December 28th, 2015

So I finally saw "John Wick" last night.  I actually went into it expecting a lot because my girlfriend had seen it at her friend's house when she was visiting in San Fransisco.  I had heard good things about it in the past few months already, so hearing if from her was the final push for me to see it. 

I wanted to rent it some time but I never got the chance so luckily, she got it for me for Christmas.  I guess she was really confident that I would really like the movie.  

First of all, I've always like Keanu Reeves.  I know he isn't an amazing actor, but he still has something likeable about him.  Maybe it's because I grew up loving the Bill and Ted movies and I thought he was great in "Speed".  So I was looking forward to an action movie that has received positive reviews starring Keanu Reeves.  

So I popped in the dvd and prepared myself for 101 min. of badassery.  I was NOT disappointed.  

I thought Keanu Reeves was perfectly cast as a focused killing machine.  He just has an aura of coolness and naturally looks like someone who would have the discipline to be trained to be a master killer.  

**SPOILER ALERT**
The story is simple.  He is a retired assassin/hit man who has been out of the game for 5 years (plus change) and married the woman that made him be human again.  She dies...and he is devastated until, just days after she is buried, he receives a last gift from her, a beagle puppy named Daisy.  

So this puppy, a gift from his dead wife, becomes a symbol of hope for him.  He embraces this dog as his last chance for a companion that is linked to the woman he loved.  

A SYMBOL OF HIS DEAD WIFE'S LOVE DAMNIT!

So yea, the dog gets killed when a couple of punks decide to invade his home to steal is car.  It's a pretty sick car.

But yea...THEY KILL THE DOG.

who the hell does that??? 

Theon Fucking Greyjoy does. He is the one that does that.

Without revealing more of the plot, John Wick is thrust back into the world of violence and bloodshed as he becomes vengeance personified.  

The best part about this movie is that the action isn't over the top.  He isn't jumping from building to building beating up bad guys while staying unscathed.  You can tell that he has had a lot of training and has been doing this for years, but he isn't untouchable.  The action is personal just like his motivation for revenge.  

Another intriguing part of the movie was a hotel called "The Continental".  It is a safe haven for assassins that has it's own set of rules and honor system with an economy within its walls.  It's also where you meet a lot of interesting characters. 

The movie itself has a few cliches, but there are also parts that destroy cliches.  This is why I believe this simple story of vengeance is held in high regard.  Of course, it's still not for everyone, but it gets a high recommendation from me.

JOHN WICK = absolute badass.   

Neo just woke up and he's cranky as fuck.