In 2014, John Wick was a surprise action movie hit that went on to launch one of the most popular modern action movie franchises. Keanu Reeves found the perfect vehicle for his skills as the dog-loving assassin, and directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch crafted stunning action set pieces in their first feature film.
As with any action movie, the fun of what we see on-screen only tells a small story of the hard work that went on behind the scenes. Stahelski and Leitch enlightened us on some of that hard work with their commentary track on the film's Blu-ray. Here are some of the highlights of the John Wick commentary.
10 The Mystery Of John Wick
We are thrown into John Wick's world quite quickly and without explanation at the beginning of the film. We see him recovering from the loss of his wife and his attempt to get his life back on track, but we don't know what kind of man (or myth) he was before.
Originally, the film was to start by exploring John's past a little more and giving some backstory. However, the filmmakers decided to take this out as they wanted the character to be mysterious to the audience at first.
9 Dog Poop
Certainly, one of the most significant aspects of the first film is John Wick's dog. The adorable little pet helps John put his life back together, and its tragic death kick starts John's violent revenge mission.
During some of the early scenes, John is cleaning up after his new puppy when it poops on the floor. This proved to be a costly gag since the filmmakers were not permitted to give laxatives to the puppy and they couldn't wait for the animal to do it naturally. In the end, it cost $5,000 to achieve the CGI poop.
8 The Bearded Hero
Though it is set in present-day and features a lot of modern aspects, the filmmakers were heavily influenced by films of the 1970s when crafting this film. They wanted to achieve the grit and grime of cinema from that era, and that was echoed in the title character as well.
The filmmakers had a distinct vision for how the character looked, which ended up being something they would have to fight for. They wanted John Wick to sport a beard throughout the film while the studio was worried about hiding their star under facial hair.
7 Studio Notes
As with most mainstream films, the filmmakers didn't get total creative control when making this action-adventure. They needed to contend with their share of studio notes during the process. Some of the battles they ended up winning while others were won by the studio.
When John fights the assassin Perkins (Adrianne Palicki), the fight was meant to end with him breaking her nose. The studio insisted that since the only other female character in the film is John's dead wife, such violence against Perkins would seem in bad taste. Amazingly, the studio also questioned if it was necessary to kill off the dog, which seems like one of those cliched bad studio notes.
6 Graphic Novel Inspiration
Though John Wick is an original story, the mythology and worldbuilding that goes on into the film and its subsequent sequels feel like it comes from a wider story. The filmmakers admitted they viewed the world of this story similar to something you might see in a graphic novel.
They acknowledged that a famous assassin would probably change his name after retiring, but the suspension of disbelief works in this world. The colors, angels, and framing used in the film are also inspired by the looks of graphic novels.
5 Long Takes
The filmmakers spare no amount of praise for their star Keanu Reeves during the commentary. They speak of his constant professionalism and dedication for making the film work so well. They especially pointed out how this helped for the film's long-take fight scenes.
These kinds of fights occur throughout the film and are thrilling to watch. The filmmakers noted that with a lesser performer, they would need to cut around their mistakes. But Reeves was flawless and allowed them to achieve the sequences they envisioned.
4 Alfie Allen's Wardrobe
Alfie Allen plays the obnoxious and spoiled son of a Russian mobster who is the unlucky target of John Wick's rage when he kills his dog and steals his car. Allen plays the part perfectly, making us instantly hate this guy and eagerly await justice to be served.
During one memorable scene, John chases Allen's character from a spa into a crowded club. Allen was unaware that he would have to perform the scene in nothing but a towel, and was lamenting that he had eaten pie the night before. The filmmakers joked that he nevertheless got a lot of numbers from the admiring extras that night.
3 Actor's Own Additions
While the action and Reeves take center stage in the film, there is an impressive cast of great actors at work here. Willem Dafoe, Michael Nyqvist and Ian McShane all do great work here, and none of them were afraid to bring their own ideas to the film.
McShane arrived on set with his own wardrobe and props for his character. Nyqvist improvised some memorable lines and came up with the idea of his character rolling a joint after selling out his son. And when Dafoe's character was shown going about his daily life, the actor was adamant the character would be juicing.
2 Fighting Through A Flu
Keanu Reeves has several famous action roles under his belt, but John Wick could be the most iconic. Reeves fits the role perfectly and brings so much to the part, including doing most of his own stunts. It turns out that his dedication to the role went even further than we knew.
During the filming of the spectacular club fight sequence, the filmmakers explained that they only had two days to film it and Reeves was sick with the flu for both days. Despite running a fever, they said he refused to take breaks and performed every stunt perfectly.
1 Car Fu
As impressive as the film is, it was made on a relatively modest budget and therefore they were unable to achieve some things that other blockbusters could get away with. It was originally planned that John would chase down Viggo at the end in an extended car chase, but the budget wouldn't allow it.
In order to keep costs down but still include a memorable car sequence, they devised a sequence involving "car fu." Using one location, the sequence showed John using his car as an extension of his own fighting.
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