"SKumm's Thoughts"
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (2017, R, 122 minutes, 87ELEVEN)
If Keanu Reeves was hoping to provide the world with a
character more memorable than “Neo” from THE MATRIX films, he might have just
done so with the titular character in what could be one big, bad, bloody
franchise of a universe.
His portrayal of Wick in the sequel is one rife with the
violent side of the first, but we see more uncertainty and hesitation in his
eyes this time. This makes him a bit more human, more relatable, but at the
same time almost takes away from the “Boogeyman” reputation that precedes him.
Originally, he was a badass with a heart, and in JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2, he
sometimes more closely resembles a badass deer caught in the headlights. But
put a gun in his hands, and that confidence comes swarming in. You know he is
going to win the day—you just don’t appreciate the seriousness of it as much as
he does.
Writer Derek Kolstad and stuntman-turned-director Chad
Stahelski are back and in control, meaning you get the same visual style as the
first film, and bigger (see: longer) action scenes that try to up the ante on
the violent world they initially created. It works—for the most part. The
biggest thing holding the film back is that we delve much deeper into that world.
The beauty of the original film was that it wasn’t complicated; it was
basically the story of an assassin seeking revenge on the Russian mobsters that
killed his dog, a final gift from his dead wife. This time around, there’s a
bit more to it, and a whole lot more to explain about The Continental, the
grand hotel that acts as a non-violent hostel for the gold-paying, killer
guests. It isn’t so much the world-building that starts to slow things up, but
rather the TMI effect; I know this is to help set up the sequel, but there are
more things introduced in this film than in the original, which complicates
matters and takes away from the subtleties of the first.
That does not make this a bad film. On the contrary, in
keeping with the same writer/director/stars, we know what to expect going in,
and the ensuing bloodbath(s) do not disappoint. In this sequel, Wick is called
out on a marker he provided to an Italian mobster years ago. The mobster wants
his sister dead, and Wick is the man for the job—he doesn’t want it, of course,
but he gets sucked right back into the role of assassin easily enough. The set
pieces are even more magnificent than the first, if not almost over-the-top. If
any movie was going to ever be accused of having sets and scenery which over-acted,
this would be it. From the warehouse car chase that opens the film, to the best
use of a House of Mirrors in the finale, these are places you will remember.
The only other drawback is seeing Wick use the same moves
over and over. I get it—he is using what works best. But seeing the exact same
disarming move a dozen times in a row makes the action get a wee bit stale,
regardless of how high he brings the body count to. As far as gunplay is
concerned, I found myself grinning at the familiarity of his signature move: a
shot to the body, followed by one to the head. Efficient, quick, and, judging
by the rate of dead bad guys that keep piling up, more than effective.
While it may not be as smooth of an experience as the first,
it is still worth the time to see it in theatres. Bulky storytelling or not,
it’s John Freaking Wick, fer cryin’ out loud—pay your respects to the King of
the Double Tap.
Grade: B
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