In four films, we discover a world of assassins everywhere, lurking and hunting for contracted kills. And we saw John Wick (Keanu Reeves) rise from retirement to eliminate a great many bad guys indeed.
Just don't expect a John Wick copycat movie. I applaud Bob Odenkirk for stepping outside his comfort zone in "Nobody," and I appreciate Netflix's "Gun Power Milkshake," although it's not as good as one might expect. While there are some films with adorable dogs, this is a list of films that hold their own.
The special skills of those who live around you are unknowable, which is part of the message from Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle." But unlike the shiny, polished streets of "John Wick," the action film takes place in Pig Sty Alley, which is so filthy that even the Bowery King needs a shower after he leaves.
Terrorizing the "alley," the Axe gang, like Yosef Tarasov, quickly learns that they have chosen the wrong fight. As serious as the above may sound, "Kung Fu Hustle" is as much an action film as it is a comedy, thanks to Chow's sensibility.
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John Wick is, according to some doubters, a better film than it deserves to be, given its thin storyline. In this respect, "Bullet Train" is very similar, but for the opposite reason: it's chock-full of plot.
An assassin (Brad Pitt), code-named "Ladybug," is desperately trying to complete his current mission, which is to rip a valuable briefcase from a passenger on a bullet train that is speeding across Japan. Unfortunately, the luggage belongs to two British brothers, code-named "Lemon" (Brian Tyree Henry) and "Tangerine" (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).
Also on board are other hit men pursuing various contracts and Wolf (Bud Bunny), who wants revenge on the ladybugs.
"Bullet Train" is a very well put together answer to the question, "What if John Wick were slapstick?"
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Hitman. Check. Revenge. Check. Epic fight scenes. Check. Style to spare. You'd think Quentin Tarantino's East meets West film would be full of flair.
But instead of mourning his late wife and dead dog, the bride (Uma Thurman) wants the blood of Bill (David Carradine), who once led the elite unit she was in. Until, of course, she is left for dead on her wedding day (hence her sobriquet).
If you like kung fu, gunfights, and fast-talking dialogue, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is a masterpiece. The fact that it is Tarantino's fourth film makes it all the more memorable.
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If you like the dignity bestowed upon guests of the Continental Hotel, you might want to check out the "Kingsman" series. Eggsy (Taron Egerton), who, despite his talents, is on the verge of falling away from life, is recruited by a secret society. They operate out of a tailor shop in London's famous Savile Row.
Praised for its style and twist on a classic cliché, "Kingsman" is for John Wick fans who also enjoy the James Bond films there.
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Mathilde (Natalie Portman) didn't know how much she needed a hit man around until a corrupt DEA agent (Gary Oldman) puts an end to her battered father. Then, unlike the average person in the movie "John Wick," she learns that her neighbor Leon (Jean Reno) is a hired assassin and demands that he teach her the skills she needs for her own safety and revenge.
What makes The Professionals so successful is the contrast. Oldman is unhinged and manic, while Leno is mild-mannered and reserved. On the other hand, there is a growing anger inside the desperate and demanding Portman.
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This is a comedic take on the John Wick concept, with a great deal of group dynamics and fish-out-of-water madness. Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) find their weekly game night thrown into chaos after a guest is kidnapped and the two are forced to investigate the dirty underbelly of a criminal hiding in plain sight.
Recommended for those who want laughs along with their action, "Game Night" is one of those movies where the shadows of the criminals are hidden. While Max and Annie fight battle after battle and hunt down the criminals known as the Bulgarians, you will begin to think, "They need John Wick's help."
Oh, and there will be some very cute dogs.
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I admit that Atomic Blonde is often compared to John Wick. The comparison makes sense outside of the plot, as director David Leitch is not credited as a co-director of John Wick 1.
Aside from that, "Atomic Blonde" is a unique film about the life of a spy in the days before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Charlize Theron replaces John Wick as Lorraine Broughton, an astute MI6 agent who tracks down a list of agents on both sides of the war front.
Praised for its style, violence, and charm, "Atomic Blonde" is definitely a film that fans of Mr. Wick and Cold War stories should check out.
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Like John Wick, Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) is semi-retired, but when something is taken from him, he is drawn back to killing more people. In this case, it is not a dog, but his daughter (Maggie Grace), and Neeson shoots up Paris in an attempt to find her.
Part of the success of "Taken" lies in the fact that Neeson is so unassuming that it is hard to believe that he is a former Special Forces officer, and that he can easily dispatch assassins and kidnappers. And the 90-minute "Taken" is a very tense action film that moves at a brisk pace. It was so popular that two sequels were made, but the original is still the best. - Mike Prospero
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Why not see the movie that the star of "John Wick" is named after? This time, in their first movie together, protagonists Clarence (Keegan-Michael Key) and Lel (Jordan Poole) are drawn into the criminal underworld by the kidnapping of their cat, the hero Keanu.
In order to get their cat back, these ordinary middle-aged suburbanites must confront drug dealers and gangsters of all kinds. The film starts out as a rather farcical comedy, but gets darker and darker as it progresses. The kittens are really cute, however.
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