All style, no substance, no brains, yet watchable

Rating: 6/10 (26 February 2017)

The fact that this movie has hit the IMDb's Top 250 shows what a joke film ratings have become. Let's be honest as to what this is - it's a wet dream for those into comic book like murder and violence. The story doesn't have to make sense. All that is required is a high body count, enough fast car chases and plenty of over the top weaponry.
The plot is pretty simple. Reeves is a former hit man who is retired. The man who is a ghost, unseen when he wants and has a will to survive that surpasses all. No one can stop him. In enters someone powerful who requires him to come out of retirement to make a hit. The problem is that he's dead if he says no and he's dead if he does the hit as he'll become a revenge target.
Problem that is not really a spoiler: Now if John Wick can be the Mechanic (Jason Statham) then no one need know Wick did the killing. And even if Wick does assassinate the victim, there is no need to leave a calling card. But this movie wouldn't continue in its plot unless a stupid twist is entered so that a massive shootout can occur and carry the movie to its next set of scenes.
I will admit that the film is completely watchable and far better than it could have been. But most of the lines are comic book stupid, the action is so over the top that it's clearly comic book fantasy and the body count goes into ludicrous mode - as does Wick's ability to nurse injuries that would have felled lesser Greek gods.
There is zero repeat value for this film. The actors all play their parts well. The sets are all that there are in this film, with very detailed choreographed fights, a stunning end set piece, eye popping saturated colors and imagery during the film and some style points. But this is a brain dead film. Don't say you weren't prepared going in.