The brutal death of his wife has left a huge hole in the life of John Wick, who is now lost in a big house with only a vintage 1969 Ford Mustang to console him. One morning, he receives a package sent by his wife before her death: a dog named Daisy, who is meant to reawaken his will to live. But as he begins his life as a widower, he crosses paths with Iosef Tarasof, a sadistic hood who steals Wick’s car and beats the dog before killing it savagely. What Tarasof doesn’t know is that John Wick is not just any man, he’s a cold hit man in retirement who built his reputation under Tarasof’s father, the very respected Viggo Tarasov. And so Wick comes out of retirement to eke revenge, no matter what the cost.

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The return of Keanu Reeves is somewhat of a curiosity. In the wake of a succession of flops like 47 Ronin and Man of Tai Chi, his directorial debut, the emblematic actor of the 2000’s fell from view, replaced by a new generation of virile stars. John Wick, the first movie by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, who specialize in blockbuster stunts, seem to be trying to revive Reeves’ career. With a super-basic formula, a hero capable of carrying a franchise and elegant direction, this very bloody revenge flick wastes no subtlety in satisfying its target audience – which got its last dose of numbskull action from the cinematic identical twin Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington. In the midst of a series of way-over-the-top special effects, John Wick delves into a world of secret assassins protected by the police who are all holed up in a luxury hotel with very strict rules – without a doubt one of the more entertaining ideas of this movie.