It’s been interesting to observe how the cinematic paths have diverged for Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, the filmmakers behind John Wick. While the stuntmen-turned-directors collaborated on the first film in that now-celebrated action franchise, they went their separate ways soon after. Stahelski stayed on to build the world of Wick into a cultural juggernaut, while Leitch has lent his talents to other original stories, helming various actioners about down-on-their-luck blond men (and one blonde woman!) forced to face off against armies of assassins. But his projects, splashy as they are, function better as showcases for stuntwork than anything else.
Predictable narratives, regressive tropes, and juvenile humor have been hamstringing Leitch’s oeuvre from the very beginning. Style trumping substance isn’t enough to dismiss the director’s efforts entirely, though: every time Leitch returns with another intriguing premise and trots out another gorgeous cast to act it out, I can feel my expectations resetting. For How To Rob A Bank, they might be higher than ever, if only because Leitch is pivoting into a genre that’s guaranteed to please a crowd. (And, not for nothing, giving us blond Nicholas Hoult.)
