Webtoon Spotlight

Respect spotlight #3: John wick

Big spoiler alert for the Jw franchise.

Okay, so unlike the other two previous respect spotlights, I decided to be way more expansive with my reviews. And I think there is no better way to let that action speaks for me then to focus on one of the most legendary action franchises of the last decade. That's right, folks; I'm going to be 'talking about the man the myth the boogeyman himself: the illustrious Mr. Wick from one to 3.

Overview

Based partially on a true story and the result of a decade long passion project by stuntman/ directors Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad, John wick is the story of the world's deadliest hitman being forced out of retirement when the most precious thing in the world as been taken from him, his doggo. And pretty much ever since John has been engaged in cinema's bloodiest retirement party with so far hundreds of people joining him already.

How I got in

A couple of months back, I got wind of the franchise when Parabellum got its trailer, and after seeing it along with a couple of clips, I saw passing by I decided to induct myself and my friend in the franchise. I watched the first two around April, read the comic in early May, and after Parabellum became a lifelong fan of our resident dog lover.

Good stuff

Okay, so despite everything about these movies to be good, I'll try to be specific without talking for 8 hours. And I think this is the best way to put it; the John wick movies are the modern-day Samurai Jack. I know that seems freaking weird to say, but it's true. Both properties are franchises that are almost unapologetically "simple" stories, but what makes them so groundbreaking and influential while still relevant today is the beauty in their simplicity. The properties realize that the most impressive thing doesn't have to be the biggest explosion. They fully take advantage of their concept, seemingly throwing downright everything they could think of on-screen. They also manage to take seemingly one-dimensional characters and making them into something profound. That's why it's important to note when something is stupid stupid and fun stupid. There is a reason why every movie at this point is a meme factory with its cruel sense of humor.

But despite that, easily one of the best things in this movie has to be the gunplay. In my personal opinion, one of the hardest things you can do in an action movie is to make shootouts look cool. At their worst, they can be a plot armored filled, poorly edited mess with very little dynamic to them. So not only is it a blessing to be so good in your gun kata to the point where it's the main center of action in your movie but also to do it the point where real-life trained gunman is praising you for your work, and you know you are a master of your craft. And keep in mind 50 year old Keanu can do most of the stunts you see on screen with many talking at length about his dedication(though seriously this has been an excellent year for him), which makes all the action clear cut. This team does seem to only get better with age, and I hope this carries over to the next movie.

Another important fact to mention is that even with all the over the top action and straight-up brutality is how realistic it all is. And that, of course, comes in the form of John's fighting style. Of course, the man is going to focus on gun kata; he lives in a world of assassins and mobsters. Of course, John isn't going to be some unavoidable, invincible warrior; he just knows how to take a hit in the best way possible. His usage of submissions tactics and his vast resources also only proves why he is the feared man that he is today. But now that that is out of the way, it's time to talk about the series itself.

John wick

Holy shit, was this a great running start to this franchise. All memes aside give major props to the late Micheal Nyqvist (Viggo). The guy was capable of portraying anger, fear, pity, and regret in one of the most chilling (and funniest) introductions in cinema if there is one thing that this movie did well laid the groundwork in, not only the world of wick but Baba Yaga himself. John, while constantly trying to fight it, is pretty much everything that Viggo has described him to be. He's focused, committed, and a man of sheer will, he stops at nothing to achieve his goal and is very much just as unstoppable as he's portrayed despite being past his prime. Even with that, Wick is also very professional and straight to the point as he can be very merciful to his enemies when he wants to be.

Though I think that one of the things I like most about Wick is that he knows that he is very much just as bad if not worse than the people he kills, he knows that the blessings he did have were a gift and that he didn't deserve it. If there is one real theme this movie and this franchise displays, it is one of identity. If I had to choose which scene was the best one, it would hand down have to be the club. The way John murders all of Viggo's goons without a hint of satisfaction over the dream, like think by Kaledia, creates a very stylized effect. Combine that with John's precise shooting in the crowd and the shot with Iosef walking in the crowd with John just seconds behind is a joy to watch. Overall, hands down the most solid of the 3.

Chapter 2

If John wick 1 is a mere glance at the world of the wick, chapter 2 is a full-on deep dive. This world of wick has gone from regular mafia drama to a true underworld with seemingly endless possibilities and unknown stories to unfold. New York, in particular, has turned into a highly stylized blend of "cleaners" homeless mercs, ninjas, and even weird tribes, and because of all the built-up from the last movie, the scale and weirdness feel natural, like a comic book. While yes, on the surface level, you could see this as a simple action movie, it still manages to give a lot to think about.

If there are two things that this movie did to flesh out John's character, it was in his resolve and his resourcefulness. He was willing to die along with his identity as a loving husband and dog owner and only succumbed to Baba Yaga when he has absolutely no other option. Like Winston said, John came back for love, but in this movie, he is utterly livid at Santino for taking away the life that he had worked so hard to attain. And on the resourcefulness part, this movie does prove how he manages to survive in a game where most die young. Keep in mind with no aid from Santino, he managed to plan out his assassination on Gianna, predicted the eventual double-cross, and finally sought haven in the form of the Bowery King. Of course, this also carries into his fighting style in which the kills really do draw you in (wink wink).

The best scene for me has to be the catacombs shootout hands down takes the cake. It  shows just how intricate and phenomenal the gunplay is. Keanu truly is a diamond in the rough as he somehow can balance both CQC and numerous firearms with pure finesse. And while I know, everyone hates Iosef Santino is just as much if not bigger a-hole. He destroys John's house, gives him no help in killing his sister, double-crossed him, and on top of all that, puts a bounty to clean for his action, all with a profound smugness that makes you want to punch him. Overall great movie with a great ending that genuinely shows the repeating theme of consequences.

Chapter 3 Parabellum

Damn, I don't know if it was because I saw this in theaters, but this was the most fun movie to watch. The already insane action got an even bigger bump in both creativity and frequency with people getting slaughtered by Books, dogs, and horses galore. And with the built-up of the previous movie, it does feel as though the world itself corners wick. However, while I do love this movie, it's easily the shakiest out of the 3. And I think that comes in the form of the whole Casablanca scene. While Sofia's action scene might be the best shootout in the series, the trailers had me feeling she was going to play a much more significant role on the series, and then she leaves, okay then.

And while I do love the idea of having John finally be fed up with him changing who he is, I don't like how literally everything he went through in Casa Blanca is undone with just a few lines from Winston. I like what they were trying to do, but it was just way too fast. Either way, this certainly did continue the themes of consequences and identity from the last movie, so I'm glad about that. Plus, Zero was just a blast to watch. Unfortunately, until this movie comes out on DVD with all the clips, I will not say my fav fight scene though I doubt I would even have a fav with all these phenomenal fights.

Chapter 4 Ballerina

Should have been called World War Wick but that's just me, either way, I'm hyped.

Fav Movie?

I know it's cliche, but I don't have a fav movie in these movies. Each one does something better than the rest. One had the best story and villain; two had the best worldbuilding with three basically had the best action. Either way, I'm excited to see where this franchise is heading, and I can't wait to let the bodies hit the floor. But in the meantime let's see where the spotlight shoots next.