I will state right off that this film is solid, even if you haven't seen the first one. And I'd just as happily watch a third.
John Wick Chapter 2 takes some of the most beloved aspects of the previous movie and ups the ante considerably on each front. From minute one, John Wick is an even bigger, badder killing machine than he was before; Keanu Reeves owns this character and sells him every step of the way. This world's dark and sexy mythology, specifically that of the Continental, gets expanded upon. And the thrilling action set-pieces set against gorgeous backdrops such as glowing catacombs, the night-time streets of Rome, and a museum featuring a labyrinthine room of mirrors, very nearly raises this stylish action shoot-em up to be on the level of a genuine work of art.
Where the film falls short, in my opinion, is its story. The first film had such a novel plot with The Dreaded John Wick coming to ruthlessly avenge the murder of his dog, and everyone's scared shitless that he's back. Here, the plot was compromised right from the start. A Starter Villain has the perfect opportunity to kill The Hero: he knows John Wick is coming, what he's coming for, and where he'll be yet does not set any trap or do anything to alert his guards and simply accepts that Wick will massacre everyone. And when the Mook Horror Show begins, all of the guy's henchmen insist on fighting Wick hand-to-hand when they clearly have guns. This bleeds over into the rest of the film. All of the bad guys know who John is and what he can do, yet there is no one who hesitates, no one smart enough to just walk away; this is really evident in the Big Bad Santino, who I found a lot more generic than the previous villain, Viggo. Overall, whereas the first film's action spectacles felt as though they were all serving the integrity of its story and characters, here I felt it was the reverse. This movie's story is basically just an excuse to contrive amazing gunfight and martial arts scenes. Not that I mind, of course.
Also, the dialogue doesn't pack quite the same punch as the first John Wick did. And they may have taken the depth of this story's criminal underworld a bit too far; by the end, I was wondering if there was anyone in New York who wasn't a criminal or assassin out to get John.
Whatever flaws this movie has, though, it more than makes up for it with the sheer virtuosity of filmmaking and choreography that's on display here. It's style over substance this time around, but that needn't always be a bad thing. As with the first film, it's one of the most entertaining action movies I've seen in a long time. In some ways Chapter 2 falls short of its predecessor, but its still a worthy continuation of everything we liked about it. And it leaves a cool setup for a third film.
Stunning, but missing something
I will state right off that this film is solid, even if you haven't seen the first one. And I'd just as happily watch a third.
John Wick Chapter 2 takes some of the most beloved aspects of the previous movie and ups the ante considerably on each front. From minute one, John Wick is an even bigger, badder killing machine than he was before; Keanu Reeves owns this character and sells him every step of the way. This world's dark and sexy mythology, specifically that of the Continental, gets expanded upon. And the thrilling action set-pieces set against gorgeous backdrops such as glowing catacombs, the night-time streets of Rome, and a museum featuring a labyrinthine room of mirrors, very nearly raises this stylish action shoot-em up to be on the level of a genuine work of art.
Where the film falls short, in my opinion, is its story. The first film had such a novel plot with The Dreaded John Wick coming to ruthlessly avenge the murder of his dog, and everyone's scared shitless that he's back. Here, the plot was compromised right from the start. A Starter Villain has the perfect opportunity to kill The Hero: he knows John Wick is coming, what he's coming for, and where he'll be yet does not set any trap or do anything to alert his guards and simply accepts that Wick will massacre everyone. And when the Mook Horror Show begins, all of the guy's henchmen insist on fighting Wick hand-to-hand when they clearly have guns. This bleeds over into the rest of the film. All of the bad guys know who John is and what he can do, yet there is no one who hesitates, no one smart enough to just walk away; this is really evident in the Big Bad Santino, who I found a lot more generic than the previous villain, Viggo. Overall, whereas the first film's action spectacles felt as though they were all serving the integrity of its story and characters, here I felt it was the reverse. This movie's story is basically just an excuse to contrive amazing gunfight and martial arts scenes. Not that I mind, of course.
Also, the dialogue doesn't pack quite the same punch as the first John Wick did. And they may have taken the depth of this story's criminal underworld a bit too far; by the end, I was wondering if there was anyone in New York who wasn't a criminal or assassin out to get John.
Whatever flaws this movie has, though, it more than makes up for it with the sheer virtuosity of filmmaking and choreography that's on display here. It's style over substance this time around, but that needn't always be a bad thing. As with the first film, it's one of the most entertaining action movies I've seen in a long time. In some ways Chapter 2 falls short of its predecessor, but its still a worthy continuation of everything we liked about it. And it leaves a cool setup for a third film.