John Wick: The Keanu Reeves we love is back and revenge is good for his career Dont set him off. Courtesy Village Roadshow. IT sounds like a joke, perhaps the premise for a Wayans brothers spoof called Revenge Movie. Keanu Reeves goes on a killing spree after someone kills his dog. But it's not a joke, it's the best Keanu Reeves movie in years. You'd have to go back as far as the first Matrix to see him acting this cool in a part that really suits him. The waning star is 50 years old now, going on 30 - those cheekbones are holding out well - and he's right in the older-man sweet spot to start making angel of vengeance pictures. Liam Neeson better watch his back. John Wick is an action film co-directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Picture: AP/Lionsgate/David Lee Source: AP So, about that dog. It's a sweet little puppy that is the last gift John Wick (Reeves) ­receives from his wife, who has died young after a long illness. When he crosses paths with some Russian gangsters John finds his house invaded and the puppy meets a cruel fate. The perpetrator is Iosef Tarasov, played by Alfie Allen. Just like the character Allen has been playing on Game Of Thrones for the past four years, Iosef is a self-entitled little worm and he has just made the biggest mistake of his ­miserable life. Because John Wick didn't ­acquire his ­palatial house and flashy car working on Wall Street. He's a ­former top ­assassin - the kind other assassins speak about in hushed tones. Soon he is digging up a cache of firearms and embarking on a collision course with the criminal organisation run by Iosef's father Viggo (Michael Nyqvist). It's formulaic stuff but the movie has been stylishly ­directed by Chad Stahelski, a former stuntman (no surprises there). The cast is strong - Willem Dafoe provides able support as another top assassin - and Stahelski captures the rush of a body count going far beyond what's justified, which is after all what makes revenge pictures so much fun. John Wick is a former assassin ... the kind other assassins talk about in hushed tones. The emotional pull is strong: John's rampage is his way of acting out the Stages Of Grieving for his lost wife, and who needs Denial and ­Bargaining when Anger is your forte? When he checks into a ­special luxury hotel for assassins, whose rules of sanctuary ­protect them from the law and each other, the movie gets a good ­injection of black humour. Too bad the climax is typically repetitive and ­protracted - 10 minutes less and Keanu would have had all the more momentum to carry him into a career renaissance. John Wick goes on a revenge campaign after Russian gangsters kill his puppy. Nick Dent is group editor, Time Out Australia Film John Wick Released by Roadshow Star rating 3/5 Director Chad Stahelski Rating MA15+ Verdict: Revenge is sweet for Keanu's career Originally published as Keanu kicks big-time butt