, and has the bodies professionally removed by Charlie (Commando's David Patrick Kelly) and his team. Viggo is unsurprised and puts a $2 million bounty on John's head, personally offering a contract to John's mentor Marcus (Willem Dafoe), meanwhile John stays at the Continental Hotel, which caters exclusively to the criminal underworld and permits no "business" on its premises. John learns from the Continental's owner Winston (Ian McShane), that Iosef is being protected at Viggo's nightclub the Red Circle, John kills his way to Iosef, but henchman Kirill (Daniel Bernhardt) ambushes John, allowing Iosef to escape. John tends to his injuries at the Continental, there assassin and his former acquaintance Ms. Perkins (Adrianne Palicki) sneaks into his room to kill him, but Marcus alerted him, he subdues Perkins and forces her to reveal where Viggo's front is, she knocks Perkins unconscious and leaves her with fellow assassin Harry (Clarke Peters) for punishment, but she breaks free and kills him. Little Russia church serves as Viggo's front, John travels there, destroys the hoard of money and blackmail material, Viggo and his team arrive, John ambushes them, but is subdued and captured. Viggo taunts John for thinking he could leave his old life behind, before John can be killed, Marcus intervenes again, John frees himself, kills Kirill and confronts Viggo, at gunpoint he reveals Iosef's location. John travels to Iosef's "safe house" and kills him, while Perkins tells Viggo that John and Marcus have been in contact, Viggo has Marcus tortured at his home, before he is executed, Viggo calls John to report this, and plans to have Perkins ambush him, but Perkins is called to see Winston, she is executed fro breaking the Continental's rules. Winston calls John to inform him that Viggo plans to escape by helicopter, John races to the harbour, killing the remaining henchmen, John and Viggo engage in a fistfight on the dock, John disarms Viggo pulling out a knife, then kills him. In the end, John is wounded, he stops at a waterfront animal clinic to treat his wound, and he takes a pit bull puppy who was supposed to be euthanized, John and the dog walk home on the boardwalk where he had his last date with Helen. Also starring Dean Winters as Avi, Omer Barnea as Gregori and Toby Leonard Moore as Victor. Reeves proves a fantastic choice as the former hit-man that will not be messed with, it is a simple revenge plot as a man seeks retribution for those who stole his car and killed his dog, but the fast-paced editing, escalating body count and over-the-top death and fight sequences are highly skillful and well choreographed, the violence adds to the entertainment, it feels like something fresh, a fantastic action thriller. Very good!