Sorely disappointed...

Rating: 4/10 (24 May 2017)

They should have just called this The Matrix's 20 year reunion. If only because we get to see Reeves and Fishburne share the screen again. Oh wait, there's also Chad Stahelski who was Keanu's stunt double in The Matrix. He now wears the Director's hat in this (wince!) movie and what a mess he makes. After watching and rehashing this movie, I now get it. A Director with a background in stunt work will make a (oh shock) stunt movie! That's what this is from beginning to end. The baddies seem to loathe guns and this is understandable since they are terrible shots anyway. This sets up the scene nicely for some good-old hand-to-hand combat. The fight scenes should have been Stahelski's forte and though refreshing, (it's been a while since we had some good hand to hand fights) brought nothing new to the table. Some of the moves seemed rehashed from the previous Wick movie. Most of these fights seemed a little too choreographed with no spontaneity, not to mention that Keanu pushing 50 plus seemed sluggish in some scenes. Don't get me wrong, his performance was commendable. It's nothing that some good camera work and a little spit and polish editing couldn't have cleaned up.
And now back to the baddies and boy were they legion! Wave after wave of mindless 'lets rush him' mentality that has no root in reality. Why oh why the poor sods chose to run gun in hand towards Keanu's character and only shoot when they are a foot from him is beyond me! What gave me a chuckle though was the video game mentality that was employed throughout the movie. You know what I mean...where when you deal with some of the bad guys on one level (nevermind that a few remain) and proceed to the next level they don't pursue your character. Why baddie No.1 and his henchmen seemed to lose the 'thrill' of the chase and disappear immediately Wick runs into baddie No.2 and his cohorts is a case in point...only for them to reappear after he has dispatched the second lot. Wouldn't that have been a perfect opportunity for the two groups of baddies to come to some arrangement and gang up on him? And don't get me started on Wick's near invincibility. I mean this man was shot at many many times, with one incredible shot from point blank range! He was also stabbed and run over by a car multiple times...but nothing a little bandage and an IV couldn't fix. He was up and about in no time with just a few scratches on his face for his troubles.
Sigh, I could go on and on about the mindlessness of it all but what's the point, I think you get the picture. Suffice it to say that this movie is about the inane violent fight scenes. Suspend disbelief (and intelligence) and forget about an engaging plot line or some emotional attachment to any of the aspects of the movie, characters included. You'll forget it immediately you leave the theater. Which is such a shame considering the stellar cast assembled here and with such a wealth of experience. As the credits roll, I can't help but reminisce about Reeves and Fishburne in 'The Matrix' and wonder what The Wachowski's who directed it would have done with this rough gem of a movie. Ah, if only wishes were horses...