On paper, John Wick had 'forgettable B-movie' written all over it; a $20m actioner from an untested directorial duo that followed the well-worn 'former assassin back in the game and out for revenge' plot. Instead, John Wick turned out to be one of the best genre movies of the year that featured plenty of expertly-choreographed set-pieces and Keanu Reeves returning to action hero mode, giving one of his best performances in years in the process. While the narrative can essentially be summed up in one sentence (bad guys kill John Wick's dog, he finds and kills said bad guys), former stunt co-coordinators and second unit directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch put their background to great use by delivering several bruising fist-fights and stylish gunplay that brim with invention. From a story perspective, the assassin's underworld and base of operations offers a fresh spin on a tired cinematic trope, while Reeves is magnetic as the reluctant and ruthlessly efficient title character. Nobody expected much from John Wick, but it is right up there with the year's best action flicks.
Runner Up - The Lego Movie
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have made a career out of turning ideas that don't seem particularly appealing on paper into great movies, a streak that continued with their brilliant adaptation of the eternally-popular toy line. What could have been nothing more than a cynical merchandising ploy instead turned out as one of the year's best comedies; The Lego Movie featured a fantastic script packed with great dialogue and memorable characters, hugely imaginative and inventive visuals and of course, an infuriatingly catchy song in the form of 'Everything Is Awesome'.
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