A re-re-retread of 1980s/90s action flicks, “John Wick” brings an A-list cast and production to the tale of a former hit man who seeks revenge after being brutalized by the son of a Russian mob chief. A sly sense of humor and touches of originality like the hotel and the cleaning service (you’ll know what I’m talking about if you see the movie) save the film from being run-of-the-mill. I’m an action aficionado, I’ve seen lots and lots of action films, and I know that these days, it’s not enough to bring good actors, high production values and decent writing in an action flick; everybody’s doing that (like how many action movies has Liam Neeson been in, for example). A good action movie today has to deliver a lot of originality or astounding, jaw-dropping action sequences, and preferably both. This one has enough originality to make it watchable for an entertaining evening, but not more. And the action is OK, but almost any fight scene in Daredevil Season 1 is better. Also, there’s not as much suspense in an action hero like “John Wick” because you know that they’re not going to kill off the hero in the middle of the movie, and this makes originality and action even more vital. My family had a higher opinion of this movie than I did, I must admit, but after seeing such great recent action flicks from overseas like “Kung Fu Killer” and knowing what can still be accomplished in this genre, I think it’s all right to expect more out of Hollywood.

2021 Update: I guess my opinion isn’t a good forecast of a movie’s box office performance. A few years after the release of this movie, there’s now a franchise with a John Wick 2 and 3. You may be a fan. I’m totally not interested.

Not for Kids