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Throughout his career, Keanu Reeves has taken on a variety of roles—everything from comedy to romance to Shakespearian drama. But no matter how hard he tries to branch out, he still seems the most comfortable when he’s battling bad guys in over-the-top action movies like his latest thriller, John Wick.
John Wick stars Reeves as the title character, a recently widowed man who’s quietly mourning his wife’s death with help from the puppy that she gave him as her final gift. But when a group of Russian thugs breaks into his home, beats him up, kills the dog, and steals his classic car, it’s the final straw. Though he’s been living a quiet life with his wife for more than five years, John returns to the deadly world he once called home when he was a legendary hitman known as The Boogeyman. And he soon finds himself facing off against former business associates to get his revenge.
Reeves seems right at home in his role as the ruthless (but heartbroken) hitman, kicking, punching, and shooting his way through herds of nameless henchmen. John is a man of few words, and that’s just fine for the lovable action hero. After all, dialogue isn’t exactly his strong suit. When it comes to delivering lines, he tends to be more than a little wooden. But while that may be a problem when he’s playing a romantic lead, it seems perfectly fitting when he’s playing a cold-blooded killer.
When it comes to the action, though, Reeves excels. Fifteen years after The Matrix hit theaters (and at the ripe old age of 50), he’s still as tough as ever—and he still manages to make complex fight sequences look effortless. Not only that, but there’s just something down-to-earth about him—something that makes audiences want to cheer him on, no matter how violent things may get.
The story, meanwhile, isn’t much deeper than the character. There aren’t any complicated back stories to understand or shocking plot twists to follow. It’s just the story of a hitman with a heart of gold who ventures back into a secret, underground world of crime to exact his revenge on the spoiled son of a crime boss—and, along the way, he kills anyone and everyone who tries to stop him. John has one simple, straightforward mission in mind, and he’s unwavering in his task. The resulting adventure is noisy and ultra-violent and completely over-the-top—and it never makes the mistake of taking itself too seriously. And that makes it a whole lot of hard-hitting fun to watch.
John Wick may not be the smartest film you’ll see this year, but it’s fast-paced and action-packed, with a massive body count and an easy-going sense of humor. It’s nothing if not violent—but if you’re in the mood for some brainless action, it doesn’t get much better than this.
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