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Gamers will recognize that (and a lot more). At one point, he has to run around grabbing rounds from dead enemies because he has run out of ammo.
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Watching John mow down waves of bad guys reminds me of a video game.
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Although he’s by no means a likely Oscar-winner, he is able to play a role like John Wick, which demands more physicality and “presence” than it does range, with confidence. Keanu Reeves continues to show that age has refined his acting capabilities. This is “more of the same” but, at least in this case, that’s a good thing. John Wick: Chapter 2 doesn’t amp up the humor enough to be considered an “action comedy” but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. All the things that made the first movie so compulsively watchable, at least for high-octane action fans, are once again in the forefront: stylized action sequences, minimal “down time”, and a dry sense of wit.
JOHN WICK 2 MOVIE REVIEWS SERIES
Screenwriter Derek Kolstad continues to build on the foundation he introduced in the first movie, bringing in new elements like the High Table, blood markers, other Continental hotels, neat supporting characters like the Ares ( Ruby Rose) and the Sommelier ( Peter Serafinowicz), and basically fleshing out the world so that you feel transported when you see a John Wick movie rather than just “Here’s a story about a guy who kills lots of people.Much to the delight of those who enjoyed 2014’s John Wick, the second installment of the series (which is intended to be a trilogy, assuming box office performance warrants its continuation) represents a seamless extension of the original film. While action junkies will relish the set pieces, the franchise’s secret weapon is the cool underground that surrounds the protagonist. In the hands of a lesser actor, Wick would just be a violence delivery system, but because we care about Reeves, we care about Wick.īut more than Wick, we care about the world he inhabits. The entire character of Wick rests on Reeves’ shoulders, and he provides a quiet, soulful performance that lets you know there’s a beating heart beneath the stylish violence. If not for Reeves, Wick would be a robotic character, expertly murdering waves of bad guys. Thus, the film is forced to assume that deep down, Wick secretly likes what he does, which removes an interesting inner conflict from the character. Bad guys don’t scream, “Nooo!” or cry or plead for their lives. Yes, some of the kills are brutal, but never in a way to make the audience uncomfortable. The movie presents lots of death with none of the ugliness. And yet the film never operates on the wavelength of someone who doesn’t like killing. He’s not out to protect anyone or save the world. Interestingly, this adoration of John Wick’s violence puts the character at odds with his own movie. That being said, they all seem to run on a little long, and especially in scenes where Wick is laying waste to hordes of henchmen, the movie basically becomes a video game where you expect a combo meter to pop up in the right hand corner. Don’t get me wrong: those action scenes are incredibly well done, and other action directors could stand to learn a thing or two from Stahleski’s cinematography and choreography. Lots of killing ensues.Īfter watching both John Wick movies back-to-back, I’ve come to the conclusion that I care more about the world Wick inhabits than the intricately designed action scenes Stahleski has devised. Wick initially refuses, at which point Santino blows up Wick’s house, and Wick reluctantly decides to honor the blood marker, heads to Rome, and goes to carry out his mission. Unfortunately, an old acquaintance, Santino D'Antonio ( Riccardo Scamarcio), calls in a blood marker, asking Wick to assassinate D’Antonio’s sister Gianna ( Claudia Gerini) so that he can take her seat at the High Table (a worldwide criminal consortium). Chapter 2 doesn’t really do anything unexpected, but it follows the successful template of its predecessor.Īfter an action scene where he retrieves his car from some bad guys, John Wick ( Keanu Reeves) has once again put away his guns and gold coins and resolved to live out his retirement in peace. If you walked out the first John Wick saying, “More of that please,” then Stahleski made the movie for you.
JOHN WICK 2 MOVIE REVIEWS PLUS
Director Chad Stahelski is confident he has a formula that works, and that formula is expanding the John Wick universe of secret assassins living opulent lifestyles plus lots and lots of headshots. It does pretty much everything you liked from the original, but more of it. John Wick: Chapter 2 isn’t a rehash, but an escalation.