Don't Light the Wick

I finally got around to seeing 2014's John Wick. It's not bad. Oddly, my feelings about it are similar to what I had for The Matrix. I thought it was a good movie, though I don't quite understand the fervour people around me seem to have for it.

John Wick, directed by two of Keanu Reeves' stunt doubles from The Matrix, certainly doesn't aim for the philosophical profundity of the Wachowskis' Sci-Fi classic. Part of the appeal of John Wick is its unassuming simplicity. It's about a killer fighting a bunch of killers.

The fact that the Russian mobsters killed his puppy makes Wick slightly more sympathetic, not unlike Alan Ladd's fondness for the kitten in This Gun for Hire. And you can certainly see the influence of John Woo.

It's fun seeing a few high calibre actors in simple supporting roles. John Leguizamo, Adrianne Palicki, Willem Dafoe, and Ian McShane are all terrific, no one of them with a whole lot to do but packing a decent punch with what they have.

The fight scenes are certainly the best part of the film and, as it was made by stunt performers, you can see an understandable fidelity to practical effects.

The writing isn't strong but it's also not ambitious, so it's fine. I wish the cinematography were a little more interesting. There's some attempt at noir-ish shadows but all the pink, blue, and green light kind of evens out to blandness.

Reeves is pretty good as a physical presence.

John Wick is available on Netflix in Japan.

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