CineTV Contest #54 || No Action Thriller Beats The John Wick Franchise

John Wick is an American action thriller that stars Keanu Reeves as a retired assassin or hitman who quietly mourns the death of his wife until a group of Russian mobsters crosses his path. They steal his vintage Mustang car and kill his puppy dog, a posthumous gift from his wife to whom he had formed an attachment. This is how the most dangerous hitman in the criminal underworld also known as Baba Yaga and the boogeyman is forced out of retirement into active service of killing those who crossed him.

My Take On John Wick

I love to watch action thrillers mostly because of the action sequences and choreography. Also one with a plot as brilliant and compelling as the John Wick franchise keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. One captivating part of this film is the organised structure of the crime world. They operate strictly on rules that must be obeyed otherwise it would be chaos. Anyone who breaks the rules must face punishment or consequences and Wick is no exception.

This is excellently portrayed in scenes featuring The Continental hotel, a sanctuary and neutral place for hitmen and women. One of the rules of the hotel is that no 'business' (criminal ones) can be conducted on the premises. Ms Perkins, a nasty hitwoman, broke this rule many times when she tried to kill John Wick as a result of the bounty and murdered a fellow hitman. I particularly enjoyed the scene where she was summarily executed by the owner of the hotel, Winston (played by Ian McShane). Sometimes, in this sort of business, loyalty should matter but I guess not where money is involved!

Loyalty is one theme that is strongly portrayed in this film. John Wick was able to succeed in his revenge missions because he had loyal friends such as Marcus, who was hired to kill him but instead helped him escape and Winston, the owner of The Continental. If these people were not present or turned against Wick, he would have had a tough time surviving.

Also, the use of markers (a flat, round coin) between the hitmen lends more light on the theme of loyalty. The marker is a blood oath conveying that a person owes another a debt which must be fulfilled when the marker is called for. Though deadly and can be inconvenient when the debt is due, I'll say it's a cool way to protect oneself in this kind of business!

Characters that I love in this franchise are Keanu Reeves (that's a given), Winston, the hotel owner even though his radical change in behaviour in chapter three (Parabellum) was shocking but made the film all the more fascinating, the Concierge played by Lance Reddick (of blessed memory) because of the way he took care of Wick's adopted pitbull and lastly, the ever-loyal pitbull! When John Wick broke the rules of The Continental and was on the run for his life, the pitbull ran with him. I almost cried at this point because of the dog's loyalty. It's touching and inspiring!

I could write on and on about the John Wick franchise but overall, it's one of my favourite action films. This is the way action thrillers should be made. The plot is a common one —revenge and organized crime— yet the execution by the directors and screenwriters are flawless and impressive.

The cinematography featuring the neat blend of neo-green and blue colours, action sequences, interesting soundtracks and the ensemble of cast in each chapter all add up to make this franchise the best so far in the movie industry. Chapter four of this franchise is out but I'm yet to see it. Hopefully, I'll do so soon and publish my review.

For those who haven't seen these films, they are worth watching!

This is my entry to the Cine TV Contest #54 - Favorite Keanu Reeves Movie. To participate, just click on the link and it will take you straight to the post. The deadline is 4th April, 2023, 11:59 PM, UTC.

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^{All images are screenshots from the movie. Thumbnail was edited in Canva}