MOVIE REVIEWS: JOHN WICK

It does seem that a lot of movies have been made about retired hitmen who, driven by revenge, have returned to their former profession. Add John Wick to the list. But lack-of-originality has not weighed heavily in the grading scheme of most critics. As Jeannette Catsoulis notes in the New York Times: "Harboring few ambitions beyond knock-your-socks-off action sequences, this crafty revenge thriller delivers with so much style ­ and even some wit ­ that the lack of substance takes longer than it should to become problematic." Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News also forgives the tired premise. "Plot is not the movie’s strong suit," he remarks. "But stylish set pieces are." Robert Abele in the Los Angeles Times suggests that the filmmakers have succeeded in producing a "B movie made with A-student love for the relentless thrill of bodies in brutal motion." But Claudia Puig in USA Today is not impressed. "John Wick adds little to the revenge thriller genre, save for a few stylish shots. The first couple times we see a clever camera angle it’s mildly impressive. When the same shot is repeated monotonously throughout the film it’s one of many irritating aspects of this stupefyingly violent film," she writes.