JOHN WICK

In honor of Charles Bronson's birthday, I will review the Keanu Reaves (who I think did a credible job as a retired hitman forced back into service on a personal mission of revenge)vehicle, John Wick, which though a violent killfest, was slick and fast paced, and pretty darn enjoyable. Sure, bodies are blown to bits, and there are plenty of UFC-style tussles, and character development loses out to action. Still, I can easily see this character returning. Michael Nyqvist was excellent as the Russian mob boss. I really didn't love Alfie Allen in his role, probably because he sounded too British to me, and his character was a punk. I have always enjoyed Willem Dafoe, and he does not disappoint; likewise, John Leguizamo is good in a small cameo. Really, there were some powerful actors. I like Dean Winters, but he seemed a tad miscast in his role; I would have liked better had the guy who really challenged Wick had done this part. It seems like Lance Reddick gets typecast in similar roles, but he is so unique, and I have much liked his performances. I was certain that David Patrick Kelly, of The Warriors fame, played the "Cleaner", but I had to check, and I was right. I must applaud the many stunt guys, as I really thought many of them were wonderful in their short appearances. I was fascinated by the hotel safe grounds, and the use of the coins. Overall, I thought this was pretty darn entertaining, and can easily see several avenues for possibly expanding this into a franchise.