John Wick Director Chad Stahelski Reacts To Criticism Over Unrealistic Action In Keanu Reeves Led Franchise & Compares The Actor To Bugs Bunny: “We Know How Ridiculous Killing 80 Guys Over A Puppy Is”
John Wick director Chad Stahelski says he & Keanu Reeves are aware of what they bring in on screen for the fans. Read on to know!
John Wick Director Chad Stahelski On Criticism Over The Impossible Action Sequences In The Keanu Reeves-Led Franchise ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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John Wick, led by Keanu Reeves, is one of the most commercially successful and entertaining action-packed film franchises. Directed by Chad Stahelski, it is about a man bent on vengeance on people who killed his precious dog. Action films often get criticized for being unrealistic with all the adrenaline-rushing stunts, and it is time that people started addressing them as Stahelski recently opened up about it and gave his thoughts on it.
Reeves and Stahelski’s collaboration for the franchise’s fourth film this year once again kept the audiences glued to their seats in the theatres as they enjoyed the film and left people wanting for more. When the fans are excited to get a concrete update on the future of the franchise, whether the Matrix star would return for another run or not, Stahelski delves into a different matter.
John Wick would not have been possible if Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves weren’t on the same page regarding their film. The films have some high-octane action sequences, and while many are fans of these kinds of films, there are some who find it illogical and absurd. In an interview with Inverse, Stahelski opened up about the portrayal of unrealistic action scenes in their films and seemed to be pretty casual about it as they sometimes laugh about it.
John Wick’s maker said, “The subtext of all the John Wicks is supposed to be that ’70s brutal, hardboiled kind of stuff. But I want you to laugh because I want you to know Keanu and I are in on the joke. We know how ridiculous killing 80 guys over a puppy is. Believe me, we know. (laughs) When you read a critic saying, ‘Well, that’s not real. And John Wick would never survive.’ Dude, neither would Bugs Bunny; I totally get it. We’re in on the joke. That’s why we’re killing 300, not three. We’re in on it.”
He continued, “In a John Wick movie, you’ve got to let the audience know that we’re sitting with you. We want to laugh. But I don’t think you should try for a laugh. I just think the situational brutality of the situation should give you a laugh and a comfort one. If you fall down 10 stairs, it’s brutal. If you fall down 200 stairs, it’s funny. You beat a guy up with a knife; it’s one thing, but then you throw a tomahawk from 50 feet away. It’s the accent. Having a dog attack, somebody can be brutal. Having a dog attack his groin is way more brutal, but it’s way more funny, and we don’t know why. I think you need that psychosomatic response to action and violence to make it fun.”
Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski’s John Wick: Chapter 4 received much love from the audiences and thus proved that people do enjoy the amazing actions on screen. And sometimes, films are meant to be an escape from reality, and these movies do it perfectly, giving fans respite from their mundane life.
Besides that, Ana de Armas starrer John Wick’s spin-off Ballerina is expected to release in 2024, and it is expected to feature Keanu Reeves as well.
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