Wick-Centric World Building
John Wick utilizes elements like the hero's journey, a well-crafted villain, unique fight sequences, and world-building to create a compelling story. The morality of the film presents no middle ground, it's right vs. wrong.
The hero has extreme clarity of purpose. He has a well-earned reputation within the tough community of professional hitmen. He is known as "The Boogeyman," and is feared by all who know him. When he comes out of retirement to seek revenge after his beloved dog is killed by a group of gangsters, the audience knows he won't give up until he gets the job done.
The mythology and skills of John Wick are revealed in a compelling way. The movie shows, rather than tells, how deadly he is.
With brutal efficiency, John uses the environment, purposeful movement, a priority of focus, and surprising finishing moves to defeat his enemies. He uses interesting weapons, gear, and clothes, revealing his professionalism and appealing to the audience's desire to acquire arcane pseudo-knowledge.
John suffers the physical cost of his job, shown through the numerous injuries he sustains. Not only does this build empathy between the audience and the hero, but it also adds to the realism and grittiness of the movie. Each fight happens in a special place, with unique elements vs. a worthy opponent. This adds to the overall excitement and tension of the film.
The main villain of the flick is a Russian gangster, Viggo Tarasov. He is an interesting dark mirror to John Wick, with stature, deep pockets, responsibilities, and personal life. Everything John has eschewed.
The film creates a secret and extraordinary world hidden behind and under the ordinary world. There's a hotel for assassins, a hidden nightclub, tailors that specialize in bulletproof clothing, artisanal weaponeers, and an underground economy of gold coins. The film populates these locations and professional support services with eclectic and entertaining characters.
John Wick takes care to think through all of the interesting details. It's a film that will be remembered for years to come as a shining example of how to craft not just an effective action film but to launch a character-centric franchise.
