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| FYI: This is not John Wick. This is his enemy. But the picture was just too cool to not use. |
The Basics:
Who made it? Chad
Stahelski (director), Derek Kolstad (writer)
Who’s in it? Keanu
Reeves, Ricardo Scamarcio, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Ruby Rose
Synopsis:
Legendary hitman John Wick (Reeves) is forced back out of retirement by a
former associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international
assassins' guild. Bound by a blood oath to help him, John travels to Rome where
he squares off against some of the world's deadliest killers. Trailer.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is exactly what sequels should be. It builds onto the
original while still sticking with the stuff that made a sequel possible in the
first place. The action is brutal, coherent, and truly amazing. We’re given a bigger
glimpse of the secret assassin society Wick is a part of. Wick continues to
shoot dudes in the head while racking up a massive body count. And the film is
self-aware enough to make it all loads of fun.
First
off: the action. It’s what you watch the film for, and it doesn’t disappoint.
The set pieces are even more inventive than the original, highlighted with a
shootout in a modern art exhibit full of mirrors and hidden doors. Wick churns
through hordes of goons like the grim reaper. He is just so brutally efficient (unlike this review)- there are no flashy moves from Wick. Everything he does is towards his goal of
killing anyone in his way. Plus, all this action looks really good. The film really
lets the action breathe and play out. Stahelski, a former stunt man, forgoes
the typically up close and choppily edited scenes in favor of longer, wide
takes. It allows the action to be clean and coherent, and it allows
cinematographer Dan Lausten to compose some really good looking shots. But
Reeves is still the star, and the movie orbits around his performance. He trained extensively for
the film, and it pays off. The reason Stahelski and Lausten can shoot the film
the way they can is because Reeves can
actually do all the things that Wick needs to.
One
the best things about the original John
Wick was how it hinted at an extensive society of assassins hiding just
beneath ours. It organically built an interesting and detailed world that Wick 2 adds to. This is a society where
gold coins are the currency of choice, blood oaths are deadly serious business,
and has The Continental-a chain of hotels around the world where assassins can
visit the doctor, get some new gear, and where ‘business’ is strictly
prohibited. Oh, and this world is drenched in neon lighting, which is always a
plus for me.
Wick 2
is what one could call hyper-violent. All told, Wick
kills 123 people, most by way of a bullet to the face. What keeps the film
from becoming the bad sort of violent movie is its self-awareness. It knows it’s
super over the top and excessively violent, and allows the audience to be in on
the joke. Its humor is delivered through visual gags and deadpan, and is consistently
hilarious throughout.
The Wick movies just hold a special place in
my heart. They’re essentially the exact type of movie 16 year-old me
dreamed of making. Granted, this sort of over the top violence isn’t for
everyone (looking at you, mom) but for those of you that love action movies, it’s
a can’t-miss.
(The article about our complex love affair
with violent movies is for another time, and by someone smarter than me)
Scene of the film: Man, I wish there was YouTube clips I could link to, because
there is no way I can really explain these action sequences. So instead, here’s
a clip from John Wick that I’ve probably watched 100
times. (Also, Stahelski and Kolstad use action scenes to help show who they’re
characters are. Watch this clip, pay attention, and you basically can get a
good understanding of who John Wick is).
My Rating: 9/10
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