Review: John Wick

Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) is a petulant punk used to getting what he wants. Understandable, given that his father Viggo (Michael Nyqvist) is a powerful gang boss. So Iosef thinks nothing of breaking into a man's house, beating him senseless and killing his dog to possess a classic 1969 black Mustang. The problem is Iosef has messed with the wrong man. When Viggo learns the victim is John Wick (Keanu Reeves), all he can offer is a docile, dread-tinged "Oh."

Oh indeed. John Wick is a former assassin - not just any assassin but the assassin that all other assassins fear. The very mention of his name flatlines the systems of his opponents, so Viggo ushers his son into hiding, puts out a contract on Wick's head, and hunkers down for the worst. What follows is a propulsive, sleek and thoroughly satisfying revenge actioner as Wick doggedly hunts down his target.

Director Chad Stahelski and uncredited co-director David Leitch have been stuntmen for decades - Stahelski even served as martial arts stunt coordinator and stunt double for Reeves in the Matrix movies - and their time in the trenches shows. John Wick is not only a good vehicle for Reeves's man-of-few-words persona, it also serves as a veritable showcase for slyly staged, precisely choreographed, viscerally brutal action sequences. There may be more action set pieces here than in the last half dozen movies of the genre. From Wick dispensing the cadre of thugs that come knocking at his New Jersey home to navigating the armada of smartly dressed gunmen as he chases a towel-clad Iosef through a heavily crowded Russian nightclub, the directors and cinematographer Jonathan Sela frame the mayhem in master shots that allow the audience to savour each moment of the action. Credit to them for avoiding the usual quick cuts and multiple angles - action is a dance, you want to display the movement, not undercut it.

Kudos as well to screenwriter Derek Kolstad who inserts droll bits of comedy into the fray. An officer ringing Wick's doorbell, a fellow assassin stepping out of his hotel room into the corridor, and the hotel manager of the Continental all offer hearty chuckles as they fellow up on reports of noise disturbances. The Continental itself is an inspired idea - a neutral zone for assassins where killing on the premises is strictly forbidden.

John Wick

Directed by: Chad Stahelski, David Leitch (uncredited)

Written by: Derek Kolstad

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Willem Dafoe, Dean Winters, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Lance Reddick, John Leguizamo, Ian McShane