Though he no longer has a taste for wet work, retired assassin and "Boogeyman" John Wick has suffered a personal tragedy that's left a huge void in his life. When he and his dog (really the last meaningful thing he has left) fall victim to a scummy group of Russian mobsters, he emerges from his shell with vengeance on his mind. Slow and ambiguous at first, but reveals more as it goes along, and once it kicks into gear it rarely lets up with plenty of stylized, visceral action scenes, an impressive arsenal of weaponry, plus sly direction and editing that give it the feel of a violent music video at times. Preposterously fun to watch, it just doesn't have much of a story at its disposal, not to mention all the over-the-top bloodletting and mayhem eventually becomes redundant. Savvy, indestructible Reeves looks right at home, and delivers many of his lines with a sardonic wit. **½
