John Wick, in a year of crazy, action packed superhero movies, may very well be the action movie of the year.

Let’s start with the story. John Wick centers around a retired hitman who has just lost his wife due to illness. As her final gift to him before she dies, his wife leaves him a puppy to help him through the grieving process. After having a run in with some Russian punks at a gas station, he is then attacked by these thugs, which results in them killing his dog and stealing his car. The rest of the movie, simply stated, is John Wick kicking the living crap out of everyone who gets in the way of his seeking vengeance, creating a body count that I lost track of after the first 45 minutes.

The action in this movie was top notch in just about every way. It’s a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end. Shot beautifully, Directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski instantly pull you into this crazy world of assassins by simply letting us enjoy the work of John Wick. What this movie does so well is that it allows you to fully see the extent of Wick’s abilities even after having been retired for almost 5 years. No cheap pull aways or overly gratuitous violence. It is shot quickly and precisely in a way that is completely satisfying. It is never bulky, and it never feels like the filmmakers are trying to hard. By the end of this movie, you truly believe that John Wick will destroy anyone who gets in his way.

The acting in this movie was sensational across the board. This might be one of, if not the best performance I’ve seen Keanu Reeves give in over a decade, and he barely says a word. He is instantly relatable and allows you to make a connection to his character with almost nothing but his facial expressions and body language. Michael Nyqvist (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) shines as the villain of this movie, truly making you hate him as well. The chemistry between Reeves and Nyqvist was phenomenal. Other notable performances, albeit short appearances were Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), Adrienne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), John Leguizamo (Ice Age) and Ian McShane (Deadwood). The entire cast of this movie was well acted and really brought everything together.

Now the setting for the majority of John Wick was probably the best part. Taking place primarily in a hotel called The Continental, it gave us a fresh look at the hitman genre. Bringing us things like secret passwords, gold coins and a code among assassins, you couldn’t help but feel like you were inside a video game or a comic book.

While the core theme of this movie is the old trope of seeking revenge, it was filmed and written in a way that was unique and kept you wanting more. Set at a perfect length of 101 minutes, it was neither too short, nor did it ever feel like it was dragging on. Overall, this movie is an absolute Tupperware, and one that is a must see in the theaters.

by Jared Gafford of the Joe Schmo Comic Show podcast on iTunes & Stitcher

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