John Wick (2014) - 8/10

John Wick is an excellent action movie that should teach Hollywood executives any number of important lessons that they likely will never learn/listen to. It is also a vehicle for one of the most beloved movie stars (both on and off screen), who will likely go down as one of the worst actors whose work I would watch absolutely every day of the week. So, let's jump into our rubric:

1. Acting

The acting in John Wick is, on the surface, nothing special. Its star, Keanu Reeves, is lovingly known as a not particularly good actor. His performances often seem stiff or one-note. However, I'd rather think of it as minimalist - doesn't always give you a lot, but also doesn't really need to. It's a style that not many could pull off. 

But here's the thing: acting is not one thing. It's not just how good you are at making yourself cry and recite a long monologue. It's physicality and body language. So, while Keanu may not emote in dramatic ways, what makes this movie so special is a lead actor who went through extensive training in order to bring the Baba Yaga to life.

Meanwhile the rest of the cast does fine work. In particular Lance Reddick and Ian McShane are clear standouts that help engross the audience in a very mysterious world.

2. Cinematography

The initial outing into the world of John Wick has some truly wonderful moments of cinematography. In particular, the club scene showcases the bright and stark neon that later installments would embrace more fully. Strong lighting, playfulness with colors, and some exquisite shot compositions are also highlighted throughout the changing New York locales. However, the overall cinematography feels as though it's still trying to figure itself out and will prove more consistent in the sequels.

3. Production/Costume Design

Most of the work being done here is by the location scouting teams. In particular the Flatiron building used for the Continental Hotel, the briefly seen Bethesda Terrace, and the Brooklyn Bridge somehow feel like they have been perfectly repurposed just for the hidden society of assassins that populate the world. Additionally, the costume team really nailed the imposing yet stylishly dressed protagonist. 

Overall, the aesthetic created in this opening film laid excellent ground work for what comes later, but ultimately has to rely on outsourcing the heavy lifting to pre-existing set pieces and props. 

4. Writing

Certainly not the most verbose of scripts, but that's because the action is what really does the talking in this film. The trimmed down script not only fit the style of film, but allowed the audience to get engrossed in the mysterious nature of the unseen assassin society. 

The writing and rest of the creative team also embraced one of the most important lessons more filmmakers need to learn - show, don't tell. 

5. Sound Design

Highly stylized visual always feel like they are a match for highly stylized music. The grungy, club, and metal soundtrack slides in perfectly with the aggressive nature of what plays out throughout the story. The only flaw may be that the soundtrack is largely more vibe than memorable on its own. 

6. Editing

In addition to being briskly paced and well composed, the true strength of this films lies in its willingness to linger within action shots. But more on that later.

7. Visual Effects

No major standout items for the VFX team here. Their job largely was to integrate well with the cinematography efforts and was well executed. You wont notice any significant VFX shots in the final product, which tells me they understood the assignment well. 

8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation

Revenge stories are definitely a well trodden genre. John Wick manages to avoid too many cliches and relies largely on its visual language to elevates itself from the rest of the pack.

9. Stunt Coordination

Chad Stahelski, being a career stuntman, was John Wick's greatest weapon. His background clearly informed how this film was going to approach the execution, choreography, and filming of the many stunts. The expertise of himself and his team helped redefine an approach to action film making that had become stale and incoherent. I can't point to one singular thing that makes the film special. Rather, each action sequence is filled with an incredible sense of purpose and thoughtfulness from start to finish - a trademark they will build upon more and more in each film.

10. Direction

Having a stuntman as the Director gave this film a clear identity and style. The cohesion across all the different elements made for a terrific action film and elevated it above its peers. A very impressive outing for a first time director. 

Bonus. Legacy

A more grounded, but still stylized, approach to the martial arts based movies that grew most popular from Hong Kong and Bollywood directors. John Wick's legacy for American Cinema is probably most felt within the action genre and the approach to stunt work and elongated and steady fight choreography that appears in more and more films. 

Final Thoughts

There are some important lessons that can be learned from John Wick that have already been covered. But I really wish Hollywood is paying attention when they see films like this. Namely that you can give creative control, even to unproven directors, when they have a clear and executable vision. 

Also, Studios need to be more willing to invest money in mid-to-low budget genre films. The reported budget for this movie was 20-30 million dollars. Not only is that a drop in the bucket compared to other 'blockbuster' action movies, but more importantly it proves that you can't buy your way into a good movie with overpaid actors and expensive VFX. Look no further than the uninspired RoboCop remake that came out the same year - 100-130 million dollar budget, panned by critics and audiences, with no lasting legacy other than being yet another shitty cash grab all because studios are afraid to invest in something that doesn't already have an established IP. 

Alright I will get off my soap box now. Final-Final Thought: John Wick was great.