Review: 'John Wick' starring Keanu Reeves

John muthaf****n' Wick! That's what I wanted to shout at the end of John Wick, one of the purest pleasures I've had at the movies this year. On the surface, the film is basically your standard-issue revenge thriller. Keanu Reeves, back in full-blown badass mode, plays a former hitman who is dragged out of his retirement to seek revenge for a terrible slight. Seen it before, right? Well, maybe you have but it's all in the execution, and John Wickis a slick, funny and brutally intense flick that does everything it seeks to do just right.

Reeves may be a punching bag to his many detractors but there's one thing he can do with the best of them and that is fight. Forget The Matrix for a minute and just look at what he was able to do in last year's vastly underrated bare-knuckle martial arts film, Man of Tai Chi. Reeves stepped behind the camera for that one and it's clear he's picked up a few tricks on how action sequences are supposed to look. It doesn't hurt that he's got some help from Chad Stahelski, who served as Reeves' stunt double through multiple genre movies. Stahelski makes his directorial debut with John Wick and Reeves have a singularity of vision for stylish, atmospheric violence. Get ready, because John Wick is totally out of control.

John Wick was the world's deadliest assassin, nicknamed The Bogeyman by his employers for his deadly efficiency. "He's the guy you send to kill the Bogeyman", so goes the legend, but Wick has settled into happily wedded bliss until illness claims his wife (Bridget Moynahan).  Her final gift to him happens to be the cutest puppy in the history of cute puppies. He's so adorable you know something terrible will happen to him. Sure enough, barely five minutes later John is roughed up by the irritating pest heel Iosef (Alfie Allen) and his gang, who steal his vintage car and kill his dog. The car is one thing, but you don't mess with a man's dog; especially not when that man is John Wick.

So yeah, the film is about John seeking revenge for a dog, and so what? Vengeance movies have found weaker reason for copious amounts of bloodshed than the death of a four-legged friend.  Fortunately for all of us, the reasons for John's path of destruction matter less than how he's exacting his revenge. Reeves is an extremely fluid actor, always has been, and using the graceful techniques he learned in The Matrix and other films he turns John Wick into one of the most  beautiful shoot 'em ups ever made.  The amount of sheer violence is off the charts and Stahelski, who also spent a number of years as a stunt coordinator, knows how to stage a scene for maximum impact.

But there are two other aspects that make this film truly exemplary. The cast is simply phenomenal for a film of this type, and everybody seems to be on the same page with how it should be played. Michael Nyqvist (from the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) makes for a strangely comical bad guy as Russian mob boss Viggo Tarasov. He's also Iosef's father and when he learns his son jacked up John Wick, well, he's less than pleased.  The rest of the ensemble is equally good and just as quirky, with Lance Reddick as the manager of a hotel that serves as a hub for paid killers; Ian McShane as its owner; Adrianne Palicki is an assassin hired to take John down; and the always-great Willem Dafoe is John's close associate, Marcus. Any other film and this would be a lineup looking to earn a few awards, but here they're just looking to have some fun.

The other thing that makes this movie great is how Stahelski and screenwriter Derek Kolstad pull you into this weird, ridiculous shadow world. Assassins apparently have their own currency, paying for everything in flashy gold coins; they have their own hotel with oddly specific rules about killing; and personal cleaning crews to dispose of messy business. This is how you embrace a genre's tropes and make bloody hay out of it. We know John is an unstoppable killing machine, and so do the characters populating the film. Just mentioning his name is enough to silence a potentially ugly situation or turn hardened villains into sheepish cowards.  Exploring the world John is slowly being pulled back into is probably the film's greatest highlight, outside of seeing Keanu Reeves taking a familiar role and doing something fresh with it. Fans of the genre are going to get everything they want out of John Wick, and those wondering where Reeves has been over the last few years will be pleased to know that he is definitely back.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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Keanu Reeves is Out for Blood in New 'John Wick' Trailer

Two weeks ago nobody outside of attendees at Fantastic Fest had ever heard of the revenge thriller, John Wick, now it's one of the most eagerly awaited genre films of the year. The reviews for the film have been mixed, trending towards positive, but the most glowing praise has been heaped upon Keanu Reeves as the title character, a former hitman who unleashes terrible vengeance on those who murdered his beloved pup. Yes, this is a film about guy getting revenge for his dog, but there have been blood feuds in movies for less reason than that.  A new trailer for John Wick has been released and it looks like the kind of film destined to be a quotable cult favorite. Here's the lean 'n mean synopsis:

An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him. With New York City as his bullet-riddled playground, JOHN WICK (Keanu Reeves) is a fresh and stylized take on the "assassin genre."

Simple enough. Between John Wick, The Drop, Tracks, and The Rover this is turning out to be the year of the dog. Directed by Chad Stahelski with  Adrianne Palicki, Willem Dafoe, Bridget Moynahan, Ian McShane, Jason Isaacs, Alfie Allen, Lance Reddick, John Leguizamo, Dean Winters, and Michael Nyqvist
 co-starring, John Wick opens on October 24th.


John Wick Official Trailer #2 (2014) - Keanu Reeves, Willem Dafoe Movie HD. by TrailerNow

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Keanu Reeves Settles the Score in Trailer for 'John Wick'

What was the last huge film Keanu Reeves starred in? Believe it or not it was way back in 2008's The Day the Earth Stood Still, his last gasp as a major box office star. Since then he's been perfectly happy as the biggest name in the tiny pond of indie films, including his recent directorial debut Man of Tai Chi (which is excellent, by the way). And so it won't come as any surprise if you haven't heard of John Wick, the new action flick Reeves is starring in that arrives next month.

Reeves stars as a former hitman, who loves his fast cars and cute pet dog, but finds a reason to get back in the killing business when a bunch of goons rob him and take everything he cares for. That was a mistake, and as we see in the new trailer Wick is a guy not to be trifled with. John Leguizamo, Ian McShane, Alfie Allen, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Nyqvist, Willem Dafoe, and Adrianne Palicki make up a strong enough cast that this film should probably be getting more attention. So why isn't it? Despite the talent there isn't much about this trailer that's impressive, including the workmanlike direction of Chad Stahelski.

John Wick opens on October 24th. 

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Review: 'Hercules', Starring Dwayne Johnson, John Hurt, and Ian McShane

It seems that Greek mythology is in full swing this year in Hollywood. Everyone has heard of or knows of the legendary tales of Hercules, (the original Greek way of saying it is Heracles), the half-god, half-mortal son of Zeus. If you haven't heard of him, then you've probably been living under a rock, probably somewhere on Mars. Earlier this year, we were treated tortured with the Kellan Lutz version of the Greek hero. And because The Legend of Hercules was far (light years) from legendary, it's not surprising that Hercules, with Dwayne Johnson taking his turn in what is essentially a miniskirt, fares a bit better than the former, but that's not saying much, given the fact that the bar was set so low. 


The 12 labors in the film aren't myth but intertwine with the teasing nature of whether Hercules may or may not be the son of Zues. His nephew Iolaus (Reece Ritchie) is responsible for telling the tales of Hercules and the 12 labors everywhere they go, from placeto place, a mercenary getting paid for his services. Over the years, he's picked up his own posse (Rufus Sewell, Ian McShane, Aksel Hennie, and Ingrid Bolsø Berdal), with specialized fighting skills to go along with them. 

Three years prior to the current storyline, Hercules was banned from Athens by King Eurystheus (Joseph Fiennes) after being suspected of killing his family. Always seeking a good price for services rendered, Hercules and co. are asked by King Cotys (John Hurt) and his daughter Ergenia (Rebecca Ferguson) to help rid Thrace of a warlord named Rhesus (Tobias Santelmann). Hercules agrees to help, eventually realizing that he and his friends might be in way over their heads. 

We get glimpses of the famous 12 labors of Hercules, but nothing concrete. This is essentially a story that the filmmakers pulled out of their butts and thought it would make a good movie to attach Hercules' name to it. There's good action, and some humor, which is very welcome and which there should have been more of (especially from McShane and Sewell, who are really the highlight of the film), but the movie ultimately fails because of its lack of concrete narrative. Is Hercules the son of Zeus, or is he not? Why are we forced to question his lineage  to begin with? Perhaps it is to cover up the fact that the story isn't very inspiring to begin with, nor are the theatrical speeches that are dripping with mock seriousness and cheesy over the top lines being thrown here and there about heroes and fate.  

One of the more frustrating aspects of the film is that the only time they choose to show the wife of Hercules (Irina Shayk), it is in a sexual manner. She never speaks, just stands there looking beautiful in brief glimpses of the Greek hero's memory. Showing her slipping off her tunic before switching to a shot of something more brutal makes it look like eye candy that doesn't belong and feels more like a subliminal message. Hey, there's no sex in this movie, so let's show you a woman's behind for no reason. Truly inspiring. Please note the sarcasm.

It's disappointing that they don't really show us in detail any of the 12 labors. This is what Hercules is partly famous for in Greek mythology, and to this day hasn't been given any justice onscreen. The filmmakers choose to obviously ignore certain aspects of the Hercules stories and only pick ones they think would suit the story, which might have worked if their actual story had been more concrete.

In Braveheart, we stand behind Mel Gibson because we see his story develop. So that when he gives his speech, it's inspiring and a true rallying of his troops. I mention Braveheart because it feels like Brett Ratner and co. were going for that same kind of effect, but without much ambition or inspiration. The film starts out ok, but spirals shortly after. It doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Sometimes, it gets a bit serious and its serious tone is so sincere that it might make you laugh at its audacity. The film alleviates this by using humor, which isn't used often enough, making some parts of the film seem far too serious. 

There's no doubt that Dwayne Johnson is buff enough to be Hercules, but the capacity to tell the story of a man weighted by the events of his past and the responsibilities of his present isn't used to its full potential. Most of that blame can fall on Brett Ratner since his non-comedy films tend to be over-the-top and don't do a good job telling character stories (I'm looking at you, X-Men: The Last Stand). 

Will you still be mildly entertained? It's possible. But that still doesn't detract from the fact that  even the aspect of the Nemean lion is used to simply make Dwayne Johnson look cool and bad-ass, which he does, that can't be denied. The point here is that someone like Johnson could have been just as cool and bad-ass playing any character, without tainting the name of Hercules in the process. Sure, in the past, Disney's Hercules may have changed around the mythology of the Greek hero, but they made him someone you could root for and stand behind because he had the plight of any person. The last two Hercules films only create a hero who doesn't deserve the praise as easily as he receives it. 

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New Trailer for 'Hercules' Starring Dwayne Johnson

With so many summer tentpoles coming literally every single weekend, some are bound to fall between the cracks. Not every film is going to get the push of a Guardians of the Galaxy or Transformers: Age of Extinction, others like Brett Ratner's Hercules need to work to get a little attention. And so we have a brand new trailer that puts its musclebound star Dwayne Johnson right in the spotlight.

Johnson's all oiled up, bearded, and wearing a lion pelt as the mythological hero, only this story isn't based on the Greek stories many are familiar with. It's actually based on the Radical Comics series, The Thracian Wars, in which Hercules and his band of fellow mercenaries train a king's army for war against an evil warlord.

Also starring Rufus Sewell and Ian McShane, Hercules completes his labors on July 25th.


HERCULES - UK Trailer by Teaser-Trailer.com

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Dance to a New Trailer and Clip from 'Cuban Fury' Starring Nick Frost and Chris O'Dowd

It's Nick Frost, it's Chris O'Dowd, it's that lovely Rashida Jones...how can Cuban Fury possibly go wrong? Well...the first trailer had a lot of moves but seemed a little out-of-step comedically, but maybe this latest cut and a new clip will find the right rhythm?  Frost and O'Dowd play office rivals who take up salsa dancing in hopes of winning Jones' love, and the physical humor between the two actors promises to be a highlight. Let's just hope it's not the only highlight.

Co-starring Olivia Coleman and Ian McShane, Cuban Fury opens in the U.K. next month. Nobody's asked it to dance here in the U.S. just yet.

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Nick Frost Dances into Rashida Jones' Heart in Trailer for 'Cuban Fury'

While talking to Nick Frost during a Q&A for Edgar Wright's The World's End, Nick Frost talked about how his training for the extensive action sequences had come during the six months of dancing he put in for his Brit comedy, Cuban Fury. The film has always sounded like a winner with Frost dancing off against Chris O'Dowd. But now that the first trailer is here, does Cuban Fury have all the right the moves?

Frost stars as a likable, well-meaning regular dude who does what guys do in movies; namely fall head-over-heels in love with Rashida Jones. She's the new girl at the office, and when he discovers her passion for salsa dancing, he of course takes it up as a hobby, hoping to dance his way into her heart. Ian McShane turns up as a sort of dance Yoda, while O'Dowd is Frost's main competition for the dance crown and Jones' affections. Before long it's hip thrusts and awkward sexual tension at high noon.

So it's basically Billy Elliott meets Dodgeball? Eh. Cuban Fury opens in the UK on Valentine's Day but has yet to gain a U.S. date.

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DVD Deal of the Day: The Pillars of the Earth (Blu-Ray) for $32.99

They don't get much more massively epic than Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth, the 8-episode historical tale of royal scheming and political manuevering back in the days of King Henry I. Adapted and aired by The Starz Network, it packs an impressive cast including Ian McShane(Deadwood), Donald Sutherland, Eddie Redmayne(The Yellow Handkerchief), and Rufus Sewell.

Amazon.com has all eight episodes on Blu-Ray in a special 3-disc collection for the low price of only $32.99! That's 53% off the retail price. A deal worthy of a king! Pick up your copy now!

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