John Wick: Chapter 2

Score:  **** out of ***** (A-)

Directed by Chad Stahelski
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishbourne, Ricardo Scamarcio, et. al.
Running time: 122 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Chapter Two continues the tale of John Wick, picking up just about right where the original left off.  Keanu Reeves once again does a good job of making Wick into a legendary fighter.  The film wisely builds on the previous entry by emphasizing the mythology of its world and - most importantly - somehow increasing both the quantity and the quality of its action scenes.  For fans of action films, this is a must-see.


John Wick (Reeves) has unfinished business.  After recently coming out of retirement (in the first film), the former hitman storms the headquarters of a Russian mob to retrieve his stolen '69 Mustang. Once this is accomplished, John hopes to gather the remnants of his life and settle back into a quiet peace.  However, a crime lord named Santino (Scamarcio) soon pays him a visit, demanding that John repay him a debt.  John is reluctant, but his former employer in the Continental tells him that he has no choice.  Soon he finds himself on his way to Rome to carry out one last mission; but he finds that for a man of his lethal talent, truly leaving his old world behind is not as simple as abiding by the rules.

John Wick: Chapter 2 has a solid core cast, with a number of familiar faces in supporting roles.  Keanu Reeves once again leads as the title character, a hitman whose reputation precedes him wherever he goes.  Reeves is not exactly a top-tier actor, but the role is perfect for him, and he is just as entertaining as in the first film.  He is a man of few words, communicating instead through his perpetually distant, often grim expressions, his precise movement, and of course his fighting.  Rather than empathize with him, the film asks the audience to regard Wick as a fighting deity with human characteristics.  Although only in the film for a few minutes, Laurence Fishbourne gets to reunite with his Matrix co-star, and he clearly relishes his role as a shadowy, cast-off gang leader, taunting a desperate Wick.  Ian McShane plays the Continental's leader with a feel of cool authority and wisdom.  Ricardo Scamarcio is not a great villain, but he's OK (importantly, he brings plenty of henchmen to dispatch).  And Common is very good in a small role as Wick's rival, producing intense stand-offs and energetic, bone-crunching brawls.  Finally, there are a number of brief but notable roles, both new and recurring: Lance Reddick as the cool Continental concierge, Ruby Rose as a fiesty, crude, mute bodyguard, and Peter Serafinowicz as "the Sommelier", essentially Wick's Q.

The sequel to 2014's surprise action hit is a worthy follow-up, one that does not try to copy the formula of the original yet also accentuates some of its strengths.  John Wick introduced us to the hitman in a plot that was surprisingly personal - even including a puppy.  Chapter Two acknowledges all that briefly at the beginning, but then focuses and expands on two other elements from the first: its alternate world and gonzo, ruthless action.  Taking place in the present, the Wick films imagine an extensive network of criminal organizations and free agents, all revolving around an organization that has its HQ in the Continental hotel in the middle of NYC.  They make and enforce the rules of the "game", and the building itself serves as a hub and safe space.  This mythology lends crucial specificity and creativity to the events.

Those events are, broadly speaking, pretty standard action, but in build up and execution, extremely well done.  The first battle involves little shooting, and Wick gets battered in hand-to-hand fighting and car chasing just as much as he dishes out.  This is a fun, often humorous start, and it allows the action to evolve from there.  There is a big build up to the next fight,  and suddenly John Wick slips naturally and effortlessly into the legend that everyone else fears.  Things escalate up to Wick fending off hitmen himself, and includes extended sequences of both shoot-outs and intense hand-to-hand combat.  Much of the fighting style was introduced in the first film, but Chapter Two ramps it up not only in sheer quantity but also in the brilliance of its choreography.  No shaky cam or confusingly quick edits here - the action may happen fast and furiously (eat your heart out, Vin Diesel) but every part of the battle is captured beautifully and interestingly on screen.

***

John Wick: Chapter 2 is an excellent start to the year in the action genre.  The film is a perfect complement to the original: it doesn't attempt to copy, but rather bring more depth and quality to select elements, and then set up the franchise for an interesting new direction in a (likely) third film.  It makes me want to see the original again soon, and puts John Wick among the titans of the genre: James Bond, Jason Bourne, Ethan Hunt.  Keanu Reeves deserves credit for solidifying the Wick persona.  Equally important is the new style and excellent quality of action as well as its interesting background.  Note that, if it wasn't clear already, this is extremely violent, more so than the other three franchises I just mentioned.  If you can handle it, though, you are unlikely to find a better action film any time soon.



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