Moderator Karlos Posted September 13, 2014 Moderator Share Posted September 13, 2014 I had to share this - goes from "huh?" to "holy shit" in record time: PAvug-z7lqM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted September 13, 2014 Member Share Posted September 13, 2014 I agree. Looks like a solid flick. The guy who directed it is a Chad Stahelski, better known as an action director/stuntman for titles such as Safe and Killer Elite; he’s also choreographed martial arts scenes for Man of Tai Chi and Ninja Assassin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ToryK Posted September 14, 2014 Member Share Posted September 14, 2014 I agree. Looks like a solid flick. The guy who directed it is a Chad Stahelski, better known as an action director/stuntman for titles such as Safe and Killer Elite; he’s also choreographed martial arts scenes for Man of Tai Chi and Ninja Assassin. We're probably in good hands, then. Safe is definitely one of the better action movies to come out in the last decade or so, Killer Elite looked pretty good from what I've seen of the trailers, and Man of Tai Chi had some nice action sprinkled throughout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted September 14, 2014 Member Share Posted September 14, 2014 That looks pretty good. I'm kind of anticipating this now. It does exactly as you say, Karlos. Good find!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member AlbertV Posted September 15, 2014 Member Share Posted September 15, 2014 Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, the founders of the 87Eleven Stunt Team, directed this film and their stunt team includes the likes of favorites J.J. Perry and Larnell Stovall. Chad was Keanu Reeves' stunt double on THE MATRIX trilogy and was Brandon Lee's body double for THE CROW. Chad, sporting long hair, can be seen as the fighter "Max Omega" in BLOODSPORT III, which also included J.J. Perry as a fighter. Back to JOHN WICK, I think Keanu has finally found his niche. This movie looks quite good and the trio is going to work on the RAIN series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ToryK Posted September 15, 2014 Member Share Posted September 15, 2014 Okay, so, um...I hadn't actually watched the trailer when I made that post. Now I have, and, uh...it looks fucking awesome. Safe was a damn fine action movie. Great choreography and it knew exactly what it was, and it excelled at it. This looks like Safe x 10. And, I swear to God, you guys, Keanu's giving me some serious Chow Yun-fat vibes here. Like, he could be the coolest cat to handle a pistol since Hard Boiled came out. Who'da thunk it? Seriously, he looks smooth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted October 4, 2014 Moderator Share Posted October 4, 2014 Second trailer is out - 50CgGjDD1r0 Along with a review from the guys over at Twitch - http://twitchfilm.com/2014/09/fantastic-fest-2014-john-wick-quickly-runs-out-of-body-bags.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Keung Posted October 4, 2014 Member Share Posted October 4, 2014 Looks fucking badass. I'm in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted October 5, 2014 Member Share Posted October 5, 2014 Looks fucking badass. I'm in. Reminds me of Man From nowhere, instead of little girl, it's a dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted October 6, 2014 Member Share Posted October 6, 2014 Reminds me of Man From nowhere, instead of little girl, it's a dog. Standard revenge plot device -- kill/maim/kidnap/rape friend/wife/loved one/loved animal results in turn. There has to be the impetus for the "turn" (a revenge macguffin?) But still, looking forward to this one. I hope I see some doves in that church scene. That first trailer looks pretty awesome in the theater (seen it twice now.) I think I've wanted to see that movie more than the two I did see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted October 23, 2014 Member Share Posted October 23, 2014 Saw this last night. It was... eh.... ok, I guess: Here's my review if you're interested: http://www.cityonfire.com/john-wick-2014-review/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Secret Executioner Posted October 23, 2014 Member Share Posted October 23, 2014 Standard revenge plot device -- kill/maim/kidnap/rape friend/wife/loved one/loved animal results in turn. There has to be the impetus for the "turn" (a revenge macguffin?) Am I the only one twisted enough to wonder which of these "revenge films" had a pet/loved animal raped in it ? (cause humans raped, tortured, severly injured or killed in those films are so usual - I can't think of a single "revenge film" involving an animal actually) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member ShaOW!linDude Posted October 23, 2014 Member Share Posted October 23, 2014 - I can't think of a single "revenge film" involving an animal actually Lone Wolf McQuade --- When Chuck Norris' dog was killed, that seemed to be the final straw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member massa_yoda Posted October 25, 2014 Member Share Posted October 25, 2014 Saw this film yesterday and it definitely has its pluses and minuses. The big plus of course is the excellently staged and executed action scenes. I believe mpm74 made a comparison to Equilibrium's gun kata and I think that's accurate(but better and more brutal). There needs to be more action movies like this being made. Kudos to all the work put in by the actors and filmmakers to pull off these great action scenes. The minuses, as mpm mentioned also, is the lack of a good opponent. I don't know why Michael Nyqvist thinks he can be an action star. First he squared off with Tom Cruise in MI Ghost Protocol and now he gets the final fight with John Wick. Just stop. You're a great actor, but the action scenes do not convince, sorry. Another minus, for me, is the motivation for Wick to "be back" is hard to watch. It's filmed respectfully, of course, but I still had a hard time with it, just thinking about it. It detracts from the replay value for me. If we are to compare small budget action films, I'd probably rank Safe a little higher than this as an overall satisfying experience, but John Wick has some solid action that must be seen. Personally, I'd say check this film out in the theater, because these movies need support. Maybe wait for the cheap seats if you're on the fence. For action, you get your money's worth either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted October 25, 2014 Member Share Posted October 25, 2014 Saw this last night. It was... eh.... ok, I guess: Here's my review if you're interested: http://www.cityonfire.com/john-wick-2014-review/ Man, if you thought this was just mediocre, I can't imagine how I would feel. Oh well, I'll still go see this and it does have a very high score on rottentomatoes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted October 25, 2014 Member Share Posted October 25, 2014 Man, if you thought this was just mediocre, I can't imagine how I would feel. Oh well, I'll still go see this and it does have a very high score on rottentomatoes. You might like it more than I did. We've just seen better movies of this kind (Man from Nowhere, etc). See it, just don't expect much but a little fun. Curious to see what you think! If we are to compare small budget action films, I'd probably rank Safe a little higher than this as an overall satisfying experience, but John Wick has some solid action that must be seen. Personally, I'd say check this film out in the theater, because these movies need support. Maybe wait for the cheap seats if you're on the fence. For action, you get your money's worth either way. I have to admit, the movie opened extremely good: perfect set up for an action flick. But once he's off for revenge, that's when it kinda goes downhill. Again, the action scenes were fun, it was paced pretty good, but something was bogging the film down as a whole. I feel like Safe is the movie that should have been the movie people are raving about, not this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted October 25, 2014 Member Share Posted October 25, 2014 Its funny that everyone else gave this film raving reviews but on a kung fu forum its getting so-so ones. And in regards to Safe, I thought it was Jason's best recent movie other than Expendables 1 and 2. The action scenes were all spectacular for an american action movie. The only thing that threw me off was the "final battle." It was ballsy so they get credit but it could have been pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted October 25, 2014 Member Share Posted October 25, 2014 Its funny that everyone else gave this film raving reviews but on a kung fu forum its getting so-so ones. And in regards to Safe, I thought it was Jason's best recent movie other than Expendables 1 and 2. The action scenes were all spectacular for an american action movie. The only thing that threw me off was the "final battle." It was ballsy so they get credit but it could have been pretty cool. On SAFE: Exactly. The "final battle" was disappointing and f--king perfect at the same time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted November 6, 2014 Member Share Posted November 6, 2014 “No man with a good car needs to be justified!” – Wise Blood John Wick (2014: David Leitch, Chad Stahelski) There seems to be Seijun Suzuki yakuza influences on this film (too bad there is no number one killer in this film) especially where it feels like the movie is really in its own hit-man hyper-reality. There is also a rather obvious Jean Pierre Melville reference with the Red Circle (English name for Le cercle rouge) club in the movie, but Melville’s languid and austere poetic temperament does not fit the hyper-stylized violence here though. In fact I found a few similarities between John Wick, here and the titular character Ghost Dog (played by Forest Whitaker) in the Jim Jarmusch film. They both live by a specific code, they are very efficient at what they do and it is easy to question their sanity.* Also Ghost Dog had several references to both Suzuki and Melville. John Wick is a badass. He may be slightly rusty, but only slightly and soon he will shake that off and become that avenging angel of animal abuse. He has been out of the hit-man game for a while. Long enough to have a wife, lose the wife and receive a puppy from wife (via mail) after her funeral. He has a pretty awesome ride whom one day a son of a Russian mob boss (Michael Nyqvist) wants to have. He wants it so bad that he breaks into Wick’s house, beats on Wick kills his dog and steals his car. This means death to anyone who tries to stop him from getting even. The amount of retribution that will be unleashed is insane. But then this character is described as not the Boogeyman, but the man who hire to take out the Boogeyman. He is a deadly combination of Paul Kersey and Jef Costello. The plotline is your standard revenge film with the impetus being the dog (and maybe a little of the car.) It takes place in New York, but a New York where there is a much bigger thriving business of paid assassins who seem to follow a code. Or at least they do at a particular hotel where you pay in gold coins and, for the most part, you are guaranteed safety and not inclined to discuss work. Since he is brought back to the game like Michael Corleone, he takes refuge there while simultaneously trying to find out the whereabouts of the kid who killed his dog. I was impressed by the fight scenes. While this is not as good as any of the heyday of Hong Kong action films, it is certainly better than the ADHD inspired fight scenes of Paul Greengrass and his queasy-cam influenced ilk. The fight choreography is inspired by MMA with an inordinate amount of Judo throws and some locks (of course leading to breaks.) It really helps that the directors Chad Stahelski (choreographer on The Matrix and stunt double for Keanu Reeves) and David Leitch have a background in stunts and martial arts. The longer takes and less jerky motion really makes a difference in showing off the action scenes. This also really helps the gun battles as well. It is nice to see some battles with a single pistol with good form. This is a solid release from the first time directors. I had a good time at the theater with this. I have actually liked that last three Keanu Reeves films with his directorial debut Man of Tai Chi and the vastly underrated and unfortunate flop 47 Ronin. While the storyline could be improved (you could probably have thought of a dozen ways that would have resulted in Wick’s death), some of the secondary characters could have been more elaborated on (especially William Dafoe though he was still cool), the ending was a bit too predicable, the action is some of the best I have seen in an American film in quite a while. I am looking forward to hopefully new work from the two directors. There are no scenes after the credits. * Roger Ebert’s review of Ghost Dog starts off with “It helps to understand that the hero of "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai" is crazy.” which I tend to think of from time to time with off kilter protagonists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted November 6, 2014 Member Share Posted November 6, 2014 Great review, man! I didn't like it as much as you did, but i did like it; and I think it's a marvelous debut for the filmmakers. I definitely will be looking out for their next picture! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator One Armed Boxer Posted November 6, 2014 Moderator Share Posted November 6, 2014 Great review, man! I didn't like it as much as you did, but i did like it; and I think it's a marvelous debut for the filmmakers. I definitely will be looking out for their next picture! Seconded, it sounds like this along with 'Safe' may make a great double bill! There are no scenes after the credits. Wow, have Hollywood movies become so predictable in their inclusion of after-credit sequences that it's now easier to point out when a movie DOESN'T have one of these!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member masterofoneinchpunch Posted November 7, 2014 Member Share Posted November 7, 2014 Seconded, it sounds like this along with 'Safe' may make a great double bill! Wow, have Hollywood movies become so predictable in their inclusion of after-credit sequences that it's now easier to point out when a movie DOESN'T have one of these!? Thanks (and you too mpm). I just like to point it out when I spend the extra time to check the end credits. Actually I'm more interested in knowing when there is extra credit sequences so I can see everything, but I also like to save time and skip on credits when I can. Some genres like drama tend to eschew the extra end credits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted November 7, 2014 Member Share Posted November 7, 2014 Thanks (and you too mpm). I just like to point it out when I spend the extra time to check the end credits. Actually I'm more interested in knowing when there is extra credit sequences so I can see everything, but I also like to save time and skip on credits when I can. Some genres like drama tend to eschew the extra end credits. I used to do this. But now I'm afraid Samuel L. Jackson will show up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Gwai LO Posted November 7, 2014 Member Share Posted November 7, 2014 Seconded, it sounds like this along with 'Safe' may make a great double bill! Wow, have Hollywood movies become so predictable in their inclusion of after-credit sequences that it's now easier to point out when a movie DOESN'T have one of these!? I've seen a few people mention this movie "safe" and it being awesome. What movie is that? I've never heard of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Karlos Posted November 7, 2014 Author Moderator Share Posted November 7, 2014 I've seen a few people mention this movie "safe" and it being awesome. What movie is that? I've never heard of it Mv2VZi5RD6c Perhaps The Stath's finest hour. The BD/DVD is super cheap now, too. Check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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