Review Roundup: Keanu Reeves Stars in Action Thriller JOHN WICK

Keanu Reeves stars in action-thriller JOHN WICK, which opens nationwide today, October 24th! This film marks the directorial debut of Chad Shahelski, who was Reeves' stunt double in the popular sci-fi thriller THE MATRIX.

The story revolves around a former hitman who comes out of retirement to seek revenge for the murder of his dog. When he discovers that the culprits are related to his ex-boss, matters become a little more personal.

Keanu Reeves leads the cast as John Wick, alongside Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki, Bridget Moynahan, Dean Winters, and William DaFoe. The character of JOHN WICK will also be featured in the Payday 2, in which players will have access to many of Wick's signature weapons.

Let's see what the critics had to say!

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: "John Wick" conjures a natty netherworld of lethal temperaments and impeccable tailoring. John's quest may be one-note, but that note could not be more perfectly pitched.

Peter DeBruge, Variety: In terms of material, "John Wick" is nothing special, but there's a suave elegance to the way Stahelski and Leitch approach this thoroughly generic project, seizing the opportunity to deliver some pretty spectacular setpieces along the way.

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: Like so many action movies, "John Wick" goes way beyond a reasonable carnage threshold. Brawls that are exciting in the beginning become dull as each sequence attempts to outdo the last. But JOHN WICK has a more interesting story and better fights than most, not to mention, if too briefly, a puppy.

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: As weaponized mayhem of the most disreputably electrifying kind, the sleek and eccentric revenge tale "John Wick" jabs far above its weight class thanks to the panther physicality of 50-year-old headliner Keanu Reeves and a tightly pitched mix of humor and expertly choreographed hyper-violence from writer Derek Kolstad and first-time director Chad Stahelski.

Claudia Puig, USA Today: JOHN WICK serves up a noxious, clashing blend of hyper-realistic and cartoonish violence. Too bad there's no cinema decontaminating service that can wash our memories clean of such useless gore.

Scott Mendelson, Forbes: It is a terrific action picture, filled with strong performances by a game cast, along with superb action set-pieces and a genuinely interesting world to boot.

Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly: John is no less ridiculous or superhuman than your typical action hero...but his movie knows when to step back and let that action speak for itself.

Tom Long, The Detriot News: "John Wick" at least doesn't pretend to be anything more than an excuse for a parade of highly choreographed fight scenes ending in mass bloodshed...

Stephen Jones, The Source: JOHN WICK is a great action film which, despite its drawbacks, is well worth seeing if you're looking for something fun with a layer of intelligence sorely lacking from many films of the genre today.

Drew Taylor, Indie Wire: In the end, there are enough pleasures going on in "John Wick" to elevate it above just another dumb action movie.

Photo Credit: Facebook

To post a comment, you must register and login.