John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

Runtime: 2 Hour 2 Minutes

Director: Chad Stahelski

Written By: Derek Kolstad

Cinematography: Dan Laustsen

Music By: Tyler Bates and Joel R. Richard

The long awaited sequel to John Wick, the unexpected cult hit of 2014. At the time of the first film’s release, everyone expected a generic Hollywood “action” film with the same recycled story and the sole intention of making money. That is not to say good films were made not to generate money, but you get my point.

What we actually got from the first John Wick is one of the best action films from Hollywood of the last decade. And that is very significant with the recent trend of “Bourne” style action films with shaky cams. John Wick is one of the films which actually shows what’s going on on the screen, largely thanks to Keanu Reeves ability to perform his own stunts.

Plot

The opening of Chapter 2 brings us straight into the action. John Wick is out to get something of his belonging which was also stolen in the first film. We see John Wick gun- blaze his way through an army of cannon-fodders while the boss of the enemy is re-telling the legend of the Baba Yaga (John Wick). The opening acts as a reminder of who John Wick is for people who have watched the first film and as an introduction to what kind of person he is to newcomers. It sets the tone of the whole film and that is everyone who messes with John Wick gets an equal share of vengeance.

I wouldn’t say that John Wick is entirely story-oriented. A large portion of the film is used for the action instead of telling the narrative. The same goes with Chapter 2. Part of the appeal of the story for me is the absence of unnecessary exposition and a great world building. John Wick’s character is already established, he is someone who’s been in the game for a long time. The history of John Wick and the organization that he is in are told as if we’re watching a far sequel of an established series. However, that doesn’t mean that we would be lost in the whole thing, on the contrary, we pick up the missing pieces of the puzzle throughout the film so we can get a clear image of the history of the John Wick’s universe. And the world itself is fascinating. The organization exists behind the shadow yet we can see their presence literally in every location shown in the film. John Wick’s past is also partly mysterious but that is part of the appeal. The audience would get a sense of his history from the mouths of the people around him. The myth, the legend, the Baba Yaga. There was no need for an exposition scene, the way the whole story unfolds is the exposition itself.

That is not to say that the narrative is told perfectly. I felt that the pacing is a bit over the place in some parts. The first act lingers a bit too long on the events of the first film. I like that we see a direct aftermath of the first film but because it went on for quite some time I was wondering when the actual Chapter 2’s story will start. The midway second act of the film is where the film truly shines. It’s pure action and badassery for John Wick. From when he arrives in Rome until the party scene, everything about it just so satisfying to watch. While I very much enjoy the abundance of action, it became a bit oversaturated in the third act nearing the end. I would’ve hoped that they took a break to slow down the pace and then making the climax more bombastic, that would’ve given it more impact. The action itself is great, but when it’s oversaturated the audience will be desensitized to what’s happening on the screen.

All in all, I feel like Chapter 2 is very self-aware of the ridiculousness of its story. It is, after all, a world where a seemingly normal citizen on the street of New York can secretly be a highly trained international assassin. They don’t take the whole realism thing seriously and that’s part of the reason why it’s so fun. It’s a great action story.

Another thing I enjoy is the absence of a shoe-horned romance. Almost every movie nowadays, even ones with a very serious tone, just has to have some form of romance thrown into the mix. I’m not saying that romance is bad, it’s just that sometimes the presence of romance can make or break the whole film. They may have romance in the upcoming sequel, but I certainly hope it doesn’t ruin the whole thing.

The characters are all fun and feel like comic book characters at times-perfect for the film. The dialogue is full of quotable one-liners, which can be cheesy but I quite like it as it fits the tone of the film.

Characters

Keanu Reeves is the perfect action star. He’s one of the very few and rare actors which perform their own stunts. His passion for Guns and martial arts definitely pays off in John Wick. The ability of the actor in performing their own stunts in an action-oriented film is the key to making the film great. Take ‘The Raid’ series for example. Every actor in the film are capable of martial arts and the result is one of the best action films ever made. The same goes for Keanu Reeves in John Wick. Keanu Reeves is not a great actor. His lines delivery is cringe-inducing at times. His tone of speech annoys me. He uses this same way of talking every time and it gets old pretty fast.However, his ability as a competent action star will definitely make me buy tickets for his future films.

John Wick in itself is a badass and an interesting character. He’s a legend in the underworld and just wants to retire, but is not allowed to due to a series of incidents, this forces him to go back to the world of killing. His past is mysterious and it seems like literally everyone in the film already knows who he is, implying that he has a vast history that has not been explored yet, which doesn’t need to be explored. He’s definitely someone you don’t want to cross path with, even worse if you step on his toes.

As I’ve said before, Chapter 2 has a more diverse cast of characters. Each with their own history and background that is well established without the need of exposition.

In the film, John Wick has finally met his match. Cassian (Common) plays his rival, which crosses path with our main character after John Wick took something important from him. I know Common as a great rapper, but I didn’t know he can act! He definitely plays his part very well here, and it seems like he did his own stunts as well. His character Cassian is someone who abides the code of honor and is out to get John Wick.

Another stand out performance is Ares (Ruby Rose) the silent assassin. She is very much neutral in the film. While she does have a conflict with John Wick, it’s out of her own devotion to her duty and is nothing personal. Some may think that Ares was just thrown into the film just because. But I think she’s a great addition which just wasn’t given the right amount of time to show it.

If you’ve seen the trailer then you know that Laurence Fishburne is in the film. Fans are excited as this seem like a reunion for both Reeves and Fishburne’s role in The Matrix as Neo and Morpheus. Frankly, that pretty much seems like the only reason they put him in the film. His character was just given a sloppy backstory to fit him in and is given just one purpose in the film as a plot device to move the story along. His appearance feels abrupt and just seem unnecessary. Fishburne’s acting is great, but he just wasn’t given the right character for the film.

Visuals

Chapter 2 has a great cinematography, especially for an action film. The camera work is beautiful and the colors are vibrant and interesting to see.There are no jump cuts in the action scenes, instead, we get a clear view of the action. The aesthetics that they’re going with are also interesting. Two of my favorite scenes are the Rome party scene and the mirror hall scene. Both have interesting visuals blended with great action.

This film is definitely one of the pinnacles of gun action as well. And that is no exaggeration. The gun techniques they used in the films are actually realistic which can be attributed to the fact that both the director and the lead actor has a deep knowledge of weaponry. The gunfights are highly pleasing to see. John Wick even does double taps (a shot in the chest and head) to almost everyone he shoots. The great choreography helps a great deal.

Both of the John Wick films also have the most clever use of subtitles for a foreign language spoken in the film. The subtitle plays such a huge role that it can even set the tone of the entire scene. Some of the words can be in red, blue, or some other color to inflict a psychological response in the audience. I also love the fading effect they use for the subtitles. I’ve never seen a film which uses something which is usually overlooked in a film in such a way

Soundtrack

Chapter 2, like the first film, has a nice soundtrack. If you remember the great song they played in the first film’s club scene then there is a quite similar one in Chapter 2’s party scene. There’s just something cool about seeing a great action scene accompanied by a cool music. It definitely makes you feel like a badass, even if you’re just watching the film and not taking part in it. The fight scores are also very intense and add to every action scene.

Verdict

John Wick: Chapter 2 is one of the best action films of the last decade. It has a good story with a great world building and a diverse cast of characters. The pace feels over the place at times and Keanu Reeve’s acting is as wooden as ever, but there are plenty more things in the film which will redeem those negatives. The gun action is one of the greatest I’ve ever seen, it definitely deserves a great score.

8.5/10- Stellar Action Which Will Hopefully Set A New Trend Of Great Hollywood Action Films.