John Wick
- Release date : October 24th, 2014
- Run time : 1 hour, 41 minutes
- Rating: R
John Wick is a retired assassin who was recovering from the death of his wife. Knowing he would be struggling, his wife left him a puppy so he wouldn't be alone. But after a run in with Iosef Tarasov, son of Russian Mob boss Viggo Tarasov, Wick is attacked by Iosef, who kills his dog and steals his car. Enraged by the death of his dog, the only remaining piece of his wife that he had, Wick comes out of retirement to avenge the death, taking the city of New York with him in his battle against the entire Tarasov Family.
Josh's notes: The death of Wick's dog is enough to make anyone take up arms, and Wick did this in a spectacular fashion throughout the movie. It is roughly an hour and a half of Wick v. The Russian Mafia, and it is spectacular. In addition to this, the movie explores the world that exists in New York, with the Continental hotel and all the mannerisms and amenities of your average New York assassin being in full view. The backstory is done well and pretty thouroughly in the first movie, setting up the universe for the following movies well. If you aren't a fan of blood and violence this movie might not be for you, but if you want to watch Keanu Reeves paint New York red with blood then this movie is a great pick for you.