Much like its title character, the first John Wick came from nowhere and was a force to be reckoned with. The action-packed tale of revenge was both a critical and financial hit, and was considered one of 2014’s best films. Naturally, a sequel was bound to happen, and luckily everyone involved with the original were more than willing to return. Derek Kolstad returned as screenwriter, and Chad Stahelski returned to direct, and Keanu Reeves returned to the title role. Much of the original cast returned, with some new additions to the cast to make a bigger and better sequel. While this was being filmed, former co-director David Leitch went on to direct Atomic Blonde and Deadpool 2. As with any sequel, there’s a lot of pressure to live up to the quality of the original. After being in development for roughly two years, John Wick: Chapter 2 was finally released.
%
Rating
After the events of the first film, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) gets his car back, though not without some trouble. He returns home to enjoy retirement with his new dog when he’s visited by crime boss Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio). Turns out he helped Wick retire, but in exchange, Wick would have to complete a task for D’Antonio. Their agreement was solidified with a “Marker”, which Continental owner Winston (Ian McShane) reminds Wick must be fulfilled. After his house burns down, Wick agrees to the task: travel to Rome and kill Santino’s sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini). While Wick manages to complete the task, Santino puts out a contract on him to maintain his innocence. Along Gianna’s bodyguard Cassian (Common) and Santino’s mute enforcer Ares (Ruby Rose), Wick is on the run trying to survive. With help from The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), Wick must find Santino and stop the contract.
Though not as fresh as the original, John Wick: Chapter 2 still succeeds for the same reasons the original did. Keanu Reeves still excels in the title role, delivering the same level of intensity and emotion to the character. Ian McShane, who had a supporting role in the first film, is expanded upon here and plays a vital part. Many of the newcomers to this series also stand out, particularly Scamarcio, Gerini, Common, Rose, and Fishburne. While not as intense as Nyqvist, Scamarcio is still fun as the villain, though he comes off a bit petulant. Ruby Rose, even without any lines, easily goes toe-to-toe with Reeves, and even has some funny bits using sign language. Common also has great scenes with Reeves, and FIshburne is fun as a boisterous underground mob boss. In a way, he’s almost a homeless version of his Morpheus character from The Matrix.
Unfortunately, as much as I loved this film and highly recommend it, there are some issues I have here. In the first film, the story had a more personal connection, namely that it was centered around Wick’s revenge. Here, the reason why Wick gets back into the fray is because he’s forced into it, losing that personal connection. Also, whereas Wick was smart and sensible before, much of what happens to Wick here is somewhat his fault. Granted, that does end up making him a stronger character, showing him recovering from losing so much. Plus, the events of this film do tie in with the next, much like the original did with this film. Honestly, many of my gripes don’t take away from how well-crafted and action-packed this entry is. Overall, John Wick: Chapter 2 continues what makes this series stand out and proves modern action can work.
