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Update: February 8, 2017
Dragonlord's Review of JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (No Spoilers)
Bottom Line: Offers the same stylish gun-fu gunplay, gleefully brutal car carnage and opulent criminal underworld setting that made the first film so fun to watch.
John Wick: Chapter 2 doesn't waste time and opens immediately in the middle of a high-octane car chase scene. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on a mission to retrieve his Mustang from the first film which is now in the possession of Russian mob boss Abram Tasarov (Peter Stormare). What follows is a series of incredible car stunts which culminates in a crazy action sequence that literally throws John out of the car.
It isn't long before John is approached by an old associate Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) who collects on John's marker for one last job. John goes to Rome and squares off against some of the world's deadliest killers.
Chad Stahelski returns as the sole director for the sequel and even without his partner David Leitch, he doesn't seem to have lost a beat. There is a misstep though during the early fight scene when the camera focused on a wide shot of the action with little to no cuts. Though it's appreciated they're trying out something new, it didn't quite work well in this instance as the hand-to-hand combat seemed a little clunky. Thankfully it was just this one instance and everything was back to top form afterwards.
The first John Wick was a revenge film with righteous intentions and a surprisingly romantic undertone. In this sequel, John's motivation, aside from self-preservation, is less than noble which makes it a bit harder to fully root for his cause. John wrecks havoc against his enemies but it just lacks the same gusto the audience feel, not unlike the first film where you cheer when the deplorable villains get their comeuppance.
Keanu Reeves gives an exemplary action performance where his extensive tactical firearms and martial arts training paid off big time to transform him into a believable bad-ass action hero. His line delivery is still wooden though.
Two characters that stood out the most in this sequel are Ares (Ruby Rose) and Cassian (Common). Ares is Santino's mute security enforcer. Ruby just has this compelling screen presence and has a great subdued chemistry with John. Common plays Cassian, an assassin seeking vengeance upon John. Cassian has a lot of great action showdown scenes with John including a very comical exchange in the subway station.
Reuniting with Keanu for the first time since the Matrix trilogy, Laurence Fishburne plays the Bowery King (sort of like the head of the hobo assassins guild). Though the reunion is amusing, Laurence's role was not that memorable, preferring to ham it up than playing it cool.
Returning for the sequel are fan-favorites Charon (Lance Reddick), Winston (Ian McShane) and Aurelio (John Leguizamo) who were all enjoyable here. Special mention to Peter Serafinowicz who was very entertaining as the refined arms dealer.
A few negatives: John not honoring his marker when Santino calls him on it seems disreputable on the character. And having Winston remind him of his obligation is another minus on John. Another complaint was John easily gets inside Gianna's coronation party and into her room but doesn't retrace his steps and goes out the more riskier route.
Fans of the first film will not be disappointed with John Wick: Chapter 2. The sequel offers the same stylish gun-fu gunplay, beautifully brutal automotive action and more of the allurig, opulent criminal underworld that made the original film such a success.
Rating: 8/10
Dragonlord's Review of JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (No Spoilers)
Bottom Line: Offers the same stylish gun-fu gunplay, gleefully brutal car carnage and opulent criminal underworld setting that made the first film so fun to watch.
John Wick: Chapter 2 doesn't waste time and opens immediately in the middle of a high-octane car chase scene. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on a mission to retrieve his Mustang from the first film which is now in the possession of Russian mob boss Abram Tasarov (Peter Stormare). What follows is a series of incredible car stunts which culminates in a crazy action sequence that literally throws John out of the car.
It isn't long before John is approached by an old associate Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) who collects on John's marker for one last job. John goes to Rome and squares off against some of the world's deadliest killers.
Chad Stahelski returns as the sole director for the sequel and even without his partner David Leitch, he doesn't seem to have lost a beat. There is a misstep though during the early fight scene when the camera focused on a wide shot of the action with little to no cuts. Though it's appreciated they're trying out something new, it didn't quite work well in this instance as the hand-to-hand combat seemed a little clunky. Thankfully it was just this one instance and everything was back to top form afterwards.
The first John Wick was a revenge film with righteous intentions and a surprisingly romantic undertone. In this sequel, John's motivation, aside from self-preservation, is less than noble which makes it a bit harder to fully root for his cause. John wrecks havoc against his enemies but it just lacks the same gusto the audience feel, not unlike the first film where you cheer when the deplorable villains get their comeuppance.
Keanu Reeves gives an exemplary action performance where his extensive tactical firearms and martial arts training paid off big time to transform him into a believable bad-ass action hero. His line delivery is still wooden though.
Two characters that stood out the most in this sequel are Ares (Ruby Rose) and Cassian (Common). Ares is Santino's mute security enforcer. Ruby just has this compelling screen presence and has a great subdued chemistry with John. Common plays Cassian, an assassin seeking vengeance upon John. Cassian has a lot of great action showdown scenes with John including a very comical exchange in the subway station.
Reuniting with Keanu for the first time since the Matrix trilogy, Laurence Fishburne plays the Bowery King (sort of like the head of the hobo assassins guild). Though the reunion is amusing, Laurence's role was not that memorable, preferring to ham it up than playing it cool.
Returning for the sequel are fan-favorites Charon (Lance Reddick), Winston (Ian McShane) and Aurelio (John Leguizamo) who were all enjoyable here. Special mention to Peter Serafinowicz who was very entertaining as the refined arms dealer.
A few negatives: John not honoring his marker when Santino calls him on it seems disreputable on the character. And having Winston remind him of his obligation is another minus on John. Another complaint was John easily gets inside Gianna's coronation party and into her room but doesn't retrace his steps and goes out the more riskier route.
Fans of the first film will not be disappointed with John Wick: Chapter 2. The sequel offers the same stylish gun-fu gunplay, beautifully brutal automotive action and more of the allurig, opulent criminal underworld that made the original film such a success.
Rating: 8/10
