20 Action Movies From The 21st Century That Didn't Actually Suck
10. John Wick (2014)
No stranger to the genre, Keanu Reeves had previously starred in three of the greatest action movies ever made thanks to Point Break, Speed and The Matrix. While John Wick couldn't quite reach the heights of those all-time classics, the movie remains a hugely impressive directorial debut from former stunt coordinators Chad Stahelski and David Leitch.
The former Black List script follows the done-to-death 'hitman comes out of retirement to gain revenge' plot, but with a couple of neat twists; the assassin's underworld is located in the Continental Hotel and follows its own set of rules, regulations and currency, an idea that was frustratingly left largely unexplored. The second, and most important, is that the bad guys killed his f**king dog. Dogs just don't die in movies without severe repercussions.
As you would expect from filmmakers with their background, the first-time directors stage a series of expertly-choreographed set-pieces, seamlessly blending fistfights and gunplay with ease, with Reeves on reliably solid form as the vengeful title character. Luckily for the movie's many fans, John Wick earned nearly $80m against a $20m budget, and a sequel has been officially greenlit.