I've never really felt one way or another about Keanu Reeves. He's sometimes excellent (The River's Edge, My Own Private Idaho) and sometimes unbelievably dull (47 Ronin, The Day The Earth Stood Still.) This may sound like it applies to most actors but with Reeves it is especially true that his level of excellence depends on the role he's in. He is a very good actor when he needs to be, for sure but I can also often see him simply going through the motions. His newest action film, John Wick, in which he is placed in the role of the title character, is his best work in at least a decade and a half. This is Reeves at his best. He takes this role and has an endless amount of fun with it. Good news for the audience as well since him having a blast in the role translates incredibly well with the viewer.
The film stars Reeves as Mr. Wick, a former hit man who lives in a world where being a killer for hire is an accepted job. (FINALLY!) John has retired and leads a quiet but desolate life, with his wife having died. His wife, however, leaves him a cute little dog for him to look after and care for. However, a group of Russian punks, led by the son (Alfie Allen) of a brutal gangster (Michael Nyqvist) decide to break into his house and murder his dog. This is to say they don't know who Wick is and don't realize this event will ultimately lead him out of retirement.
I dug this film so much that even the tough Russian gangsters felt realistic. A lot of this is due to the alternate universe John Wick is set in. This is literally a world where they have a hotel that hit men stay at complete with very strict policies. Lance Reddick even shows up in a hilarious role as a stilted hotel desk worker. Directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski (former stunt men) and writer Derek Kolstad fill the film with a shocking amount of dark, very funny humor, such as when John is throwing down with Ms. Perkins (Adrianne Palecki,) an assassin for hire in his hotel room with Reddick's worker bee standing quietly at the desk. A nice amount of supporting players including Dean Winters, John Leiguzamo, Ian McShane, Willem Dafoe and Bridget Moynahan also get to have fun with their respective roles.
This film is Reeves doing what he does best---killing dudes one by one. This is non stop action from start to finish. It never asks the audience to feel any real emotions (except the dog, perhaps) and that's fine here. It's an absolute blast from start to finish and never tries to be anything it's not. If you're the kind of person who craves a throwback to the 80's Dolph Lundgren-Sylvester Stallone or 90's Steven Seagal-Jean Claude Van Damme action films then this should be just right for you. Leitch, Stahelski and Kolstad all deserve credit for making an inventive, crazy fun world but Reeves is the one who drives this home with all his might.
(3 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong and bloody violence throughout, language and brief drug use)
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