Feb. DVDs: John Wick, St. Vincent, Dumb(er)
Posted on January 31, 2015 by bob in DVD
John Wick (R) 
Keanu Reeves stars in a rather standard-issue revenge flick, stylistically bearing more resemblance to shoot-em-up video games than to cinematic crime fare. He plays a go-to hit man for Russian mobsters who was allowed to retire from the biz for true love about five years earlier. But just after his wife dies, the son of his former boss unwittingly messes with the wrong guy, and at the worst possible time. Thus begins the ensuing bloodbath.
Reeves’ eponymous character is described as being so cold-blooded and efficient at his former craft that he’s not the Boogeyman – he’s the one you send to kill the Boogeyman. It’s a natural vehicle for Reeves, since few displays of emotion, or even lines of dialog, are required. Willem Da-friend-or-foe (you’ll understand when you see it), Ian McShane, John Leguizamo and Bridget Moynihan appear in roles that are surprisingly small for such a non-prestigious piece of escapism. Directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski, both having plenty of experience in flicks trading far more heavily on brawn than brains, deliver all the adrenalin rushes one might hope to find in an efficient package. Forget your cerebral functions; this one’s all visceral. In fact, I probably shouldn’t have used the term “eponymous”; it’s thematically overqualified. (DVD Release: Feb. 3)
St. Vincent (PG-13)
Bill Murray shines as a curmudgeon with a gooey center in this sentimental comedy that gets surprisingly good mileage from a familiar premise. A single mom (Melissa McCarthy) with an undersized son moves into the house next to Bill’s run-down abode. He seems to hate everyone – himself included – but winds up baby-sitting for the lad while mom works many late nights to support them. Bill boozes excessively, gambles poorly and spends considerable time with a pregnant hooker (delightfully played against type by Naomi Watts). There are also some more admirable aspects of his history and nature lurking beneath the hard shell he’s so masterfully crafted.
The inevitable ups and downs of such set-ups play out as they must, but the cast and some sharp dialog from writer/director Ted Melfi (especially impressive, since this is his feature debut wearing either of those hats) make the heart and humor sides work quite nicely. Even the sillier developments seem tolerable just because the actors do so well individually and collectively. It’s particularly gratifying to see McCarthy in such a relatively low-key role after so many over-the-top gigs in broad comedies like The Heat, Identity Thief and the Hangover series. Her character is arguably the sanest, calmest one in the bunch, giving her fans a fine change of pace. But it’s Murray’s superb mix of sarcasm and softness that holds it all hold together. This may be the natural progression of his persona, from the overgrown man-child of Stripes and two Ghostbusters outings, to his odd competition with a shrewd teenager in Rushmore, to the lost soul of Broken Flowers, to this surly old guy who yells at the neighbors while wishing he knew how to be friends with them. The net result is viewers who will laugh enough along the way before misting up at the end. Game, set and match. (DVD Release: Feb. 17)
Dumb and Dumber To (PG-13)
If you remember anything about Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels pairing up 20 years ago to play a couple of likeable dopes who made Bill And Ted or Beavis and Butthead look like Rhodes Scholars, you know exactly what to expect from their reunion. Neither Harry nor Lloyd got any smarter, which leaves them ill-prepared for a road trip to find the previously-unknown daughter of one, who may be the True Love of the other…or something like that.
The plot is no more than an excuse for a bunch of lowbrow-to-grossout gags that push the limits of its PG-13 rating, although the Farrelly Brothers and their co-conspirators manage to sneak in a touch of coherence and (arguable) cleverness to their product. The worst part about the experience is the shame one may feel immediately after gasping for breath from laughing so hard at some of its most outrageous, if not offensive, moments. Don’t watch with the kids; don’t watch with the prudes, or those easily nauseated. The rest (mostly those with arrested adolescent development) can relish a perfect example of guilty-pleasure flicks. (DVD Release: Feb.17)
Mark Glass
Mark Glass is an officer and director of the St. Louis Film Critics Association.
