One of my favorite film franchises, I admit that John Wick surprised me from the start. As a person really put off by gun violence, I was apprehensive to give the films a chance. It is hard not be won over by Keanu Reeves and without his involvement I probably never would have given the film a chance. As you write, the tightly choreographed fight scenes are so intentional and impactful that for me, they seem to transcend the brand of violence normally associated with gun heavy films.
Always a delight to see Lance Reddick on film, really glad you mentioned his supporting role in your piece.
Looking forward to watching the film again while contemplating on your insights!
Thanks for reading, Lisa! I'm always glad to hear your insight.
You're right: the movie makes sure, through the writing and Reeves' performance, that there is enough purpose behind the action that it never feels totally mindless or unnecessarily gratuitous. And though I do enjoy the sequels quite a bit? Thinking on it, this is my one big hang-up.
Taking on the High Table, for example, while it *is* super exciting, on an action-first base level, it simply doesn't (and can't) have the same emotional impact as John working through his grief in the only way he knows how (and as a minor aside, I've always found the latter Bourne films struggled with this too) - but hey, at the end of the day, the overall storytelling isn't the appeal. And that's okay.
You gotta love Lance Reddick, absolutely. While it is a shame we lost him so soon, he really did make his mark, on these movies in particular. It'll be great to see him again in Ballerina, if only briefly.
Another wonderfully thorough retrospective, Ryan!
One of my favorite film franchises, I admit that John Wick surprised me from the start. As a person really put off by gun violence, I was apprehensive to give the films a chance. It is hard not be won over by Keanu Reeves and without his involvement I probably never would have given the film a chance. As you write, the tightly choreographed fight scenes are so intentional and impactful that for me, they seem to transcend the brand of violence normally associated with gun heavy films.
Always a delight to see Lance Reddick on film, really glad you mentioned his supporting role in your piece.
Looking forward to watching the film again while contemplating on your insights!
Thanks for reading, Lisa! I'm always glad to hear your insight.
You're right: the movie makes sure, through the writing and Reeves' performance, that there is enough purpose behind the action that it never feels totally mindless or unnecessarily gratuitous. And though I do enjoy the sequels quite a bit? Thinking on it, this is my one big hang-up.
Taking on the High Table, for example, while it *is* super exciting, on an action-first base level, it simply doesn't (and can't) have the same emotional impact as John working through his grief in the only way he knows how (and as a minor aside, I've always found the latter Bourne films struggled with this too) - but hey, at the end of the day, the overall storytelling isn't the appeal. And that's okay.
You gotta love Lance Reddick, absolutely. While it is a shame we lost him so soon, he really did make his mark, on these movies in particular. It'll be great to see him again in Ballerina, if only briefly.