John Wick: Chapter 2

The first John Wick has aged incredibly well. 

Granted, it's not that old...but more so what I mean is that I saw it. I liked it. A week or two later I realized I very highly enjoyed it. A few months down the road I knew I loved it. 

It was electric, fresh, gorgeous, and felt like a product that was made by people who truly cared about the final outcome. It hit a lot of familiar action film beats (ex: un-killable protagonist, revenge story, high body count, slimy underworld, etc.), but it very much stood out on its own. If you love action and haven't seen it -- there are a surprising number of you out there -- I highly recommend it. 

When I heard John Wick: Chapter 2 was in production I figured it was a no-brainer. Keanu Reeves obviously wants this to continue and the relative success of the first film was based off a plot that barely scratched the surface of a much larger world that was merely hinted toward. With excitement came concern as I immediately was reminded of several other action romps that had a strong first outing and turned to trash. Taken...I'm looking at you.

Well you can all stop worrying now because Wick is back and with this second installment he's certified himself as the new crown badass of the town. John Wick: Chapter 2 is every bit as awesome as the first installment; better in some ways and very slightly lagging in others, but still worth it for anyone and everyone that enjoyed the first. Assuming the same crew is on board for the next (final?) Chapter, we could be looking at one of the best action trilogies to come out in quite some time. 

Didn't Keanu already have one of those? Hmmm....

"Now growl like a bear!"

John Wick 2 begins very quickly after the first. We find Wick wanting his car back, something that many of us forgot he lost in the first film. You know, among all the bodies and bullets and what not? After reminding us of just how revered Wick is in this world, the movie dives headfirst into its mythology that it played so close to its chest the first time around. The rules and environment of these assassins will immediately intrigue you and the film does a good job of convincing its audience of their rigidity. The rules are there. They are not to be broken. In any other context or film they'd seem silly, but Wick makes them seem fun, but also lethal. It's because of this that we understand why Wick has to go back in to this world. Obviously it's one huge plot device to create a sequel, but its explained to where you're sitting there thinking, "Oh yeah. He's totally got to do this. Ok." The rest of this world is utterly fantastic and as someone who is currently writing an action novel, though slightly more in the realm of realism, it's fascinating to watch this world-building before your eyes. This isn't a fantasy or sci-fi film where that's expected. This is an action film with a world full of modern-day assassins and that's what makes half the fun. On a few occasions I found the "reach" of the world to be a little silly and detract from the film (not to be ruined here), but they're so brief that they hardly hurt the film. What's more is that, without even really fully explaining itself, we know what's in store for the 3rd film and let me tell you...it'll likely be a doozy.

Reeves is pretty clearly enjoying his resurgence to badassedry and still remains a perfect fit for the role. He's making it his own and I'd be willing to bet that by the time this trilogy is all said and done we won't even be able to imagine anyone else playing the titular character. Given his insane stunt acumen I'm there already. He does a lot of his own stunts, a lot of which were likely very difficult for this film, and he's undergone extensive training with firearms. There's a video floating around the internet of him practicing with live rounds and it's pretty incredible and all of that hard work shows in his portrayal of the character and the authenticity he brings to the hyper-violent action. A few others join him throughout this one too. Common and Ruby Rose are the highlights and between this and xXx, Rose is starting to show that she is just about as perfect of a side character as you can hope to get. The rest of the cast is fun too in what clearly always remains Reeves' show, but I do have to be honest: I found the Laurence Fishburne "cameo" role very underwhelming. Clearly the implications from he and Reeves' shared cinematic history is there, but it wasn't taken advantage of and the character is so unimportant to the overall plot that it could have been played by anyone. 

Ruby, Ruby Rose...the apple of my eye!

As with the first film, the action in John Wick: Chapter 2 is absolutely stupendous. There's a lot more of it this time around and it's just as gruesome, over the top, and videogame-esque as ever. If not more so. Wick double-taps and headshots nearly every foe he encounters, some aren't even with bullets (wink, wink -- nudge, nudge). The staple jumping, dodging, tucking, rolling, fast reload stuff is all there and the choreography within the film is just nuts. Reeves' is talented enough for pulling most of it off on his own but the team behind it really deserves kudos too. Also deserving of a shout-out is whomever was behind the camerawork and editing. There is a ton of awesome cinematography and imagery throughout, something that can often be a bit of a rarity in action films that aren't of the James Bond variety. Also fantastic -- praise Hallelujah! -- is the action editing. Scenes of violence, running, shooting, and hand-to-hand are allowed to breath. Often there are times where a scene will go several seconds without a single cut or edit. It's the way action is supposed to be and it not only helps the film establish itself in the upper echelon of the genre, but it just makes everything look cleaner. 

Really my only significant complaint with this iteration of Wick is the music. Odd, maybe, but I specifically remember the first film having some great music choices. One scene with Reeves' in a bathhouse/club still remains this series' absolute best scene (yes, even with this new film included) all because the song choice and violence were so in tune with one another that it was like a literal ballet. We never get that perfect gun+music combination with Chapter 2 which is a bit of a shame because I feel like there are at least two scenes that could have stolen the crown had some thoughtful soundtrack been picked. Luckily the other sound effects are on point as punches crunch, bullets erupt, and just about everything in between is loud as hell. 

Literally the exact opposite end of the gun that you want to be on with this guy...

John Wick: Chapter 2 is about as good of a continuation of this franchise as we could hope for. 
Given that many of the same people will be back for the third installment, including Reeves himself, there's really not much reason to think that this may not become a fantastic, well woven trilogy by the time it's all said and done. 

But that's a wish for tomorrow. For today rest assured that John Wick is here to kick ass and take names, and in a manner that is both jaw-dropping and gorgeous all rolled into one kinetic, f**king awesome package.

CONS:

• A couple scenes where the assassin's world is a too far reaching
• Laurence Fishburne's role seems like a wasted opportunity
• No scene dethrones the first films' bathhouse one. That's due to the fact that the soundtrack and music choice for this film isn't as great as the original's

PROS:

• Keanu Reeves owns this role. He trains hard for it and the vigor that he brings to the man, the stunts, and the overall feel of the film make it something special. It's refreshing to see an actor work this hard at his craft and it shows
• Several other fun cast additions/returns. Common and Ruby Rose are the standouts
• Excellent expansion of the assassin's world mythology. It'll likely immediately intrigue you and even though the rules are absolutely silly, the film makes them seem legit and strict
• Crafts an ending that will have you pumped for Chapter 3
• LOUD sound effects
• Awesome action all around. It's a superb and well thought out combination of the following:
• Cinematography
• Environment
• Choreography
• Editing (praise Jesus!)
• You get all of the above working together in sync and you have some truly gorgeous and brutal dances of death on your hands
• John Wick is fast emerging, if not already there, as THE badass in movies right now. He's a captivating character in a fun, fascinating world that is just so, so awesome     

Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10