The story of John Wick should already be well known. Bad guys kill a man’s dog and steal his car. Normally a regular man would call the police and file charges for grand theft and animal cruelty, but this is John Wick we are talking about. This is not a regular man. What these young thundercat bad guys didn’t understand is – they messed with a bull with some sharp horns. They messed up. Even the bad guy’s father Viggo (played brilliantly by Michael Nyvquist) sucker punches his own son for what he’s done. All hell breaks loose and John Wick dismantles this Russian family.
The rest is history.
Now, when the first John Wick was readying for release it was almost sent straight to DVD. Keanu Reeves had just come off the big budget flop that was 47 Ronin and hadn’t had a hit since The Matrix Revolutions. John Wick also had a first time director (Chad Stahelski) at the helm. Lionsgate took a shot and released it to the masses. The movie was a hit critically and financially and provided a breath of fresh air to the action genre that was overpopulated by bloated and bland comic book movies.
John Wick introduced us to a world very rarely seen. The hit-man guild world. This guild has their own hotels/sacred ground and their own set of rules they must abide by. They even have their own currency of gold coins that can be used for anything from drinks at the bar to a “clean-up” service. It’s a fascinating and enticing world. The world gets bigger in Chapter 2. When a contract is sent out to the “guild” we actually get to see how it’s done. We also find out there is a High Table that runs the guild. One has to wonder who is at the High Table…
Jean Reno?
Pam Grier?
Chow Yun Fat?
Lou Diamond Phillips?
And if he were still alive Bruce Lee?
That is also the magic of John Wick. It tells us just enough but doesn’t reveal too much; it keeps us wanting more. And as far as John Wick 2 goes, one would say this is a sequel that surpasses the original.
Let’s hope they keep building the world in Chapter 3 and show us a bit more.
Tweet us @Official_FAN with your picks for your own High Table!
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