Who is John Wick (film character)
John Wick is a former hitman who returns to the criminal underworld when a Russian gangster steals his car and kills his dog.
The Movie Plot
John Wick loses his wife, Helen, to a terminal illness, he receives a beagle puppy named Daisy from his late wife to help him cope with his grief. Despite John’s stoic demeanor, he bonds with the puppy and they spend their day driving around in his vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1.
At a gas station, he encounters a trio of Russian gangsters whose leader, Iosef Tarasov, insists on buying his car, but John repeatedly states that it is not for sale. Tarasov does not take the rejection well and he and his mobsters follow John to his home that night, knock him unconscious, steal his car, and kill Daisy.
Iosef takes the Mustang to a chop shop run by Aurelio to have the VIN changed. Aurelio recognizes the car and, upon learning that Iosef stole it from John, punches him before throwing him out of his shop. John visits Aurelio, who tells him Iosef is the son of Viggo Tarasov, the head of the Russian crime syndicate in New York City. Viggo, informed by Aurelio of Iosef’s actions to John, beats and berates Iosef and explains to him who John Wick is. John was formerly an assassin, nicknamed “Baba Yaga” (translated in the film as Russian for “Boogeyman”) due to his lethal works. When John wanted to retire and marry Helen, Viggo gave him an “impossible task,” implied to involve multiple assassinations in a short period of time. John succeeded, and his efforts were key in establishing the Tarasov syndicate.
Viggo tries to talk John out of seeking retribution, but John silently refuses. Viggo then sends a twelve-man hit squad to John’s house, but John kills them all and has the bodies professionally removed by an underground waste disposal service. An unsurprised Viggo places a $2 million bounty on John’s head and personally offers the contract to John’s mentor, Marcus. John seeks refuge at the Continental Hotel, which caters exclusively to the criminal underworld and permits no “business” on its premises. Viggo doubles the bounty for those willing to break the rules to kill John at the Continental.
John learns from Winston, the Continental’s owner, that Viggo has Iosef protected at his nightclub, the Red Circle. John enters the Red Circle and kills his way to Iosef, but Viggo’s henchman Kirill waylays John, allowing Iosef to escape. John retreats to the Continental to patch up his injuries. Ms. Perkins, an assassin and former acquaintance, sneaks into John’s room to kill him, but Marcus alerts John, allowing him to subdue Perkins. He forces Perkins to reveal the location of Viggo’s front, knocks her unconscious and leaves her with fellow assassin Harry to await punishment. However, Perkins frees herself and kills Harry.
John travels to the Little Russia church which serves as Viggo’s front and destroys Viggo’s cache of money and blackmail material. When Viggo and his team arrive, John ambushes them, but he is subdued and captured. Viggo taunts John for thinking he could leave his old life behind. Before John can be killed, Marcus intervenes again, allowing John to free himself, kill Kirill, and accost Viggo, who reveals Iosef’s location. John then travels to Iosef’s safe house and kills him and his bodyguards.
Perkins learns that John and Marcus have been in contact and tells Viggo, who has Marcus beaten for information before executing him in his home. Viggo calls John to report this, planning to have Perkins ambush him. Perkins is called to a meeting with Winston, who has her executed for breaking the Continental’s rules when she killed Harry on hotel premises.
Winston calls John to inform him that Viggo is planning to escape by helicopter. John races to the harbor helipad, where he kills Viggo’s remaining henchmen before engaging Viggo in a brutal brawl on the dock. Viggo pulls a knife, but John allows himself to be stabbed, surprising Viggo. John then disarms Viggo and fatally wounds him. John breaks into a waterfront animal clinic to treat his wound and releases a pit bull puppy scheduled to be euthanized. John and the dog walk home along the boardwalk where he had his last date with Helen.
Keanu Reeves as Jonathan “John” Wick
A former hitman who returns to the criminal underworld when a Russian gangster steals his car and kills his dog. Reeves viewed the character as one who tried to change for love but without his wife he became lost, and returned to the world of assassins in an “Old Testament revenge story” that possesses him. The character was written with Paul Newman in mind,[19] originally calling for “a man in his mid-sixties” to play the role, given the title character’s fabled reputation. However, head of Thunder Road Pictures Basil Iwanyk decided against casting an older actor, opting to instead use the stature of a seasoned actor to achieve this effect. Both Stahelski and Leitch were adamant that Reeves would not learn any martial arts which he had learnt before; for the role, Reeves spent four months learning judo, jujutsu, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu from “some of the toughest guys” Stahelski and Leitch had encountered, which included their “LA SWAT and Navy SEAL friends”. Stahelski spoke of developing a close-quarter combat style that utilised practical grappling forms combined with guns. Writer Derek Kolstad chose the character’s name as a tribute to his grandfather, the founder of Wick Building Systems. Wick stated, “I was tickled by Derek using my name for a movie, and the hit man character was frosting on the cake.” Reeves was paid a reported $1–2 million salary for his role
Quotes from John Wick in the Movie
John Wick : Viggo.
Viggo Tarasov : Yeah?
John Wick : When Helen died, I lost everything. Until that dog arrived on my doorstep… A final gift from my wife… In that moment, I received some semblance of hope… an opportunity to grieve unalone… And your son… took that from me.
Viggo Tarasov : Oh, God.
John Wick : Stole that from me… Killed that from me! People keep asking if I’m back and I haven’t really had an answer. But now, yeah, I’m thinkin’ I’m back. So you can either hand over your son or you can die screaming alongside him!
John Wick : [points a gun at Francis’ head] Hello, Francis.
Francis : Mr. Wick.
John Wick : [in Russian] You’ve lost weight.
Francis : [in Russian] Over sixty pounds.
John Wick : [in Russian] Yeah? Impressive.
Francis : Are you here on business, sir?
John Wick : Afraid so, Francis.
[pause]
John Wick : Why don’t you take the night off?
Francis : Thank you, sir.
Jimmy : Evenin’, John.
John Wick : Evenin’, Jimmy. Noise complaint?
Jimmy : Noise complaint.
[looks over John’s shoulder, sees the dead body on the floor behind him]
Jimmy : You, uh, workin’ again?
John Wick : No, I was just sortin’ some stuff out.
Jimmy : Ah, well… I’ll leave you be then. Good night, John.
John Wick : Good night, Jimmy.
Viggo Tarasov : What happened, John?… We were professionals… Civilized.
John Wick : Do I look civilized to you?
Viggo Tarasov : They know you’re coming.
John Wick : Of course… But it won’t matter.
[Iosef dials Victor’s cell phone]
Iosef Tarasov : [in Russian] Victor, where the fuck are you?
John Wick : Victor’s dead.
John Wick : Everything’s got a price.
John Wick : [to dog] It’s okay. Let’s go home.
Winston : Now, as I recall, weren’t you the one tasked to dole out the beatings, not to receive them?
John Wick : Rusty, I guess.
John Wick : I’m retired.
Addy : Not if you’re drinking here, you’re not.
John Wick : I’d like to make a dinner reservation for 12.
Marcus : You look terrible.
John Wick : No, I look retired.
Charlie : Good to see you John.
John Wick : Charlie…
Charlie : You look good. And here I’d feared you’d left all this behind.
Iosef Tarasov : Nice ride. Mustang, Boss 429. She a 70?
John Wick : 69.
Iosef Tarasov : Beautiful car.
John Wick : Thanks.
Iosef Tarasov : How much?
John Wick : Excuse me?
Iosef Tarasov : How much for the car?
John Wick : She’s not for sale.
[John gets in the car; Iosef comes to the window and starts petting John’s dog]
Iosef Tarasov : Oh, I love dogs.
Iosef Tarasov : Everything’s got a price, bitch.
John Wick : Not this bitch.
Viggo Tarasov : Be seeing you, John
John Wick : Yeah… Be seeing you.
Addy : Holy shit! Jonathan!
John Wick : Hey, Addy.
Addy : My God! How long has it been? Four years?
John Wick : Five and change.
Addy : So tell me, how was life on the other side?
John Wick : It was good, Addy. Far better than I deserved.
Winston : To what do we owe the pleasure?
John Wick : Iosef Tarasov.
Winston : What about him?
John Wick : I’d like to talk with him.
Winston : A talk, you say. I’m familiar with the parlance, Jonathan.
John Wick : So what sort of movement am I looking at?
Continental Doctor : Well, if you’re looking to heal, then keep it marginal. However, if you still have… business to attend to, take two of these beforehand. Your stitches’ll tear and you’ll bleed, but you’ll have full function. Do you need anything for the pain?
John Wick : [Looks at his glass of Bourbon] No, I’ve got that covered.
Harry : Do I know you?
John Wick : I’m thinking so.
Harry : Hey, John.
John Wick : Hey, Harry.
Harry : Everything all right?
John Wick : Yeah. Everything’s fine.
Harry : I’ll leave you to it, then.
John Wick : Hey, Harry? You keen on earning a coin? Babysitting the sleeping one?
Harry : Catch and release?
John Wick : Catch and release.
Ms. Perkins : [Breaks into his room to kill him] Hey, John.
John Wick : Perkins?
Ms. Perkins : I thought I’d let myself in.
John Wick : I noticed. I never knew Ms. Perkins to get out of bed for less than three.
Ms. Perkins : Viggo’s giving me four to break hotel rules.
John Wick : That’s unwise, I assure you.
Ms. Perkins : You were always a pussy.
John Wick : [to Victor, in Russian, before he is killed] You stole my car, and you killed my dog!
John Wick : [Answers the phone] Yes?
Hotel Manager : I apologize for calling you at this hour, but we have received a number of grievances from your floor concerning the noise.
John Wick : My apologies. I was dealing with an uninvited guest.
Hotel Manager : Have you need then of, say, a dinner reservation, perhaps?
John Wick : Perhaps. I’ll have to get back to you.
John Wick : Open it.
Priest : [In Russian] Do you think you can scare me into opening this gate?
John Wick : [In Russian] Yes, I do. Open it.
Priest : Viggo will kill me.
[John shoots an unconscious guard]
John Wick : Uh-huh.
John Wick : Where’s Iosef?
Ms. Perkins : Fuck you!
John Wick : Where’s Viggo?
Ms. Perkins : I’m not telling you shit!
John Wick : Do you really wanna die here, Perkins? Give me something.
Ms. Perkins : Little Russia. There’s a church near Cannon Court.
John Wick : What about it?
Ms. Perkins : It’s a front. It’s where Viggo keeps his private stash.
John Wick : [Before he knocks her down] Thank you.
Hotel Manager : How may I be of service?
John Wick : Is the doctor in?
Hotel Manager : Yes sir, 24/7.
John Wick : Send him up, please.
Hotel Manager : Yes sir!
John Wick : How good is your laundry?
Hotel Manager : [sighs] I’m sorry to say that no one is THAT good!
John Wick : No… I thought not!
Hotel Manager : May I suggest a drink, sir? Bourbon perhaps?
John Wick : That sounds perfect.
Marcus : It’s been a while. My condolences. How’re you holding up?
John Wick : I keep asking, “Why her?”
Marcus : There’s no rhyme or reason to this life. It’s days like today scattered among the rest.
John Wick : Are you sure?
Marcus : Don’t blame yourself.
John Wick : What are you really doing here, Marcus?
Marcus : Just checking up on an old friend.
Marcus : Goodbye, John.
John Wick (2014) Technical Specifications
Showing all 9 technical specifications
Runtime 1 hr 41 min (101 min)
1 hr 41 min (101 min) (USA)
Sound Mix Dolby Digital | Auro 11.1 | Dolby Atmos | Datasat
Color Color
Aspect Ratio 2.39 : 1
Camera Arri Alexa M, Cooke S4 and Hawk V-Lite Vintage ’74 Lenses
Arri Alexa XT, Cooke S4 and Hawk V-Lite Vintage ’74 Lenses
Laboratory Film Solutions
Light Iron (digital intermediate)
Negative Format Codex
Cinematographic Process ARRIRAW (2.8K) (source format)
Digital Intermediate (4K) (master format)
Hawk Scope (anamorphic) (source format)
Printed Film Format 35 mm
D-Cinema