John Wick: Chapter 2
Keanu Reeves reprises his surprisingly successful
2014 action thriller film “John Wick” in the sequel title “John Wick – Chapter 2”.
And just as in the original version we again find the retired hitman John Wick
still the same reluctant, melancholy, reticent, taciturn and introverted somber
loner he was once before. And also as before by events not of his making is forced
back out of retirement to his darker side, this time by a mysterious wealthy former
associate plotting to seize control of a shadowy international assassins'
guild. Bound by a blood oath marker he made to this stranger years ago, John agrees
to do his request by traveling to Rome where he squares off against some of the
world's deadliest killers to pay off his debt as well keep him from being killed
if he doesn’t do his assignment as requested.
REVIEW: Let’s be clear, the John Wick films are
specifically written and directed to be incased in an enclosed arena of seemingly
anonymous looking men and women walking among us with spontaneous over top mindless
violence. But what you will hopefully see as a real strength of the film is
always just underneath all of the visual carnage on the screen and that is the
construct of a consistent engrossing story that keeps you focused on an alternative
crazy universe where the rules of civilized “law and order” don’t apply. No, the consequences of justice are totally
absent - null and void here. Only the cryptic coded rules among these array of international
highly intelligent malevolent assassins take precedent over any concerns they
may have of ever being arrested for their crimes. Call it honor among murders.
Stylistically, “John Wick 2” is a visual, testosterone
laden, homicidal operatic symphony ballet fantasy without an actual melodic aria
being sung. Instead the music in “John Wick – 2” is the endless sounds of gun
fire, muzzle flashes and grunts from body blows that delivers in the two hours running
time some very imaginative and exhilaratingly entertainment with the occasional
disarming “wink-wink” dialog to lessen
the intensity of the high body count. Let’s be clear again, our hero John Wick shoots,
kills, stabs and dispatches pretty much everything that crawls, walks and or
runs across his path and you love watching him work.
Reeves makes the character work and with the film
itself “John Wick 2” and Reeves share the common denominator of never trying to
out think themselves by being overly clever or slick. The actor and the film itself
both stay in the emotional lanes that got them here from the successful 2014
effort by remaining pure and honest. The
result is never disappointing even when it is being both a bit seductive on one
hand and extremely blood thirsty on the other with all of the endless killing.
John Wick the man is a Sicario werewolf with lots
of guns. He’s Vice Cop Sonny Crockett and Bruce Lee’s baby on steroids. He’s an
emissary of wild, crazy and thrilling executions. He’ delivers an endless orgy of death. And while
this film is not for everyone clearly, in the end I found the conflicted vindictive
and withdrawn hitman John to be Wick-edly, exquisitely, seductively good at making
so many people die.
3.50 Stars
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