# John Wick - Blu-ray Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=37161[/img] 
*Title: John Wick* 

*Movie:* :5stars:
*Video:* :5stars:
*Audio:* :5stars: 
*Extras:* :4stars: 

*HTS Overall Score:*98




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=37169[/img]*Summary*
One of the things that you learn early on in life is, never mess with a man’s dog. I don’t care whether it’s the jerk down the street, the cute yapping poodle that the little old lady owns, a space dog (think “Riddick), etc. You just don’t cross that line. There’s a reason a dog is considered “man’s best friend”, and the villains in “John Wick” are going to find out just exactly why in this revenge actioneer that drips awesome and bleeds cool. I saw the trailer for “John Wick” and was mildly intrigued, being that Keanu Reeves hasn’t been doing a whole lot of great films lately, but after watching the movie theatrically I fell in love once more. “John Wick” is vicious, brutal, amazingly cool and dripping with that sadistic level of 90’s cool that made the late 90s so much fun in the action department.

Meet John Wick (Keanu Reeves). He’s just had his life turned upside down as his wife of 5 years has just passed away due to cancer. Her final gift to him is a little puppy named Daisy. This dog was meant to be a comfort for him in the days of grieving ahead, but fate has something different in mind. Beaten within an inch of his life, robbed of his car by a mafia son whose greed knows no bounds, he awakes to find not only his house violated, his car stolen, but that precious gift of his wife’s lying dead beside him. For most people. This would be a heart wrenching experience, to a person who’s had his wife die a few days ago and then lose her final gift to him in that same week…..devastating, but to a career hit man who just had this happen to him…..yeah, it just got real. 

John was once the most revered hit man in his known circle. Not only was he the greatest, a legend at the job, but he was also the right hand man of the creep’s father who took his car. Set on revenge, caring nothing about what happens, John leaves a trail of bodies and blood that will make the river Nile look pale pink in comparison. Hacking and slashing his way through the minions, John stops at nothing to get his man. Even if it includes stepping on a few toes and maybe even shooting a few of those toes off in the process. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=37177[/img]“John Wick” is a pure revenge flick, much in the same vein as “The Equalizer” and “Taken”, but with that flair that only Keanu Reeves can pull off. The movie is downright brutal and dripping with the blood of a thousand minions, and still stays gleefully aware of its own cheese. I’m not saying that the movie goes into the crazy ridiculousness of sci-fi, but that it knows it’s cool, it’s bad and John Wick is the boogeyman himself. Or as Mob boss Vigo (Michael Nyqvist) says.,“John Wick is the man you send to KILL the boogeyman”. The action sequences are off the hook, with excellent choreography and lots of blood splatter to make you cheer and wince, all at the same time. There’s some awesome background characters, as we have cameos by Willem Dafoe, Daniel Berhnhardt (you may remember him from “The Matrix Reloaded”), Bridget Moynahan, John Leguizama, Ian McShane, and Lance Riddick (who seems to be EVERYWHERE since starring in “Fringe”). While there’s plenty of great talent to fill out the background, the foreground is jam packed with a VERY ticked off Keanu Reeves as he mows down more badguys than Liam Neeson did in all 3 “Taken” movies combined. Keanu’s martial arts background has been polished up again and the aging actor takes on the baddies with a style that hasn’t slowed down with his age. Michael Nyqvist plays the creepy (and rather terrified) mob boss exquisitely and the final battle just makes you grin with devilish glee as the villain gets his well-deserved punishment.

“John Wick” doesn’t try to be anything more than it is. It’s a revenge movie first and foremost, but it does it with so much fun, so much gusto, and so much brutal style, that you can’t help but love it. I know at this point you’ve got an eyebrow raised and are asking the question. “Ok Mike, how in blue blazes are you giving this a 5 star rating? The same rating something like “Schindler’s List”, “Godfather Part 2” and other classics have received”? My answer to that is very simple. It’s a 5 star movie in its genre. In the revenge flick genre, this one ranks up there with the greats like “Taken”, “Death Wish”, and the like. It is wonderfully self-aware of its own limitations and tongue in cheek action, but still has so much unadulterated fun as to make it irresistible, especially those of us who grew up in the 80’s and 90s and can related to those movies that don’t pull punches and rely on shaky cam to make an action sequence come to life. Keanu is back in top form, and this is one that very well may surprise people who have been watching for a spark of life from a very tired genre. 







*Rating:* 

R for Strong and Bloody Violence Throughout, Language and Brief Drug Use.




*Video* :5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=37185[/img]Lionsgate brings “John Wick” to Blu-ray with simply stunning results. The movie sports an ash grey and teal color grading that gives the movie a bleak and stylistic look. There’s some remnants of other colors, specifically yellows and reds in the club scene and some of the outdoor tones, but the majority of the time the image is covered in that ash and teal blanket. Detail is phenomenal, as close ups and long shots provide equally impressive results. The lines and creases in Ian McShane’s and Keanu Reeves faces show up impeccably and the individual lines and creases in the stylish suits is spot on perfect. The image sometimes shifts out of focus on the background to give razor sharp focus on the foremost person in context, but that is a very stylistic choice rather than a detriment of the image itself as the optics try and focus your attention on one specific piece of the frame. The movie is simply slathered in blacks, and except for a few daylight scenes near the beginning, and during John’s escape scene, the movie just resides in a constant inky well. Those black levels are incredibly well done and show no signs of crush or obscuring the shadow detail. Beautifully immaculate image. 










*Audio* :5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=37193[/img]These Atmos tracks are a treat, as you can tell that Lionsgate and Paramount pictures are really putting a lot of effort into these flagship releases of the new audio format. Being that I can’t decode ATMOS itself at the moment, most of us have to do with the paltry 7.1 TrueHD core that comes with the disc (sarcasm dripping on PALTRY). Some of the earlier discs with Atmos tend to be a bit bloated and HEAVY on the LFE, cooked a bit hot and just loud as all get out. Now don’t get me wrong, those over aggressive tracks are awesome to have fun with, but “John Wick” takes a surprisingly different route as it is an extremely tight and clean track. The LFE is there is spades, but its articulate and crisp, never once sounding overly filled with LFE, or trying to drown out the rest of the track. The dynamic range is huge, with whispers of Russian mob members tickling you ear one moment, only to have the walls shake as a car slams into another car at ear splitting levels. The surrounds are in constant use as the gunfire blazes all around (pretty much nonstop) and displays some amazing directional queues at times. That LFE that I mentioned really can shake the walls, making hand guns sound like cannons, but still keep that very tight and punchy feel that we love so much. 







*Extras* :4stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=37201[/img]
• “Don't F*#% With John Wick” featurette
• “Calling in the Cavalry” featurette
• “Destiny of a Collective” featurette
• “Assassin’s Code” featurette
• “Red Circle” featurette
• “NYC Noir” featurette
• Audio Commentary with Filmmakers Chad Stahelski and David Leitch










*Overall:* :5stars:

It’s stylish, it’s filled with blood, guns, knives, explosions and awesome one liners. It looks fantastic and sounds fantastic on Blu-ray disc and certainly has breathed life into a tired genre that was drastically in need of a face lift. Keanu Reeves is not a brilliant actor, but when he does what he does best, magic happens. There’s a certain boyish charm that he exudes, even in his old age, that is irresistible and the effort he puts into his films is second to none. I guess you could say, the moral of this story is….Don’t mess with a man’s dog. Must Watch. 


*Additional Information:*

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Willem Dafoe, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen
Directed By: Chad Stahelski
Written By: Derek Kolstad
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 AVC 
Audio: ENGLISH: Dolby Atmos (7.1 TrueHD core), Spanish DD 5.1, English 2.0 for night listening
Studio: Lionsgate
Rated: R
Runtime: 101 Minutes 
Blu-ray Release Date: February 3rd 2015 




*Buy John Wick On Blu-ray at Amazon*


*Recommendation: Must Watch​*








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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

13 days! I'm all in, sounds like the wife will not be liking this one!!! :hsd: :dontknow:


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

I recall you gushing about this one in the Equalizer review thread, Mike. I am glad to see that the technical presentation is up to snuff, as well! I will most definitely be checking this one out when it comes out!


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

I preordered mine.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Jon Liu said:


> I recall you gushing about this one in the Equalizer review thread, Mike. I am glad to see that the technical presentation is up to snuff, as well! I will most definitely be checking this one out when it comes out!


if you like "The Equalizer", you'll like this one. It's a load of fun (as you can probably tell from the review)


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## Savjac (Apr 17, 2008)

LOVE IT, everything Mike describes and more.
For ONCE John Wick does what sooo many heroes in the past have failed to do, when he shoots the bad guys, he shoots them again to make sure they are dead. I hate it when they try to discuss things and the bad guy gets away, that is the worst. When Wick puts someone down they stay down, for good but i cannot give away how he does it. 

Was this movie over the top ?? Yes absolutely and that is what makes it fun.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

> don't believe no


Hey, just noticed the double negative. Did you do that on purpose or is it a real quote? Either way, prefect!


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

Day one BD purchase for sure. Can't wait


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Oh yeah...coming out tomorrow! I know what will be happening at my house. I think the wife is starting to come around. She watched the Equalizer & loved it! We'll see if she can stand it.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Tonto said:


> Oh yeah...coming out tomorrow! I know what will be happening at my house. I think the wife is starting to come around. She watched the Equalizer & loved it! We'll see if she can stand it.


:T:


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

I'm watchin' this one tonight! I'm excited! Mike, your recommendations have not steered me wrong yet, so I am really looking forward to this one!


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

This is also in tonight's order of business for our household. Really looking forward to it!


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

and a little behind the scenes fun thanks to our friends over at Lionsgate


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Wow! What a ride that was! You talk about action packed non stop full on adrenaline in a movie. That was great fun and some very impressive audio. A worthy addition into my BluRay collection.


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

OK guys, movie is loaded and the wife is camped on the couch! I guess we will know shortly if she is developing a taste for the "action." I'm expecting my PB13-U to be up to the task!!!


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

Watched it last night. Enjoyed it allot but had some audio dropouts early in the movie. Not sure what caused it. It occured in the cemetary scene. Must be the BD. I will return for an exchange


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Dwight Angus said:


> Watched it last night. Enjoyed it allot but had some audio dropouts early in the movie. Not sure what caused it. It occured in the cemetary scene. Must be the BD. I will return for an exchange


I'd actually suspect it has to do with your receiver and the 7.1 TrueHD core... it's a common issue with the 7.1 trueHD tracks... try switching from having your player decode to sending out PCM ... that most likely will fix it since all the other ones you'd exchange it for would have the same issue. people on other forums have been reporting that issue as well.


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## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

Dolby TrueHD 7.1 has generally had that problem from inception... A number of Disney movies that use TrueHD 7.1 have audio dropouts, like Monster's, Inc and Monster's University.

That being said, I watched this last night and had a blast with it! I have to say though, I'm a little critical of the beginning. Keanu comes off a little too "Keanu" (blank, rigid, and stiff) for me. I also would've liked to have seen more of Bridget Moynahan. But, that's just me trying to find something critical to say. On the other hand, the rigidness then lent well to his snappiness when shifting fire between his foes. Overall, the rest of the Hour and twenty to thirty minutes of the movie really was a fun ride to take! I absolutely loved the shootout sequences! Definitely, definitely worth the watch.

And poor Alfie Allen... I'm reminded of his character in Game of Thrones. Poor Alfie Allen...


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

I watched it last night too... Is it normal for all the scenes in the first half to be jumping to the present and past? It didn't seem to make sense for the first half. I just want to make sure my DVD player is not going bad.

tia,
Ron


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

Thnx Mike. Once I changed the player from bitstream to LPCM problem solved. Cheers!


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

Well, I don't know...the movie fell a bit short for me. The action was good & certianly plenty of it. I think it was in need of a bit more character developement. But as strickly a "revenge flick" is was worthy of a watch. Not on par with "The equalizer" by any means.


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## Dwight Angus (Dec 17, 2007)

I watched it again & I agree Equalizer was a better movie. Should have invested more time developing his relationship with his wife/girlfriend to make the killings more believable.
Just my 2 cents.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Tonto said:


> Well, I don't know...the movie fell a bit short for me. The action was good & certianly plenty of it. I think it was in need of a bit more caracter developement. But as strickly a "revenge flick" is was worthy of a watch. Not on par with "The equalizer" by any means.





Dwight Angus said:


> I watched it again & I agree Equalizer was a better movie. Should have invested more time developing his relationship with his wife/girlfriend to make the killings more believable.
> Just my 2 cents.


probably comes from different expectations from revenge flicks... I tend to view revenge flicks like those old Jackie Chan movies.... no one watched a Jackie chan movie for the plot,... we slogged through the character bits impatiently till we could get to the next fight scene. Me personally I LOOOOOOOOOVED that they cut out all those bits and got right down to nonstop blood and mayhem. which is why I consider it one of best revenge/action flicks of the year. someone looking for lots of character development is going to be sorely disappointed because they didn't even even make an attempt in that department


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## JBrax (Oct 13, 2011)

Pretty hard to say either movie is better than the other. They were both excellent and non stop action.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

JBrax said:


> Pretty hard to say either movie is better than the other. They were both excellent and non stop action.


that drill scene in "The Equalizer" still makes me go :yikes:


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## Tonto (Jun 30, 2007)

I think for me, the Equalizer will be a go to movie for a long time. It had everything, and that stone, cold, killer face...man he nailed that perfectly! Not that JW was bad, it was fun to watch & I would watch it again. Just not in the same league with Denzel.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Tonto said:


> I think for me, the Equalizer will be a go to movie for a long time. It had everything, and that stone, cold, killer face...man he nailed that perfectly! Not that JW was bad, it was fun to watch & I would watch it again. Just not in the same league with Denzel.


I don't you can go wrong there either. The Equalizer was an awesome movie


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## ureka (Oct 22, 2014)

I liked both movies but if I had to select one, it would be The Equalizer.


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