“John Wick.” The name may not sound too menacing by itself, but in this movie, it carries a lot of weight. Keanu Reeves plays the titular character, who goes on a no-holds-barred trail of revenge after a run- in with some Russian gangsters. 

After a slow but worthwhile beginning, the action starts and never lets up. There are a lot of guns, bullets and blood, mostly by Wick as he exacts his vengeance, throwing his weight around as an ex-hitman with nothing to lose. 

The plot is very simple and unsophisticated; Wick has to kill everything that gets in the way of his revenge. 

Now one may be thinking, ‘This sounds like a terrible action flick. Keanu Reeves isn’t even that good of an actor.’ And he/she would be right; this is a terrible movie. 

At least it would be, if the movie wasn’t self-aware of how silly and terrible it is. And that’s where “John Wick” creates a fun, intense 94 minute ride. 

The fact that this movie knows how terrible and action-driven it is, makes it that great of a movie. It allows itself to not be taken seriously and get away with a lot of cheesiness and silly comic book-esque script writing. 

I sometimes wondered if John Wick was a very dark comedy, due to Keanu Reeves’ wooden acting style, making his actions and conversations hilarious at times. But that deadpan whirlwind of death and destruction is just right for this movie. 

Speaking of death and destruction, all the gunfights and hand-to-hand battles are pulled off extremely well, and it was a joy to watch the slick action slide from scene to scene. This is all thanks to directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski. 

This is the first movie they have directed, as they are mainly known for their stunt work on movies like “The Matrix” trilogy, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Expendables 2,” “300,” “The Bourne” trilogy, “Fight Club,” “V for Vendetta” and other fun action flicks. 

While the silly, self-awareness of “John Wick” is certainly a high point; the world building of the movie is surprisingly intriguing. Nothing is explained, but you get the gist of it as the movie goes on. 

There is an underworld of assassins, mobsters and criminals that have their own currency, lingo and society. They even dig into a bit of mythos, with the legend of John Wick standing atop the underworld. This adds a layer of depth to the movie that certainly gives it a creative twist that makes it unique.

There are a number of actors who appear in this movie and the material this movie gives them is below their talent, but it’s obvious that they all pick this up and have fun with it.    Bottom line, if you take John Wick seriously, you’ll ruin the experience for yourself. It is a pulpy, giddy, b-movie action flick that is quite a thrill ride, due to the smooth action, the creative world it builds and the often times serious but silly demeanor.