BY THOMAS WOOD

Seeking a new narrative driven by action and revenge, director Chad Stahelski and writer Derek Kolstad brought John Wick to life in the fourth quarter of 2014. This movie’s release marked the start of a new tetralogy spanning almost a decade, and it produced a massive new name to bind movie geeks and pop culture as a whole together. Having received great reviews from critics and audiences alike, John Wick went down as a classic film. However, now that the fourth film in the series has been released, it’s important to revisit the roots of John Wick. Let’s see if the first John Wick film holds up today.

Played by Keanu Reeves, the titular John Wick is a retired hitman grieving the recent loss of his wife. Almost having given up hope, Wick receives a final gift from his wife: a puppy named Daisy. Wick gets tied up in some old hitman drama involving his car, where a group of men invade his house, kill his dog, and steal his car. Now forcibly removed from retirement, John Wick takes revenge on those who took his wife’s passing gift from him.

By far the most interesting thing about the John Wick movie is the action. It’s an extremely action packed movie, having incredibly fast-paced and well executed action scenes all throughout. Although the scenes can get a bit gory, they let you feel the absolute rage behind Wick’s movements. The areas in which these scenes take place also vary, taking place everywhere from an extremely loud and populated club to a quiet hotel room Wick resides in. Overall, amazing action all around.

The acting is also divine. Keanu Reeves does a great job as John Wick, especially in the scene where he’s captured and lashes out against his captor. For most of the movie, Wick is a calm and collected assassin who seemingly isn’t affected by his emotions. However, this scene points out his vulnerable points, making the acting contribute to a more full character. 

All in all, John Wick is a movie that deserved each sequel and parcel of praise it received. It’s a great movie with grade-A action scenes and incredible acting, all wrapped up in a simple plot that anyone could view and understand easily. 

Overall: 9/10