John Wick Vs. Taken (Ep. 0042)

Written By Kyle Castro

We're thinking we're back! Nothing summarizes this matchup like the words "sweet revenge." John Wick and Taken are two fantastic action films revolving around uniquely skilled protagonists avenging the loss of dogs and people near and dear to them. Kyle loved the opportunity to re-introduce the "Keanu Lifer" back to the podcast. We also discussed how John Wick captures the essence of the classic action films we love while developing its own style. Enjoy John Wick Vs. Taken with guns blazing, or if you don't, we will look for you, and we will find you. 

John Wick

Legendary assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retired from his violent career after marrying the love of his life. Her sudden death leaves John in deep mourning. When sadistic mobster Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen) and his thugs steal John's prized car and kill the puppy that was a last gift from his wife, John unleashes the remorseless killing machine within and seeks vengeance. Meanwhile, Iosef's father (Michael Nyqvist) -- John's former colleague -- puts a huge bounty on John's head.

  • Rating: R (Language|Brief Drug Use|Strong Bloody Violence)

  • Genre: Action, Mystery & thriller

  • Original Language: English

  • Director: Chad Stahelski

  • Producer: Basil Iwanyk, David Leitch, Eva Longoria

  • Writer: Derek Kolstad

  • Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 2014 Wide

  • Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2015

  • Box Office (Gross USA): $43.0M

  • Runtime: 1h 41m

  • Distributor: Lionsgate Films

Taken

Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), a former government operative, is trying to reconnect with his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace). Then his worst fears become real when sex slavers abduct Kim and her friend shortly after they arrive in Paris for vacation. With just four days until Kim will be auctioned off, Bryan must call on every skill he learned in black ops to rescue her.

  • Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence|Disturbing Thematic Material|Language|Sexual Content|Some Drug References)

  • Genre: Action, Mystery & thriller

  • Original Language: English

  • Director: Pierre Morel

  • Producer: Luc Besson

  • Writer: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen

  • Release Date (Theaters): Jan 30, 2009 Wide

  • Release Date (Streaming): May 12, 2009

  • Box Office (Gross USA): $145.0M

  • Runtime: 1h 31m

  • Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Info courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes.

Kyle Castro
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Resident Evil Vs. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Ep. 0041)