Former killer John Wick's wife is dying. As a farewell gift, she leaves him a dog. At the gas station, Wick had an altercation with the local spahn. Later they came to his house, beat him, killed his dog and stole his favorite car. It turned out that they belonged to a gang of Americanized Russians. Returning from the raid, the boys learn that John was once on their team and their entire business was built on blood spilled by John Wick. Now John Wick is following them. . .
If I were asked which films I would like to watch in the theater to enjoy each shot even more, it would be a John Wick series. Combat choreography, special effects, camera work, working with lights, destruction and a stunning soundtrack without stupid hip-hop from a gay club in Compton - this is what a modern action movie should be, which claims to be an art, not a couple of baskets of nachos and three beers per company. A lot of action, a lot of beauty, a lot of entertainment and fun for the ears. Separately, I want to note scenes in the rain. They're really good. Yeah, all the gunfights, all the hand-to-hand fights don't look realistic. A lot of hats in the direction of John Wick go on this part. I will not deny it, this cannot happen in our world. But John Wick is not in our world, but in a world of very different conventions. He does not pretend to be realistic. John Wick wasn’t made to show how people could kill each other in real life. If you are interested in exactly how real murders occur, then cry in the pillow and go to a psychiatrist.
Apart from the picture and sound, John Wick has nothing to trump, but there is nothing to be ashamed of. Itchingly cool character of the main character in the performance of the legend - Keanu Reeves. But the main character is not only basic attractive, he also develops interestingly through personal drama and losses. In addition to John himself, there are also many colorful images in the film. Even William Defoe is here... Yes, the images are quite primitive, but as if in such a work and do not need to make of all complex personalities. They're cool, with their charisma, with their chips. In Marvel, even the main characters are sometimes worse, and the same Tony Stark was raised to a cult, although he, beyond his dubious charisma, is more primitive than the local gangster.
What happens in the plot is exactly what I wrote in the first paragraph: John Wick goes to kill and mows down people in crowds with breaks in plot twists necessary to motivate years to visit new locations and shift the focus from one villain to another. As the plot develops, the conventions on which the world of John Wick exists are revealed. It's done without much detail, like, just accept that this is how it works. It's pretty much like Star Wars, but with a lot of attributes from our reality. Basically, these conventions revolve around the structure of the criminal world and improved weapons and protection. As far as I remember, in future parts with this criminal world, such a plague will be screwed up. But so far, it's okay.
Apparently for comic-noir fans. If you approach without this context, then a stupid, low-content, pathetic film. The picture doesn't help. There's enough pearls from the start. Never give an animal to an unsuspecting person. Okay, but would you have guessed putting food in the first place? It would have been more action, but no. To watch as in all scenes opponents do-o-olgo swing, run out from around corners directly on the hero's gun ... Well, that's sad.
In 2023, after all the epic, revisiting the Unique Original is only more pleasant. What a perfect movie, despite all the flaws. No superhuman ubersoldattens in black, who aim from the gamepad, no dead end, separated from reality, the hierarchy of fairy-tale killers, no flirting with frames suitable only for screenshots, no significant Marvel scenes after the credits.
There's also a plot.
It is clear that serious cinema, in general, speech, as it were, under their budgets, however, with their very modest budgets, we get, literally, a cult masterpiece.
Yes, physics is not respected by local characters. But for now, they still do. Yes, there is no talk about the tactics of indoor combat, hand-to-hand combat is more for pseudo-realistic showdown, and no one has heard of “team work” here, but... Agent47 also changed clothes in about 2-3 seconds of interactive action. I'm not complaining.
Something like that here is a game convention.
But what's good is it's a tie. Simple, concise, but logical and moderately strong. I had forgotten that this character could be me. Just me. A completely human and interesting person, with character, with morality, with a purpose and an impulse that drove him to this.
For those of you who already know Keanu Reeves, the story feels even more interesting, in my opinion.
Despite the fact that the plot is essentially linear, watching it is interesting. The entourage supports auditory contrast. Relatively ordinary motives "we go to urban showdowns" are replaced by quite lively technical "bowls"; a light background ambient always supports the desired mood and characterizes what is happening.
It’s one of the few movies where NPCs don’t seem like NPCs. Even passable characters have a certain character, they even try (a little) to aim, and Mr. And--- sorry, Wick, has not only to aim, but also to use little inertia to cope with those who are physically stronger than him.
And yes. This is the only film where the lack of individual parameters in the characters is and is felt, and the protagonist does not look completely unkillable.
The plot, despite the simplicity and, in some places, very directly naive cliché, feels quite normal and confident. More than that. It is complete and, I would be glad if it did not have "continuations", and the fictional lore would remain mysterious and invisible, only with hints of its essence.
What to do, I like movies where the obvious characters of truth are not chewed. They look more natural and lively.
Separate respect for workers in the creation of interiors. If in all the next films there were only faceless parapets and what can be broken, fake shelters, etc., then everything is completely different.
Each interior conveys something and characterizes: strict, modern, but concise, with an emphasis on the quality of materials of the average premium hand on the market in the protagonist's apartment; seemingly expensive, but modular and fast-shifting Continental; the initial Suite in the house of Marcus, ostentatious eco-modern with a gloomy stonework in the apartments of Tarasov, etc.
Everything is competent, functional and tasteful. It doesn’t look like an empty place, but something that really works.
Also, props are abundantly broken in good picture quality and with beautiful effects. That's over 20kk of budget in 2014!
Total.
Despite the fact that the movie does not claim anything, it, partly for its modesty, in my eyes receives an incredibly high rating and an unequivocal recommendation for viewing.
Moreover, you need to watch it, as the beginning of acquaintance with the fictional universe of Jonathan Wick, and after watching all the movies for comparison.
My respects to the writing team.
I try to start watching this movie and stop again after the first action scene.
Baba Yaga, which Americans are so afraid of, is already funny in itself and breaks the whole image of a “cool” killer.
But these “action” scenes, where Keanu in the style of old Chinese films about Wushu, once a second deals some funny punches with palms, from which people fly away – well, it is impossible to watch.
Why shoot a fight in such a way if the actors are frankly weak at it? We would have made flashing shots, at least the tension would remain. And they are trying to show an "honest" shooting in the style of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, but when the main character, who is so great, purposeful, intelligent, incredible, tries to throw everyone barely moving, absolutely not using his brain and at least simple tactical tricks - it directly breaks the whole image.
Perhaps, if there were not so much pathos around John Wick, all the stupidity of his behavior and weak fights would be calmly perceived, that’s how the man lost hope and from the last strength, goes on the assault without trying to save his life. But the whole plot is built on pathos.
John Wick, the story of the killer who wanted to quit, but as one of the villains said, "it's fate or accident" that their roads crossed again, the story of the place would say nothing special, there is some background, the first 10 minutes, and if it was enough, then ... it was pathetic, in general, I felt the pain of John, and I understand him. Some man ruined everything, here the film itself begins, the action shootout, then we are introduced to some characters, friends (even the killer may have friends), friends. Then there was a moment when one character did something really stupid, and John says it, and then in 3 on my movie, he does this stupid thing, funny.
The film is an action movie, and this is not bad, scenes at height and everything is real, periodically reminding that Wick is also a person, and gets injured, and a couple of scenes where he is almost killed, if not for the circumstances.
Just a little theme of the family slips, because to lose everything because of the mistake of a relative of the native, just strong, but to do nothing, also not a way out, conscience torments, and here you can understand the main villain.
Bottom line: A good Category B action movie that I realized after watching the movie that revenge dishes served cold, animals are innocent.
John Wick begins his adventures for revenge for the car and the dog (the latter was a farewell gift from his deceased wife). And John starts them rather confused, watched the film for the third time and still I find it boring moments. Yes, the picture departs from the concept of a typical action movie, shootouts and action are not shot with a bunch of glues, but rather long scenes, and John’s ammunition tends to end. General installation does not knock out of the rut, coupled with operator work, keep the dynamics, and branded subtitles are as suitable as possible. But still, something repels me in this picture, whether I did not penetrate the character, or the obsession, because punishing three scumbags is one thing, but unleashing a whole war with the mafia clan. . .
As a result, it turned out to be a good start to the already cult franchise and a good action movie
The film John Wick came out in 2014. A harsh and brutal film about the best of hired killers – John Wick and his professional path.
The protagonist John Wick (Keanu Reeves) appears before us as a mercenary very purposeful and straightforward under the nickname “Baba Yaga”.
The first film in this series, is less dynamic, little action, preference is given to melee with a small number of shootouts. The main character, although not verbose, but there is a number of long annoying dialogues that have not yet had time to get bored. The general color scheme is dark and gray, and even gloomy, which reflects the state of the main character.
And, now, the legendary scene of the pursuit of the son of the leader of the Russian gang Viggo (Yosef) with further shootout in a nightclub under a recognizable soundtrack. Each new scene looks good and wonderful.
The main idea of the film is this theme of revenge and its consequences, having begun to take revenge, it is impossible to stop. And retribution will befall the avenger, whether you are the son of a Russian gang leader or even John Wick himself.
John Wick has long been a cult film. However, it gained status not only through well-directed action scenes, references to popular culture and the charisma of Keanu Reeves. The film returns our unconscious to ancient heroic origins. But everything in order.
The first thing we have to say about the film is that John Wick is a warrior with an appropriate code of honor. For example, he does not shoot if his opponent takes an unarmed prostitute hostage. However, Wick fights with a woman who is a member of the community of murderers. John's opponent can only be someone who owns a gun and is willing to use it. We saw similar behavior in the old Predator parts, where the victims of the alien hunter were strong men who could fight back. This is the ethics of the warrior, which we find not only in cinema, but also in medieval knightly novels.
The imagery of the film is also related to the military theme. In the community of murderers living in the Continental, special gold coins are used. They depict a skull that refers us to the craft of these people. The warriors of antiquity, like the killers of the film, fought for gold coins. It is appropriate here to recall the origin of the word “soldier”, meaning “fighter for solidarity”. I mean, for a gold coin. In a way, Wick and the like are the same soldiers.
But it’s not just money that drives killers. To end the legendary killer John Wick is an honor. Whoever succeeds in the feat will gain valor throughout his life. John's killer will take his victim's symbolic place, take her name. The name Wick has magical powers. It inspires fear, terror and anxiety. John Wick owes his military exploits not least to the halo of his name. The main character uses the intimidation emanating from him in order to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible. That was the case with, say, a club security guard who was extremely frightened by Wick's appearance. Among ancient peoples, one of the most important elements of tactics is intimidation. And this aspect relates Wick with the warriors of old.
The second thing we have to say about the film is that it is mythological. This mythology works one of the scenes where John allows the antagonist to injure himself with a knife, and then pulling the blade out of the hole, puts the blade in the shoulder of the opponent. The blood of two rivals is exchanged. All this action is like a ritual of creating a connection between warriors. In ancient times, contracts were sealed with blood, because they were concluded between strangers, not relatives who have one blood. Moreover, throughout the film, the connection between the protoganist and the antagonist is emphasized. Both are cursed, both have lost the closest people, both behave as a warrior.
Now back to the name again. We've already talked about his awesome power. Now let’s talk about the mythological side of the matter. In our translation, John has the nickname “baba yaga”, and in the original “boogieman”. Ie. Wick is called a demon from folklore that steals children (this moment has parallels with the plot) and is on the border between the living and the dead. Wick is constantly taking risks and taking lives. Where John appears, there are deaths. Wick is like an evil and corrupt spirit that cannot rest until others experience suffering.
“John Wick” is an outstanding action movie, which became a cult after its release in 2014. The film directed by Chad Stahelski is characterized by an exciting and at the same time simple but effective plot, excellent acting, incredible choreography of fights and a first-class soundtrack. The story tells about the modern and gloomy world of assassins, and the action takes place non-stop and with twists that keep the viewer in suspense from beginning to end.
The acting in the film is excellent, and Reeves starred in the film, essentially returning to the big movie after mediocre projects. Reeves is able to convey the grief, anger and determination of John Wick with a tension that is mesmerizing and alert. Supporting actors, including Willem Dafoe, Michael Nyqvist and Ian McShane, also showed strong roles, giving depth and complexity to the characters they portray.
One of the most impressive aspects of the film is its combat choreography. The film features a unique and highly stylized form of martial arts known as “gan-fu,” which combines gun shooting and hand-to-hand combat. Fight scenes are masterfully staged and executed with a level of realism rarely seen in action films. Operating and editing is also at the highest level, which allows viewers to fully appreciate the incredible combat episodes.
The soundtrack perfectly complements the film’s stylish and aggressive aesthetic. Music written by Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard is a mixture of electronic and orchestral elements that create a tense and dramatic atmosphere. The use of music in the film also deserves attention: in some scenes there is no dialogue, and the emotions of the characters are transmitted exclusively through the soundtrack. Separately, the compositions of Le Castle Vania in the film are an unconditional decoration. The film's high-octane battle scenes are perfectly complemented by pulsating electronic rhythms. The combination of drive beats and grim basses creates a sense of tension that is ideal for the film's battle scenes, and the distorted synth parts are especially effective at giving a sense of chaos and rush.
John Wick is a film that excelled in all aspects. No wonder the movie has become a favorite among fans. Highly recommended to anyone who loves action movies or just wants to see Keanu Reeves at his best.
I decided to watch John Wick for the first time for lack of other options to watch. I myself am not fond of militants, and I did not have any special hopes for this.
But it made a strong impression on me, which made me look at the next two parts almost immediately. And now all these films, and especially the first, are if not my favorite films, then exactly those that I have watched many times, and I will review more.
What made me very happy was that John Wick is not a typical action movie, but also a beautiful dramatic film.
Let’s take a look at John Wick’s points.
(1) Plot
The plot of this film, of course, is quite long-awaited. I will not repeat it, but, roughly speaking, it is based on the formula:
Bad guys take away something valuable or important.
GG turns out to be a retired special agent, a retired killer or the like.
GG is going to take revenge on the bad guys.
A similar formula is much better explained in the same Hostage (although, in my opinion, in everything else it loses to Wick). Despite all the simplicity, the plot performs its main task: that is, introduces to the course of things, makes you empathize with the characters, conveys the mood of the story. The atmosphere also contributes to the last point.
(2) Atmosphere
The atmosphere here is beautiful, perfectly conveys the mood, this is facilitated by monotonous, but good music, and camera work, and lighting, it is at first gray and dull, and at the end gloomy, and even with almost cyberpunk neon.
3) Acting game
I will not say much, I will only say that the game of each actor here is just great.
4) Keanu Reeves
I will talk about it in more detail.
I haven’t seen a role (except Neo from The Matrix) where he looks so organic. The role was literally created for him. And it was thanks to Reeves that the melancholy killer became so memorable and found his charm. His play is also excellent, which only costs his severe silence.
5) Fighting scenes
They are probably better here than in any other movie. Often editors like to make action scenes some kind of rag, "transmitting dynamism." But in reality, it literally hurts, and you get tired quickly. It is a minimum, and only if necessary. The scenes are clear and complex, all movements are incredibly accurately planned, Keanu Reeves once again showed his talent for martial arts and shooting. It's not exhausting. It also amazes with its realism. You really believe Wick is so cool, not because he's turning his neck, but because he's physically trained. (In the second and third parts, the creators decided to play with the scale, so that the former realism there is almost no, but the effectiveness of the battles has increased.)
That’s probably all I wanted to say about this movie. In conclusion, I think this film is one of the best action films ever made.
For a long time we did not have fleshy fighters who would please us with constant action, shooting, high-quality fights. And then came John Wick, who satisfies all these needs, and also gave us a cool character and a unique world killer with his complex and interesting hierarchy.
The film tells us how a certain John Wick goes to avenge a dog that his late wife gave him. In fact, immediately we learn that John is the best killer from the secret world of killers. Just the best of the best. And in the course of the film, we will see that.
John himself is very cool played by Keanu Reeves. Keanu plays a man who can crack down on entire armies through fatigue and pain. You can see it from the actor. Keanu also plays in such a way that in the eyes of John Wick there is always a great pain because of the loss of his wife. Speaking of other actors, I really like William Defoe. His characters turned out to be a kind of guardian angel of John. Even in the film very bright secondary characters (Charon, cleaner, Winston, Aurelio).
The action scenes are imbued with realism. The hero runs out of ammunition, fights are given to him with difficulty, the environment is destroyed realistically and everything is amenable to the laws of physics, and this is rarely seen in action films. Realism in general has become the hallmark of this series, so it is worth watching for it. The scenery itself is also quite interesting. From nightclubs and warehouses to expensive hotels. The lore of the killer world in the first part is mysterious, but very pathetic. Much more is revealed in other parts. The music in the picture is quite drive and does not let your ears get bored during the action.
Over. I recommend it because John Wick is a very charismatic and high-quality action movie!
The film tells the story of the life of John Wick, a hired killer who retired because of his beloved, who died of illness. In memory of herself, she left a farewell gift - a dog named Daisy. By chance, the character Keanu Reeves has to part with everything he has and return to his former life.
There are questions about acting. Not everywhere the actors managed to play convincingly enough, but in general, this spoils the overall picture not much. The work of the cameraman deserves praise. Operators managed to convey all the dynamics of the fighting scenes, the noir atmosphere is saved in each frame.
Installation is also at the level, branded subtitles fit well into the picture and do not distract from viewing. Sound specialists did their job quite well: cars and shots sound cool and pleasant. Separately, I want to celebrate the soundtrack. Electronics perfectly fits into the shooting, and the main theme reflects the atmosphere and mood of the film.
As a result, we can say that John Wick is a simple, sometimes clichéd, but good action movie that is pleasant to watch.
John Wick is a film made by two former stuntmen and it feels like it. It's all good. Screenplay, cinematography, acting and music.
The plot tells about the former assassin John Wick, nicknamed Baba Yaga. But at the very beginning of the film, we see the cute Keanu and his loving wife, who soon dies of the disease, leaving the main character with a dog to remember. And now Wick has three favorite things in life: a car, a dog and the memory of his wife. They take everything but the third. That's why John goes for revenge. . .
The film is very funny about how others feel about John. Everyone goes to fight him like a deliberate act of suicide. (Wycophobia) is a scene in the film where a gangster father explains to his son who John Wick is and why they're all over.
In the film itself, a great script work was done to create a secret world of killers. They have their own currency, their own hotel system and their own social package (doctors, guns, workshops, etc.).
Cinematography is high. All the locations are delicious. I wanted to go to New York. The scenery is hurried, too. I spent two hours searching for the real continent. The hotel looked really cool.
Actors play what they believe. Keanu and William Defoe are the ones I'm most interested in. They are perfect for the role of mysterious killers with a difficult fate.
Action scenes stand out for their realism is, in fact, the calling card of the film. Ammo runs out, John considers them and opponents are rather mortal guys (still accurate). I was surprised that Reeves did all the tricks himself.
For those who love good movies, watch them!
It’s always interesting to see movies that are often talked about. And if the tape is also a directorial debut, then this is doubly curious. John Wick was remembered so often that it would be a crime to miss the picture. A few days ago, I found time for it.
John Wick was once one of the best assassins, but he quit with his criminal past. John recently lost his wife to a serious illness. She managed to give her husband a suicide gift: a cute puppy Daisy. One day, bandits break into a man’s house, beat him, kill a puppy and steal a 1969 Mustang. Now Wick is ready to do anything to take revenge on the offenders. . .
A simple storyline tries to put pressure on the sore points of the viewer: a person in deep depression was deprived of the last hope and joy in life. Now the protagonist has nothing to lose, and he remembers his dark past. The idea itself is not new, and it is difficult to call John the protagonist, given his cruel crimes committed once a long time ago. At the same time, I can’t help but note that the authors manage to do almost the impossible: even such a main “hero” sometimes regret it. It is sad that there are quite a lot of plot holes here. Let's look at examples. John can be a real "terminator" and a super-precision shooter up to a certain scenario point, where he gets close to the target, necessarily misses several times, and then faces an approximately equal opponent (just like the boss in games) and gets at least some injuries. Several shootings will take place in public places and even in open spaces, but the police in New York seem to exist. If the central character still falls into the hands of the killers, then there will certainly begin to delay time through unnecessary dialogue to give the killer at least the slightest chance.
Atmosphere. Decent camera work offers the viewer to appreciate the most juicy angles during spectacular battles and a beautiful panorama of the city through the smooth flight of the camera above it. Among the actors prominently stands out Keanu Reeves (John Wick). It was interesting to watch him transform into a brutal killer. Willem Defoe (Marcus) looked faded against the background of Reeves, but his role was simpler. The rest of us didn't have much to play here. Characters are prescribed minimally to make the main emphasis on action.
Special effects. There are practically no explosions in the picture, but there are steep fights and bright shootouts. All this was done at a very high level.
Music. Good musical accompaniment is selected competently. Especially at the beginning of the tape. Especially such winding, such as the track 'Assassins'.
Result. Visually high-quality action movie, from which you can get pleasure if you close your eyes to the obvious plot blunders and a small cranberry in the form of evil bad Russians. Cinema with dignity performs its main entertainment function, demonstrating a dashing attraction of light madness.
There is no need to look for deep meaning in the plot: the whole film is just the consequences of one chance meeting, in which a slightly grown-up school bully did not calculate his strength and hit too hard someone who was categorically impossible to beat. And the subsequent story is impressive in contrast, how incommensurable the crime and punishment: first D. Wick lost his dog simply because he refused to sell the car, and then the whole gang was exterminated in revenge for this dog.
There are at least three points that distinguish D. Wick from a large number of similar “senseless” fighters.
1) Excellent alignment and presentation of the protagonist. What a gorgeous touch in the portrait of D. Wick brings a scene in which the boss of the bandits tries to settle the issue amicably and calls D. Wick, and he, without saying a word, hangs up the phone. And after that, the ringleader notices that D. Wick has already said “a lot”! There are many such pertinent and subtle touches in the film. Let me put it very categorically: in such moments, many men want to be like D. Wick, a few words, uncompromising alone, who is better not to touch. Lack of words, purposefulness, confidence, lack of compromise on important issues and willingness to go to the end are male virtues that are embodied in D. Wick.
2) Excellent scenes of fighting and shooting. Above all praise, extremely realistic, interesting and fascinating.
(3) The absence of unnecessary stuffiness - love lines and other things that are not related to the main story. The fights - > fighting - > denouement.
This is one of my favorite movies. I would recommend watching.
The presence of Keanu Reeves makes many films obviously good. Especially those with a lot of action. Giving himself to the acting work, Reeves spares no effort, and in isolation from other aspects of the film, his roles always play out perfectly. "John Wick" was no exception, and we can safely say that it is Reeves who pulls it on himself.
It is very likely that “John Wick” appeared as an answer or a copycat of “Hostage” because there are so many aesthetic similarities between these fighters. From the predominance of cold tones and the presence of Eastern European villains to the main character who shows his fighting skills in the process of revenge. Cruel and merciless. An interesting card in the pocket of "John Wick" is the immersion in a well-mannered and honest criminal world, where there are laws, almost like the Renaissance pirates. It is funny that one of the roles went to Ian McShane, who previously starred in Pirates of the Caribbean. But humanity remains above all laws, even in its criminal sense. Accurate blows and shots by Wick at enemies occur either under the march or under dubstep - a very interesting approach in which such a peculiar category of music begins to be perceived more meaningfully.
But still, in many scenes, the film lacks drive. Literally a drop. Perhaps I wanted to show Wick as noble as possible, alien to bloody murder. Well, that makes sense. But the main villain, the battle that takes place in the final, does not look convincing enough. If you think and imagine that there is no main character in the plot, then you come to the conclusion that much of the rest turned out to be somewhat strained. Not enough to make the audience angry, but still. Fortunately, there are many topics that will find a response in the audience, including episodes with pets, which are “dirty animals” for primitive thugs, and for people who think almost like a family.
A good action movie that will please mainly fans of the genre.
Driver, but too unreal. The plot is predictable, but it's not the type of movie to expect surprises. That's good. IMHO is a one-time good action movie.
There's no point in this life. Bad days don't happen.
In general.
Dynamic, melancholy, dramatic action movie with an emphasis on realism.
Plot.
It tells the story of the life of an introverted, elite hitman who retires because of a beloved girl who dies of illness at the beginning of the film, leaving a dog in memory of himself (and as some kind of support). A series of further random events and a load of sadness return the hero to his usual way of life, giving the opportunity to pour out all his anger and pain in battle. The film also interestingly presents its own unique universe of crime syndicate with privileges and rules, partly reminiscent of the Wild West (in particular, the Institute of tracing for bounty hunters).
Acting game.
Above all praise. It is impossible not to highlight Michael Nyquist, Alfie Allean, Willem Dafoe, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane and of course Keanu Reeves. With what zeal and responsible approach Keano reacted to the preparation for the role of John Wick, having spent more than 1 month for persistent training on the handling of cold and firearms, fighting in real conditions, you can envy and set an example to other actors.
Music.
A nice distinguishing feature of the film. The whole soundtrack fits well into the gloomy (almost noir) atmosphere.
Operating work.
Performed at a high level, perfectly conveys the dynamics of events and does not annoy with frequent change of frame. Well shot scenes of battles, especially in dark rooms - everything looks pleasant, without straining your eyes.
Design.
The style of the presented criminal world looks interesting. All the scenery tries to accommodate charm, practicality, underground, “night” life and lethality.
Total.
It turned out to be a very cheerful and at the same time dramatic picture, in which the efforts and responsible approach to the work of all its participants are clearly visible. The film is likely to appeal to fans of dark dramatic action films, well-set combat scenes, pleasant melancholic entourage.
Well, like the characters of the film “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”, the hero of this film is a hired killer, and cold-blooded, intelligent, the best in his business (in this movie universe).
But the filmmakers persistently want the audience to empathize with him. And why exactly? Did he repent for the murders he committed? Nope. Is he ashamed of his past life? Nope.
Then why should the audience be on his side? Such a reputation and such a nickname must be earned. To deserve cruelty, the number of victims, the complexity of tasks, etc. But I still don’t understand why we (the audience) should empathize with him.
They'll tell me because he's cool. Well, that's not the answer. He's a cold-blooded killer, he killed to make money, not because he defended his honor, his country, his girlfriend, etc. It didn’t matter who to liquidate, for him it was important for how much.
Against him in this film exactly the same villains as him, maybe a little worse than him. And the father of the petty scoundrel wanted to settle everything in the world, make amends, disperse for the good. But the thing is, Wick is used to doing things this way, that's all he can and can do, he's not a diplomat, he's a liquidator.
I would understand if he was the Punisher (a famous movie hero, comic book hero, etc.). You can understand and even agree on something. But the Punisher differed in that he did not earn on this, he did not give orders to the scoundrels, he himself was against various kinds of scoundrels.
No, John's clearly not the Punisher. Moreover, he does not intend to be. He, like all his friends, acquaintances, comrades, does not care about the rest of the world, other people, society as a whole.
Civilians in this cinematic universe are only mannequins, dolls, only NPCs (and sometimes quite primitive), they fill the world, they are faceless.
Toli is John. Naturally, in this faceless mass, Wick looks like a hero, like someone who does not pay attention to all sorts of trifles like life and health of people, does not pay attention to NPC. And only players like him, active characters, charismatic and immoral, cause him some emotions and maybe even warmth. Like a hotel manager, or liquidators like him, etc.
Well, in the best traditions of such fighters, the main character is not able to die, he dismisses bullets as flies, sometimes he does not need a weapon. Obviously, this game is on minimal difficulty settings.
Maybe I'm wrong, though. Maybe John Wick is a knight without fear or reproach, maybe he's defending good and fighting evil, and I'm just an ordinary hater.
To the dog, to the wife, to the Hotel Continental.
2014 is only the Olympics in Sochi, the World Cup in Brazil and the victory of Russia at the World Hockey Championship in Belarus, where the main character of this film actually grew up. Oh, come on. In 2014, was born perhaps the coolest film franchise “John Wick”, which tells us about a retired killer who wants to start his life with a clean face without death and murder with his dog, so that John Wick grieves not alone. But it wasn't. Unfortunately, bad people came and stole his car and killed his dog. And because of her, it all started. I’m not going to spoil how it was, I’m not going to describe it, just to say that I fell in love with this franchise the first time I saw the first John Wick movie. I hope that after three parts there will be a fourth, fifth and sixth, etc.
In general, the world of John Wick is not just a world, but a well-designed universe where there is only room for assassins. It has everything you want, its own currency (gold coins), restaurants, hotels, its own economy and many other privileges. And all this is shown against the background of cool neon lighting with a very cold palette, which I did on Ur. So for a good light here immediately greasy +.
The cast is excellently selected. I think no one else will play John Wick as cool as Keanu Reeves, because he is an action hero, that Matrix, that movie Speed and many others. Also, the villain Mikael Nyqvist played well, it is a pity that he is no longer alive, but the fact remains. Adrian Paliki also liked the sexy killer, Willem Dafoe and Ian McShan as the hotel manager. In general, for cast and acting ++ in the piggy bank.
I loved the script that Derek Colstad wrote. Honestly, he's a genius and he wrote it all down. Revenge, revenge and revenge again.
Installation and camera work. This place is even cooler. You can see it right. If John Wick leaned down or ran, the camera also ran after him and ducked down with him.
And the last and sweetest thing is action and music. It's just a song. During the period of viewing, I counted about 5 scenes with shootings, where John Wick mowed everyone one or two, and also used hand-to-hand combat and wrestling techniques. In general, one solid drive, action and fuss.
As a result, I want to thank director Chad Stahelski and screenwriter Derek Kolstad for this masterpiece and how for me the film gets deserved.
9 out of 10.
A day after watching John Wick, I come to the conclusion that the secret of his phenomenal success lies in his frank, shocking emotionality, peremptoryness and ... humanity. Endless skirmishes and fights, which, as befits any self-respecting militant, is stuffed with a film, not cheerful, but painful, desperate, as if a wound opened time after time, which you pick up specifically so that physical pain replaces moral pain. The character and tragedy of the main character were transmitted to the film, which had its own face, albeit marked by suffering.
The idea of revenge for the dog would look ridiculous, absurd and even comical if it did not have such a powerful and emotionally stifling background. The same dog in John Wick is not just a cute pet, but a symbol of life, hope and rebirth, memories of happiness, the only thread holding on to the bottomless abyss of endless pain and loss. It is not for nothing that in the first part of the film, the emphasis is first on some funerals, and then on others - dogs, and it is not for nothing that the words "such days happen." Indeed, this is true, but if in the first – everyday – case there is no one to blame, and from this you can lose ground under your feet, then in the second – to the trouble – there are culprits! Days happen, but their reasons are different. This is the meaning of passing words, marking all further events.
Keanu Reeves in the first and second parts of the picture plays two completely different people. His John from a peaceful life is a deeply wounded, unhappy, lost and meaningless man, but ordinary, like many others, and no perverted brain will ever recognize in this man with the extinct look of a ruthless killer. Assaulting the hero scum like Dementors once again suck out of him joy, and with it any other possible humanity. In the next 20 minutes, we learn more about the hero than a single film could tell: a small video of a happy past from the phone is enough to understand the reasons, and the strongest scene in the basement – to understand the full scale of the decision once made. John, breaking the concrete floor with a sledgehammer, once not only buried his past, he literally walled it up so that all the skeletons left there would never remind of themselves and - much less - did not come to life. The authors use the strongest symbol – water. The symbol of rebirth, and that's what happens to Wick. He is reborn as if he were born again.
All his further adventures are most similar to the shooter game that appears at the end of the film, and John kills, crushes, destroys, rushes ahead to his goal. Of course, the dog has become a trigger, and the hero does not just take revenge, he lets off steam in these insane actions, as if talking to everyone who is able to understand in a language well known to him. He says he is in unbearable pain and selfishly wants others to be hurt. Someone pours alcohol on the grief, someone floods himself with work, and Reeves’ hero floods the world with blood simply because he feels bad, and this dark goal is the only thing he has left. At least some purpose. “There was a desire to raise a dog, but you took it away, well, now you will replace it with yourself,” is what this unbearably sorrowful monologue is about.
Sometimes it seems that by choosing such a wounded hero as the main character, the authors prejudge his fate, but this is not quite so. The authors still offer hope for some future, leaving this film as an important but momentous episode in the life of John Wick. They circle the beginning and the end, and this allows you to call the end not as hopeless as it could be.
The secret of "John Wick" is in its human hero, but not just in this, but in the fact that the usual technique of the perfect killer with a big heart is used in reverse. Much more often the characters follow from inhumanity and indifference to humanity, feelings and other life, here the hero Keanu Reeves makes the return journey. Sensitive, vulnerable, understandable hero in a simple white jersey, which is simply impossible not to sympathize, turns into a ruthless killer, just wearing a black perfect suit and taking with him a whole arsenal of weapons. There is something about seeing in his eyes the ordinary person he was and who is now hidden under this seemingly impenetrable armor. This John attracts and does not let you get bored, this is one of the reasons for his great charm and even charm.
For all its emotionality, John Wick remains a very dynamic and beautiful production spectacle, with a rather energetic soundtrack and an abundance of violent scenes. The film reveals the secrets of the underworld, which he talks about, but, in general, he is not too interested. The plot itself is simple and understandable, and simplicity saves from holes and inconsistencies, and the power and advantages of Wick are not the intricacies of history, which are not here.
So John Wick, being a brutal film about shootings and mass murders, is interesting to those viewers who need drama and emotion - it gives everything. A mixture of moods of different genres make the picture, if not unique, then very noticeable against the background of most colleagues on the subject, and a really strong and very charismatic actor in the title role complements the result. John Wick may not like it, but he can’t.
I first met this masterpiece exactly two years ago. Before that, news about Keanu Reeves’ tireless training at the training ground and cool posters flashed in my tape. And the opinion was – well, just an action movie with a good actor in the lead role.
As a child, I loved him not at all the Matrix, but the Constantine. Well, my inclinations are more religious than cyberpunk. What inspired me to watch John Wick at the time? I don't remember. Maybe it's not serious. But now I am convinced that this series of films, like its actor (and the character himself), has become an icon of modern cinema. Let me explain why:
Now I'm going to write my current perception mixed with the memories of my first time. Despite the fact that no spoiler can affect my interest in the work, I do not like to read even brief suspense. Therefore, the beginning of the film for me was a torn moment from the life of an ordinary, unremarkable person. Those who have read him already know that he is in fact a former professional killer, so it will not be news to them that a drastic change is about to take place in his measured life. And they're ready for it. But I'm not ready, and therefore for me this sharp jump will make a much greater impression than on 'informed'.
In a couple of moments of the story, we manage to trust us with all the feelings of loss that the hero experienced. And so we have no doubt about the importance of this dog to John. They literally eat from the same plate! (Straight as in the equally sentimental "I-Legend")
I wonder how he spends his day. The answer is simple - riding his Mustang on the circuit! "The Furious"? No, I haven't.
And then (the same night) the unexpected happens – a pupil enters his richest house. How? In the house of a grandiose tactician, a master of diverse ideas, there was no security system!? Okay, here's a man who has completely lost the meaning of life. But he's got a car in his garage that he's now worth more than anything in the world, even if it had to be secured? All right, well, maybe it's all about the skill of that swooping gang. But what's their motivation?? The man just refused to sell them his car! Do you want to kill him?
I do not want to defend such a strong picture with such stupid excuses that it is a militant, there should not be such accurate details and explanations. No, they should be in John Wick!
But the next thing changes everything: I don’t know who John Wick is yet; but everyone, absolutely everyone in the criminal business, for whatever reason, has incredible respect for him!!! It is said so many times as if everyone in the world knew about it. They know more than any superstar in the world. This is the power of a name!
And here is the problem of the Russian translation - again with the name. I just praised it, and immediately this aspect went into a completely different direction. Really? How can you adapt the male monster Boogieman into an old grumpy witch? It's really funny.
John is a man of obligation. Purposeful. Willful. You certainly don’t know these qualities.
A father's love is when you know your son is a fucking scum, but you protect him in every way possible. There is a tension between long-time partners behind a failed telephone conversation, from which you understand - despite the fact that we have literally been crammed into the consciousness and body of a person who has lived a very long time. But we felt the whole thing. We survived. Thanks to this pair of words and musical tones.
There was hopelessness in his father’s eyes even before he sent all his men there. In the eyes of a police officer, full understanding and respect, unwillingness to interfere in other people's affairs. The legend of the pencil that inspires fear. ("Kingsman" on maximals)
Now I’m starting to feel like the movie has been cut short. You can see that when you work as a cleaner and when you talk to William Defoe. Thought... Perhaps, thanks to such haste, these moments are endowed with such a kind of gloss .
And now we are introduced to Continental. Legendary place that gathers all professionals for one neutral 'waterpond' And they didn't skimp on him for a while. These mysterious places with mysterious gold coins I want to know more about this place!
The meat grinder in the bath is a separate neon aesthetic. And the chase in the club is the ideal balance of emotions and personalities. Magnificent ballistics, planned plastic, rehearsed to the smallest detail parried dance of bullets and daggers! The way the fights and shootings are staged here is divine! Those awkward punches, squats, rolling... Killing enemies in the distance while you fight the nearest enemy. Music gives you a break for a few seconds, and then kills again! This action movie is so unique!
But the hero is also mortal. He's vulnerable. And this is also a very important difference from other banal brothers. It would seem that 2014 – nothing new will be removed, everything in this world already exists. And here, please, John Wick. (Here, I already say his name in almost every paragraph) And now they're attacking him, not him. This is also a very important part of the story.
This film is about interpersonal relationships. The way they are. How different they can change in the same people depending on the circumstances. Best friends become enemies in an instant. Partners are happy to see the death of friends. But the rules are inviolable!
Sharm. This is how you describe the atmosphere. The film catches almost instantly, a hero with a velvety voice, a real brutal in his business!
10 out of 10
The plot is based on a classic story of revenge. Bad guys step out of the way of the one they shouldn't have and take the last thing they have left. And the whole film ' horror flying on the wings of the night' in the person of a professional mercenary John Wick demolishes in his way all involved in his loss.
And this film would not be remarkable for me if the action component was not so well executed in it. Due to the small, by today's standards, budget, the main emphasis was made not on the "Pyrotechnics" & #39, but on the spectacle of shootings and choreography of battles. This approach fully justified itself - it turned out a great combination of fights and shooting, which are simply chicly intertwined within each fight (Keanu Reeves' fitness is very impressive). All this is helped by good camera work and sound. The people who worked on the sound of the film deserve special praise. The weapon rattles very cleverly and cinematically juicy. The music is selected with knowledge, the entire track list harmoniously combines, despite the presence of a variety of genres. The film is designed in a homogeneous scale and irremovable mood, there are no long unnecessary conversations, changes in the pace of the narrative and other factors that could spoil the overall background. Everything is very clear, cheerful and at the same time filmed with exceptional style. Some scenes are so good that you want to watch them again and again.
But there were some shortcomings. Disclosure of the characters here is minimal, humor (albeit not bad) is criminally small, and even the hanging cranberries are in addition. Those who portray Russians here speak so badly and clumsyly that they become ridiculous. This, by the way, with great irritation, is repeatedly pointed out by one of the characters – let’s say, already speak English. It's one of the few fun moments, but some. In addition, the impression spoils a weak antagonist and a vague final skirmish.
The film suffers from monotony, lack of narrative angles and lack of integrity. ' John Wick' looks great, but only as a drive action movie. He, alas, carries nothing more. There is not much to laugh at, there are no clear reasons for thinking, there are no prescribed characters. There's just pure adrenaline. But it looks really cool and definitely worth watching.
The story of John Wick, a former hitman who leaves the bloody business after meeting his beloved woman. Unfortunately, a sudden illness took John’s wife and when a group of thugs sneaked into the house, stole a 1969 Ford Mustang and killed a dog along the way, the only memory of his wife – John Wick intends to take revenge on the offenders.
The plot goes straight from the militants of the 80s. The straightforward story of revenge has been played out many times before. The plot of John Wick is distinguished by two factors - the refined style and the return of actor Keanu Reeves to the camp of single superheroes. Beautiful costumes, excellent scenery, color reproduction and a special staging of combat scenes turn the picture into a style icon. To watch with what professionalism the main character deals with crowds of the enemy is a pleasure. If Chuck Norriss preferred to find out a one-on-one relationship (even if there were 20 people around him who stood and waited for their turn), then in modern realities, John Wick prefers firearms and the rule of who first is alive. Therefore, the viewer should prepare in a variety of scenes when Wick with the accuracy of a real sniper in close combat shoots enemies, but with such a level of training that special forces fighters nervously smoke in the sidelines. The director of the battle scenes is especially grateful.
The second important element is the return of Keanu Reeves. After the Matrix, Keanu went into various creative projects with a dramatic bias. Only occasionally in his filmography there were real action films like the beautiful 'Kings of the Streets'. Otherwise, instead of brutal appearance, Reeves turned into heroes, pretty shabby life. 'John Wick' as a project like a Phoenix bird brings Keanu back to active life. New style of clothing, hairstyle, dialogue and incredible preparation allowed him to perform up to 90% of all tricks on the screen. On YouTube, there is a video of preparation for the shooting and the way Keanu runs, works out techniques is admired. As a result, a new image for Keanu shows that if you meet such a guy in the alley, it is better to hold on to him for two blocks otherwise trouble will not pass.
Putting Chad Stahelski’s fights in the director’s chair and trusting his taste, a natural and stylish movie turned out. The usual at first glance story about revenge started playing with new colors, and the restart of Keanu Reeves’ career as a hero of militants creates a reserve for the future about new and high-quality action films.
8 out of 10
The viewer is forced to plunge into increasingly violent and surreal worlds, in the “attraction of unheard-of generosity”, whose name is modern cinema, but immersed in the inert reality of John Wick, let us not forget that fate does not always favor the uncompromising courage of modern art. If the viewer is unable to discern the philosophical-symbolic content, then the admiration for “beautiful murders” should be regarded as a form of latent sadism and hardly anyone will argue that immersion with a head in “bloody surrealism” without the ability to distinguish the “rational-moral seed” sends the viewer directly to “excommunicado”, for neither ignorance nor self-deception can be an excuse for either “blind contemplation” or “passive approval”.
“Ignorance of the laws does not absolve from responsibility” and if culture and film art in particular gropes in the darkness of the collective subconscious and through “hypertrophic forms”, reveals the dark corners of bodily-spiritual existence, then the viewer (being morally vulnerable), if he does not want to be drawn into the temporary spiral of finite destructive forms, must give an account of what is happening, guided by the known laws of self-preservation, justice and mercy.
John Wick’s instinct for self-preservation (Keanu Reeves) was beautiful and noble. In a hypertrophied world, where you find neither pity nor generosity with fire, justice and self-preservation acted according to its rules. If “bills” or “feelings of duty” were the “fair” measure of resolving territorial disputes, and the neutral territory of the “Continental” was the guarantor of the self-preservation of the participants in the division, then such a world, possessing a certain degree of predictability, was distinguished by an almost complete lack of justice, not to mention “Christian love for one’s neighbor.” However, it is very characteristic for a new generation of progressive artists to remove the moral-religious element, and if they do so to emphasize the absurdity of rational materialism in its chaotic convulsions, expressed in an aggressive and unscrupulous usurpation of everything and everything, then this technique can be justified, but - "It is not so terrible a lie as the justification of lies: Justified lies become law" and I would paraphrase - not so dangerous lies as exaggerating and embellishing lies and elevating them to the level of high art.
We all have a favorite actor. And I’m not talking about those filmmakers who adorn the covers of magazines and ask for royalties from the category ' a million dollars per minute on the screen ' I'm talking about actors whose filmography combines good movies with bad ones, but we still love them, even if the bad ones outweigh them. Some have this Nicholas Cage, some have Ryan Reynolds. And after a little thought, I chose my champion. I have already examined it several times, someone from my friends has heard about it, but today we will get acquainted in more detail.
Keanu Reeves. After the trilogy about the fight against the dictatorship of the machines, he had a gray decade, because during this period in his career there were both good films ('Constantine') and outright slag like ' Who's there' But even if the quality of the film breaks through the bottom of the Mariana Trench, Keanu does not change his principles and plays to the last. Also, if you’ve heard of his lifestyle, which is very unusual for celebrities, you know that he’s an open-hearted person and should be respected. So, although Reeves is famous primarily for the role of Neo, among his latest films there is another trilogy that gives rise to a new image of the actor - a shaggy hired killer, which is better not to get involved not only in this life, but also in the next.
The film tells about a retired killer who tries to live an ordinary life. His wife dies by giving him a dog before he dies so he doesn’t feel sad. And one day a gang of bandits breaks into his house, steals a car and kills a puppy. The leader of this gang is the son of a local mob boss who has worked with Wick, and he knows firsthand how cool John is. Wick himself is forced to return to his past in order to take revenge on all who crossed his path.
There's more going on about bullying villains, I'm talking about something else. The plot line is as fragile as a house of cards. 'Daddy's son' killed a dog and stole the car of a man he said he didn't know? And his father never told him about the guy who could kill three with a pencil & #39;? You know what else is the coolest? That almost every living soul of the town knows John and is quite loyal to him. In one scene, when Wick killed a dozen enemies and a policeman came to see him, he was like, '. Well, I've gone.' In short, this is what I mean - no matter how frostbitten he was ' son', in any adequate scenario, he would bypass John for four and a half kilometers.
The directorial debut of Chad Stahelski and David Litch plays with typical militant clichés. Some ordinary techniques are shown in the opposite way: John Wick kills bastards without talking heart to heart, shoots from any distance without delaying the moment. But to make the Russian mafia villains is a beaten-up Hollywood fictitious, which in the inhabitants of the post-Soviet space does not cause anything but hysterical laughter. The father and son speak broken Russian (the father, however, speaks with a Swedish accent, but assume that he is from St. Petersburg). In the bath, bandits will sing the song 'Bayushki-bayu, do not lie on the edge'. But really funny sounds the nickname that John Wick was given by his colleagues - Baba Yaga. Thanks for not Koschei. And if you remember the tale of Kolobok, well, is it not?
The $20 million film shows a very wide world. It turns out that hitmen are almost a mini-state, with their own currency & #39, their connections and a place where usually all hitmen hang out. Two musical themes associated with John Wick will stick in your memory, here even a song from Marilyn Manson brought. Keanu Reeves keeps a calm face, but a cold look definitely says that it would be better for you to shoot yourself than to get under the hot hand of the main character. Although among the other actors and can not name the same famous people, each of them was good.
And by the way, I think Greenpeace has a new idol. For the main character was really sensitive to the dog, since more than 50 people fell for it, combining martial arts techniques, shooting and parkour. Does he threaten hell for such a masakra? Given that Keanu has been able to fool the devil twice, he'll get away with it, too.
