John Wick 1

[Barry Admin]

Thought I might be too tired to appreciate an action movie, but I came away thinking the main problem was it's a bit shit.  People had raved about this film to me, told me it wouldn't quite be what I was expecting, and that it was a really amazing film, with the sequels not being much cop.

Didn't really like it at all.  Wished for more martial arts instead of shooting, I guess.  Or a bit more gun-fu?

The underworld stuff was fairly intriguing, the idea it was all tapping into a secret criminal world with customs and rules. 

Other than that, meh, I didn't really give a shit about John Wick, his wife, or his puppy.

[bgmnts]

I definitely preferred the fight choreography to the gunplay in this series, where Wick looks like he has a real life aim assist on.

The third one is fun though and has some lovely brutal stuff in it.

[13 schoolyards]

The first John Wick (and maybe the first ten minutes or so of the second) are firmly part of that tradition of (mostly euro) gritty action movies where they get in some faded US Gen X-era star to beat up a bunch of people half their age - it started with the success of Taken but there was a whole string of them starring just about everyone until the success of John Wick largely killed them off. So it's been kind of strange to see what was the last gasp of a played out trend start a whole new one where the action is more stylised and the setting more over-the-top.

Anyway, after the first film the series is a lot more about really going hard with the fights while building up this fantastical back story that becomes its own weird thing. So if you like the underworld stuff there's a lot more of that in the later films

[Goldentony]

the 2nd film turned into a kids adventure series with the shite fucking hotel staffed by Serafinowicz and the rotating book cases and all that shite, fucking cabals of shadowy anonymous bells. Utter wank, Spy Kids basically. First one is just a sad stupid bastard doing Taken in a different way with tons of satisfying arse kicking and creative gun fire used in service of offing people horribly. Everything after is like a chocolate advert.

[greenman]

The underworld stuff was fairly intriguing, the idea it was all tapping into a secret criminal world with customs and rules. 

Other than that, meh, I didn't really give a shit about John Wick, his wife, or his puppy.

You might preffer the sequels then which tend to focus much more on the mythology of the assassin underworld.

The original film is you could argue a bit more generic in its style that what follows but I do think its a cut above most such films we've seen in recent years.

The 4th film would actually be my pick for the best besides the 1st, cut back on the more excessive mythology stuff to turn it into more of a Highlander like grand action drama, action I think drags a bit in places(although that almost eems to play into the drama) but its got a load of fun performances in it and it looks really nice.

[BeardFaceMan]

The Continental TV show is worth a watch if you're fan of the backstory and mythology (warning - Mel Gibson chews the absolute fuck out of the scenery, so ymmv on that).

[Mister Six]

John Wick 1 is the only good one, as far as I'm concerned. John actually seems vulnerable thanks to the framing device, which adds tension to the ridiculous combat; the assassin world is hinted at just enough to intrigue without revealing that none of it makes sense; and the plot, what there is, works just fine.

John Wick 2 shits the bed on every count: John gets a magical suit so that bullets ping off him harmlessly, rendering him invulnerable (apparently, nobody has heard of headshots); the assassin world is expanded in ways that are so absurd that it's impossible to take seriously; and the story just takes on the worst kind of videogame plotting - go here, shoot some people, cutscene, pick up a plot token, go there, shoot some people, cutscene, pick up a plot token...

When John becomes effectively indestructible and the worldbuilding is revealed to be completely hollow and ill thought out, there's nothing to invest in any more. There are some really well directed action setpieces, but John Wicks 2-3 (didn't bother with 4) can be reduced to a "best action scenes" supercut without losing anything of value.

You might preffer the sequels then which tend to focus much more on the mythology of the assassin underworld.

Except none of that mythology makes sense or is even remotely believable. If Barry's in it for the mythos, I think he'll be disappointed. It's about as well thought out as a poor PS2-era action game.

[Barry Admin]

I appreciate the opinions and overview of the series, I was very intrigued to know how the first one was received on here. Watching films is a pain for me, so I'll stick to going back through Steve Martin films instead of cracking on with John Wick.  Be a different manner if it was cool af like The Raid or Ong Bak or something.

[Goldentony]

I recommend THE NIGHT COMES FOR US if you're after that sort of thing

[Mister Six]

Shit, that sounds awesome - thanks for the recommendation @Goldentony.

[dissolute ocelot]

I think the mythology in the first film is great, but then they try and explain it and it rapidly becomes stupid.

I definitely agree about the fights though, I much prefer punching and kicking/martial arts to gunplay and some scenes (like the Rome catacombs in 2) just feel like a boring video game playthrough. There are some good fight scenes throughout the series when they are more inventive, but also a lot of fairly dull (and very long) shootouts.

Also seems unnecessary for him to beat people up and then shoot them in the head; most action movies just assume that once someone's beaten up, they're out of it, unless the plot requires a final twist.

I know it's probably considered heresy but Atomic Blonde is better than any John Wick.

[Mister Six]

Yeah, Atomic Blonde was great.

[Barry Admin]

How about "Oldboy", I saw reference to that this week and it looks like a banger.

[Mister Six]

Assuming you mean the Korean original, Oldboy is fucking mint, although it's not really an action movie (even if it did popularise, maybe even invent, the one-take corridor fight that crops up in everything now). More of an offbeat, messed up thriller.

Give it a crack, and if you like it check out Park Chan-Wook's other films, which are always at the very least interesting. Especially watch the other two parts of his "Vengeance Trilogy" - Lady Vengeance and Sympathy For Mr Vengeance.

[beanheadmcginty]

John Wick's best mates with Lovejoy. How can a human not appreciate that?

[13 schoolyards]

Honestly the one big plus of John Wick (though I do enjoy those films) is that its success seems to have pumped a bit more cash into the world of direct-to-streaming action. There's plenty of first rate cinematic violence out there these days (cough Scott Adkins cough) and Asia seems to be churning out winners pretty much everywhere you look.

Which is to say, seconded for The Night Comes For Us, which takes its violence to frankly insane levels. But just about anything that's action-y from that part of the world doesn't mess around these days - even something like Carter, which is technically about spies and a zombie plague, is really just a whole lot of increasingly demented head-kicking

[greenman]

Except none of that mythology makes sense or is even remotely believable. If Barry's in it for the mythos, I think he'll be disappointed. It's about as well thought out as a poor PS2-era action game.

To be honest though I don't think its really treated as some deadly serious thing but rather at excuse for various characters and set pieces.

I tend to think the main negative with the 2nd and 3rd films is that they have quite a bit of Fast and Furious style "edgy cool bro" culture to them but the 4th film does cut that out a bit more in favour of a grander fantasy.

[Magnum Valentino]

Also the steps.

[Mister Six]

To be honest though I don't think its really treated as some deadly serious thing but rather at excuse for various characters and set pieces.

Yeah, that's my point. If Barry's main reason for watching the sequels is the worldbuilding he'll be disappointed.

[madhair60]

here's my reviews of the "John Wick" series:

John Wick: shit
John Wick 2: didn't finish because boring
John Wick 3 Parabellum: didn't watch this
John Wick Chapter 4: didn't watch this

[confettiinmyhair]

I was watching a compilation of 2024 trailers and there are an insane amount of action films of this type, hugely influenced by the John Wick franchise. The most interesting looked to be Monkeyman with Dev Patel in the lead role.

[greenman]

Yeah, that's my point. If Barry's main reason for watching the sequels is the worldbuilding he'll be disappointed.

if he disliked the film taking itself too seriously dramatically then there's less of that in the sequels though, at least the first two which play up the more outlandish assassin culture.

[dissolute ocelot]

I was watching a compilation of 2024 trailers and there are an insane amount of action films of this type, hugely influenced by the John Wick franchise. The most interesting looked to be Monkeyman with Dev Patel in the lead role.

Monkeyman has been getting promising write-ups/hype. Patel also directed it (it's his debut behind the megaphone), and he's apparently a massive action movie fan. (Despite the notable lack of action in e.g. The Green Knight).

Although plotwise "Kid, an anonymous young man working in an underground fight club, sets out to exact revenge against a group of corrupt leaders, who are responsible for his mother's death and also taking advantage of the poor and powerless people" doesn't sound terribly original.

[Jerzy Bondov]

I recommend THE NIGHT COMES FOR US if you're after that sort of thing

Another vote for this BANGER. Very violent.