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When a retired hit man is forced back into action by a brutal Russian mobster, he hunts down his adversaries with the ruthlessness that made him a
crime underworld legend. After the sudden death of his beloved wife, John Wick
receives one last gift from her, a beagle puppy named Daisy and a note imploring
him not to forget how to love. But John's mourning is interrupted when his 1969
Boss Mustang catches the eye of sadistic thug Iosef Tarasov. When John refuses
to sell the car, Iosef and his henchmen break into his house and steal it,
beating John unconscious and leaving Daisy dead. Unwittingly, they have just
reawakened one of the most brutal assassins the underworld has ever seen.
John’s search for his stolen vehicle takes him to a side of New York City that
tourists never see, a hyper- real, super-secret criminal community, where John
Wick was once the baddest guy of all. After learning that his attacker is the
only son of a former associate, vicious Russian crime boss Viggo Tarasov, John
turns his attention to vengeance. As word spreads that the legendary hit man is
after his son, Viggo offers a generous bounty to anyone who can bring John down.
With a veritable army on his trail, John once again becomes the remorseless
killing machine the underworld once feared, launching a pitched battle against
Viggo and his soldiers that could mean the end of them both. |
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"The coolest thing about it really is the violence. Whether
Wick is taking out people at a thudding nightclub, a rain-drenched dock, or a
neon-lit bathhouse, everything is presented with a crispness lacking from most
lazily cut shaky-cam action movies these days. And there's the refreshing,
oddball sense of humor, down to the world-building and Nyqvist's
engagingly big performance." ...David Sims, The Atlantic
"Nyqvist, the star of the Swedish Girl With the
Dragon Tattoo trilogy, brings a little twinkle to the otherwise stock
Russian villain, and Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, and Ian McShane are fun
condiments on the underworld smorgasbord." ...Robert
Horton, Seattle Weekly
"The dialogue is stripped-back and thrifty, with the high-calibre
cast left to imbue it with humour, menace, whatever - a simple 'Oh' from the
fabulous Nyqvist, for example, is one of the funniest moments." ...Emma
Simmonds, The Arts Desk
"The supporting acts each react to Wick’s presence in
various, often ambiguous ways, all superbly cast, from Nyqvist as a
satisfying caricature, old-school Soviet gangster, Viggo Tarasov, Willem Dafoe
as fellow contract killer, Marcus, and Ian McShane as Winston, the shady but
wise resident ‘godfather’ at The Continental. Alfie Allen offers the biggest
surprise, as the cocky, sadistic Iosef (Tarasov Junior), almost unrecognisable
in the part." ...Lisa Giles-Keddie, Heyuguys.com
"John Wick, the retired hit man Reeves is playing, is well-named. He is dormant
dynamite, keeping well away from naked flames, and has been ever since a deal
with Russian mob boss Viggo (Michael Nyqvist, beautifully bitter) allowed
him to step back from the killing game." ...Tim Robey, The Telegraph
"As the Russian mob boss Viggo, Nyqvist plays a gangster that knows he’s
going up against unspeakable odds when challenging John Wick. The closer we get
to the end of the film, the more unhinged Viggo becomes. It’s such a wonderfully
disarming performance that you’re almost disappointed by the inevitable
conclusion." ...Brian Walton, Nerdist.com
"Nyqvist gets as much screen time - and way more
dialogue - than Reeves, and he's excellent." ...C.J. Johnson, ABC radio,
Australia
"Reeves is well cast as the implacable, unstoppable John Wicks, and Nyqvist
is outstanding as the wily Viggo. There are some nice darkly comic moments
(trust me about that 'Oh,' and a later reprise), but this is all about the
stunts, and as pure adrenaline action fodder, this movie delivers the goods."
...Nell Minow, Beliefnet.com
"A hot tub gunfight echoes Viggo Mortensen’s steam room fight in Eastern
Promises, but Reeves is about half the tough guy of Mortensen. Swede
Michael Nyqvist is great as elder Russian mob boss Viggo (a nod to Viggo in
Promises?), producing the best performance in the movie. Perhaps it is
because Nyqvist is graced with a better part (the bad guys always get the best
parts) or perhaps it is because he simply refuses to play the part straight,
instead bringing a sardonic, dark humor to bear on his dual roles of heartless
mob boss and frustrated father." ...Ron Wilkinson, Monsters & Critics
"Stealing the movie, however, is Nyqvist. I wouldn't call him 'chilling,'
except in the sense that all Russians in the Age of Putin apparently are, but he
brings a mordant sense of humor to a role that could easily have been a stock
Big Bad." ...Pete Vonder Haar, Houston Press
"The supporting cast is nicely eclectic, with Michael Nyqvist providing a
villain who is more urbane that the usual frothing-at-the-mouth bad guy and
Adrianne Palicki adding a little black widow sex appeal." ...James
Berardinelli, Reel Views
"Nyqvist is terrific as Viggo, resigned once his hand's been forced." ...Laura
Clifford, Reeling Reviews
"The only actor with room to breath is Michael Nyqvist, star of the
original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo films, who shines as the vicious
but believably human mob boss who grows increasingly, hilariously incredulous at
Wick’s refusal to die. More than any other actor in the film, he seems to have
grasped the vibe of the film, which is just ridiculous enough for its own good."
...Stephen Danay, Under the Radar
"Along the way to the inevitable showdown—or series of showdowns, actually—other
colorful characters appear. The most notable, after Viggo, played suavely by
Nyqvist, with an undercurrent of menace just below the surface—is Marcus
(the ever-reliable Willem Dafoe), a sharpshooting old colleague of John’s whose
motives in the ensuing mayhem remain mysterious for a while." ...Frank
Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
"Unfortunately, Adrianne Palicki fails to make much of an impression as a
beautiful assassin who becomes a somewhat forgettable femme fatale, and Alfie
Allen’s accent is all over the place as the Russian kid who causes all the
trouble in the first place. Far better is Michael Nyqvist as his father.
The Swedish actor made his name as the star of the original Girl With the
Dragon Tattoo flicks, and here he delivers a hilariously deadpan performance
and steals pretty much every scene that he’s in, most notably when he delivers
what may well be the greatest ‘Oh’ in movie history." ...Chris Tilly, IGN.com
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