Glad to have you back Keanu.

Rating: 7/10 (4 November 2014)

John Wick follows Keanu Reeves a retired hit man who's wife pasted away. He receives a dog as a final gift from her. On his second day with the dog he encounters thugs who want his car. He tells them no and wakes up later that night only to be beaten senseless, his dog killed and his car stolen. And he wants revenge.
Everyone knows that Keanu Reeves doesn't have the best acting range. But when a roll is prefect for him he shines. And this is exactly what happens in John Wick. The film tiptoes the fine line between being ridiculous and over the top. As much killing as Keanu does is basically to get revenge for his dog. Which is borderline stupid but Reeves really sells it. Totally investing in his character and motives. Another notable actor here is William Defoe. While I thought his character was underused he wasn't underwritten and that was a nice little thing.
The world that this film creates is intriguing and brutal. As reeves travels through the criminal underworld various phrases and items are used that are totally foreign even though this is set in New York City. Characters presumably know what they mean and don't bother explaining them to you. This is for the best. Being in the dark on the little things that make the world what it is, is gripping. It makes the world feel like it's been inhabited for a long time and that sets the film apart from the majority of action flicks. As lush as the world is, shoddy camera work struggles at bringing it to life on screen. The focus seemed to be forgotten in a large number of shots. Some shots don't even seem to be focused. The action scenes look great and are void of the annoying blur but in between these tense action sequences the camera work seems amateur at best. Maybe it was just the Theater I was In I don't know. Another problem for the movie was it's ending. Well I'd go as far as to say the entire 3rd act. *SPOILERS* Not much of a spoiler as we all knew Reeves would have his revenge. But after he takes his vengeance the movie limps on for at least another half hour. Attempting to tie up loose ends was a bad call here. It feels like the film climax and then says oh crap we forgot about him! And tries to deal with that and it goes through this 3 or 4 times. This is silly to say with an hour forty minute run time but the last half hour just feel unnecessary and overlong.
Overall John Wick delivers on super cool action, a surprising level of emotional, and a world that feels real. John wick is a fine piece of cinema.