Sometimes a single movie or franchise makes such a huge impact with such a simple concept that the rest of the medium can’t help but play copycat. The action movie genre has always been a game of following the leader, but is it time for the latest trend to die out?
In 2014, John Wick hit the big screen with a deadly cocktail of highly efficient storytelling, perfect world building and fast paced action. It was an instant hit and it managed to take elements from a lot of other samples while making it feel completely unique. Since then, there have been many works to recapture the magic with vastly different results.
Original by Chad Stahelski and Derek Kolstad John Wick has since been followed by two sequels with a third on the way. A fifth is also in development with some questions lingering over the release date. The franchise will be further enhanced by the addition of a spin-off called ballerina with Ana de Armas. A prequel TV series will also premiere next year on Peacock, depicting Winston’s past life before reaching his hallowed hotel. There have also been rumors of a spin-off of Halle Berry’s character Sofia, though that seems less likely. That’s a sprawling franchise set to develop in just a decade, focusing almost entirely on the single concept of Keanu Reeves seeking revenge. Not to limit, but it’s somewhat impressive that a concept that sounds perfect for a million ’80s shoot-em-ups could spawn one of the most powerful action franchises ever. However, the official sequels and spin-offs barely cover the impact the 2014 hit had on the genre.
Movies that are “like” John Wickbut…” are basically their own genre at the moment. Some comparisons are fairer than others, but there are a lot of movies that have a slight deviation from joining the franchise. The franchise’s central writer and director have their talents elsewhere Kolstad continued to write No one last year, what was if John Wick, but the central killer’s family was still alive, making him a suburban father before returning to the herd. Uncredited co-director David Leitch directed Atomic Blonde, which gave a Cold War spy twist to the action structure. Leitch then doubled with this year’s bullet train, which is a more comedic take on the concept. Even past the previous one John Wick alumni deserve countless other features to compare. From Gunpowder Milkshake until Kate, the gray man until day shiftthe idea has spread far beyond its franchise.
The good movies that borrow fuse‘s signature style adds to the equation. Something more than just a new artist from a big name in the lead role. The main way these movies are inspired by fuse is in the action. The stories have a bit more variety, but the fights could be made into a colorful compilation and a new viewer might think they are watching a single movie. The gory shootout scene of the ’60s and ’70s spaghetti western gave way to the comic piles of faceless goons in the ’80s. That gave way to the more martial arts-inspired Matrix90’s style shootouts. The fast-paced gunfu shootout is the modern day action scene, taking notes of everything that came before it and recombining it in a new form. A ’90s blockbuster was more likely to have a single punch or gunshot. Now, even superhero blockbusters like Deadpool or Birds of prey choose the John Wick method.
Hype for the fuse franchise isn’t gone, but it’s not where it used to be. Oversaturation of so many sequels and potential spin-offs makes each release a little less special. Plus, one of the great things about the franchise was its efficient world building. It didn’t take much to establish what was going on behind the scenes. Prequels threaten the simplicity of the franchise and risk over complicating things. It’s hard for the original model to be special in a world of other works doing something similar. This is a problem that genre cinema often faces. If something executes an idea first, a lot of other projects do the same, and the original somehow starts to feel less unique.
Like the killer of the same name, it’s entirely possible that the… John Wick model cannot die. It’s a new default state for action cinema, and that won’t change until a new one comes out. The question is whether the examples outside the franchise can continue to succeed. Many of the films strongly associated with fuse failed to capture public consciousness. Most recently, David Leitch’s bullet train was a slight disappointment at the box office and with critics. It’s time for the innovators to do what they do best, and find the next evolution in action film, before diminishing returns suck the fun away John Wick.
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