John Wick (Rated C)
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Willem Dafoe, Michael Nyqvist
Genre: Action Thriller
Dwight's Rating:
The Russians are coming!
Or are they Ukrainian? Or Belarusian?
Regardless, they are all former members of the Soviet Bloc. And bad boys from these nations are suddenly all the rage in movies once again!
Just as tensions between the United States and Russia are higher than at any point since the Cold War ended, we've seen three movies in just the last two months featuring "Russian" mobsters. From a small presence in "A Walk in the Tombstones", to being at the heart of all the drama and trauma in "The Equalizer" and now "John Wick" -- Russian baddies seem to be everywhere. Coincidence?
"John Wick" actually seems to have a lot more than just the Russian mafia in common with Denzel Washington's "The Equalizer". Keanu Reeves plays the title character -- an ex-hit man who comes out of retirement, much like Washington's Robert McCall. But unlike McCall, who uses his skills to right wrongs done to others, Wick tracks down the gangsters who took some very important things belonging to him. (I won't say what those things are because that will spoil some of the fun -- and shock -- at the extremes to which Wick goes to exact revenge.)
Both films start off in very calm, touching and sentimental ways, belying the brutal carnage and sensory assaults that lie in wait. It doesn't take long though before "John Wick" takes a sharp turn into uncomfortable territory; I initially became quite concerned that my reaction to all the fighting and killing was amusement.
Thankfully it becomes clearer that this is probably intentional, as "John Wick" does not want to be taken too seriously. It is a virtual video game, with barely any dialogue. It's as if the popular "Grand Theft Auto" were made into a live-action film.
Regular readers of this column will recall that while I was enamored with Washington's performance, overall I felt "The Equalizer" was overly gruesome and violent. Despite Washington's remaining "stunningly cool, calm and collected" amid chaotic killing scenes, I rated it only as "watchable", giving it 2 stars.
Yet, I'm rating "John Wick" slightly higher. Why the difference?
Especially when they are plagued with some of the same issues? (Someone is slaughtered literally every few seconds). Then there are the unique problems. (After all these years, Reeves is still barely "acting", and does a lot of what is essentially "reacting", with some interesting facial expressions.)
Well, the positives outweigh those negatives. There's not as much variety in the methods of killing, making it much less disconcerting than the virtual "Handbook on Homicide" that is "The Equalizer". And it is strikingly stylistic featuring beautifully directed fighting scenes that can only be described as choreography. Plus Wick is almost always impeccably dressed in a suit, as are most of the assassins sent to dispose of him.
Also adding to enjoyment factor is Swedish actor Michael Nyqvist, as the head of the Russian crime family. Of the few lines of real dialogue, he's got some of the best, and best expresses the amazement at the lengths John goes for retribution.
There is a Tarentino-esque feel to the whole production -- a sillier, juvenile "Kill Bill"-ness. It's not the smartest film in the world, but it doesn't want to be. It's simply fun, and actually kinda funny.
Now, if only we can get the real Russians -- and in particular -- their increasingly frightening president -- to just lighten up a bit!

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