Simplicity and efficiency are the key words here, making John Wick a very effective action film. The rather brisk set-up not only makes the somewhat convenient coincidences that set off the chain of events forgivable, but it also invests the lead character with unexpected emotional charge and motivation, and Reeves plays both the character aspects and the action scenes with aplomb, making it his best screen performance in a long time (and streets ahead of the tedious 147 Ronin). Of the stereotypical Eastern European villains, Alfie Allen stands out as the brash, arrogant son in a very well-sustained performance. Debut directors (both stunt co-ordinators) Stahelski and Leitch do a sterling job, as the lengthy action sequences are unforgiving in their ruthless and relentless nature with unusually few flash-cut sequences typical of this genre today. This film has echoes of modern action greats (Woo, Tarantino, Rodriguez) and classic film noir style, and whilst life is cheap and death is quick throughout, John Wick is not quite up there with The Raid films but it is a stylish and very affectionately-made blast of pure action entertainment with a great central character.
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