Chad Stahelski and David Leitch's John Wick

Whatever you do, just don’t fuck with the Boogeyman’s dog!

Directed by:

• Chad Stahelski
• David Leitch

Written by:

• Derek Kolstad

Cast: 

• Keanu Reeves as John Wick
• Alfie Allen as Iosef Tarasov
• Michael Nyqvist as Viggo Tarasov
• Willem Dafoe as Marcus
• Laurence Fishburne as Bowery King
• Lance Reddick as Charon

Length:

• approx. 101 minutes

Genre:

• Action

This film marks the directorial debut for veteran stuntmen Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Bit of interesting trivia on Chad: he was the stand-in for Brandon Lee after the fatal incident on the set of The Crow. Chad also has a history with Keanu that stems from The Matrix Trilogy to as far back as Point Break. Keanu was attached to the script and approached both Chad and David with an invitation to have them create and coordinate the action. Chad and David accepted the invitation, but requested to direct the film as well. The end result is a sharp neo-noir Action Thriller with heart.

Retired, recently widowed and still grieving, John Wick spends his days a solitary man with a puppy as his companion. The dog was his wife’s final gift, the intention of the pooch was to help John cope with her death.
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Would you start a war with a Russian gangster if his stupid son killed your puppy? I know someone that would... *cough cough* Dan.

One sunny day John is out for an “aggressive” joy ride in his sweet '69 Mach 1, he stops at a fuelling station where he is approached by Iosef Tarasov – the son of a notorious Russian crime lord and former employer of John Wick, Vigo Tarasov. The encounter results unfriendly and Iosef decides to follow up with John at his residence. John is brutally assaulted and left in a bloody pulp lying next to his dead pup.

This event serves as the catalyst that gets the old assassin brewing for vengeance. Like a guided missile with a locked target, John heads back into the mafia’s underworld facing an array of adversaries. 
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The Latin phrase "Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat" of the tattoo, means Fortune Favors the Bold... hottt!

On paper John Wick sounds like a senseless shoot ‘em up Action flick. Luckily Chad Stahelski and David Leitch set out to impress in their directorial debut. This is undoubtedly one of the slickest most entertaining films of 2014. Keanu has never been more at home in an Action film; he slides into the role with ease.

Like many, I was impressed with the level of creativity on a movie with frankly, a simplistic plot. I have no doubt that John Wick will stand out as one of the best Action films of the new decade.  

8.5/10

Written by AJT.
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