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In this stylish sequel, director Chad Stahelski and actor Keanu Reeves take the term ballet of bullets to new heights. John Wick: Chapter 2 offers the same as the first, only on a bigger scale and more refined. It's clear Keanu puts a lot of effort into these choreographed stunts and it shows. Watching him take people out with precision and class, only to reload in mere seconds to do it again is delightful. My only question is this; is too much of a good thing, actually a bad thing?
The story picks up almost immediately after the first. John Wick is getting his car back when he receives an unwanted visitor at home, Italian crime lord Santino D'Antonio. It appear Wick made a blood oath that D'Antonio has come to collect. Wick refuses, he's not that man anymore. This guy obviously doesn't take the news well, but in this world Wick lives in there are rules. 1: No business is to be done on continental grounds and 2: Markers must be honoured. So now Wick finds himself in Rome on the job, once completed, D'Antonio must "tie up loose ends". Wick finds himself on the bloody end of a contract worth about $7 million dollars and every assassin on his tail.
I was surprised at the level of detail the first film presented us. Instead of chaotic camera work to hide slow moves, Stahelski, Reeves and the stunt team gave us smooth and still fight sequences. This was a breath of fresh air in a genre mired with Jason Bourne like camera confusion. The story itself was simple, Wick wanted revenge. Here, they believable bring him back into the fold by expanding the world and mythology he comes from. One of the highlights of this film is that we get to dive deeper into this world and see more of this world hidden in plain sight.
The success of the first film gave them a little bit more room with the budget, so we get nice shots on Rome and beautiful set pieces inside museums and catacombs. One particular action sequences is done in a room full of mirrors, which is beautifully shot despite the violence that ensues. Sequels always feel the need to up the ante and Chapter 2 benefits and faults from this aspect. Watching Wick try to dodge attack of attack from assassins on the street was marvelous and thrilling. The pace of the film is set to go and they put the pedal to the floor. The drawback is that it might lean a little bit too much on excessive. At times the film feels like a video game where faceless bad guys literally pop out of every corner for Wick to shoot. They toe the line on overdoing it.
I watched the first film right before this one, double feature night. I'm not sure if this was a good idea or not as this film felt like a complete retread of the original. We get more and more scenes of Wick taking out bad guys and looking slick while doing it. I'm all for the good guys getting banged up a bit too. Classic action films, bad guys have terrible aim. Here Wick gets hit, a lot, maybe too many times? I feel like they can lean back from the constant shots of people getting hit by cars, then immediately getting up and still kicking ass.
Chapter 2 is more of the same, on a higher level. The element of surprise is gone, but they manage to entertain and set up a third film that has me invested in where they will take the story. So after two films and a third in the pipeline...yeah, I'm thinking he's back.
John Wick: Chapter 2
(Chad Stahelski)
(Chad Stahelski)
In this stylish sequel, director Chad Stahelski and actor Keanu Reeves take the term ballet of bullets to new heights. John Wick: Chapter 2 offers the same as the first, only on a bigger scale and more refined. It's clear Keanu puts a lot of effort into these choreographed stunts and it shows. Watching him take people out with precision and class, only to reload in mere seconds to do it again is delightful. My only question is this; is too much of a good thing, actually a bad thing?
The story picks up almost immediately after the first. John Wick is getting his car back when he receives an unwanted visitor at home, Italian crime lord Santino D'Antonio. It appear Wick made a blood oath that D'Antonio has come to collect. Wick refuses, he's not that man anymore. This guy obviously doesn't take the news well, but in this world Wick lives in there are rules. 1: No business is to be done on continental grounds and 2: Markers must be honoured. So now Wick finds himself in Rome on the job, once completed, D'Antonio must "tie up loose ends". Wick finds himself on the bloody end of a contract worth about $7 million dollars and every assassin on his tail.
I was surprised at the level of detail the first film presented us. Instead of chaotic camera work to hide slow moves, Stahelski, Reeves and the stunt team gave us smooth and still fight sequences. This was a breath of fresh air in a genre mired with Jason Bourne like camera confusion. The story itself was simple, Wick wanted revenge. Here, they believable bring him back into the fold by expanding the world and mythology he comes from. One of the highlights of this film is that we get to dive deeper into this world and see more of this world hidden in plain sight.
The success of the first film gave them a little bit more room with the budget, so we get nice shots on Rome and beautiful set pieces inside museums and catacombs. One particular action sequences is done in a room full of mirrors, which is beautifully shot despite the violence that ensues. Sequels always feel the need to up the ante and Chapter 2 benefits and faults from this aspect. Watching Wick try to dodge attack of attack from assassins on the street was marvelous and thrilling. The pace of the film is set to go and they put the pedal to the floor. The drawback is that it might lean a little bit too much on excessive. At times the film feels like a video game where faceless bad guys literally pop out of every corner for Wick to shoot. They toe the line on overdoing it.
I watched the first film right before this one, double feature night. I'm not sure if this was a good idea or not as this film felt like a complete retread of the original. We get more and more scenes of Wick taking out bad guys and looking slick while doing it. I'm all for the good guys getting banged up a bit too. Classic action films, bad guys have terrible aim. Here Wick gets hit, a lot, maybe too many times? I feel like they can lean back from the constant shots of people getting hit by cars, then immediately getting up and still kicking ass.
Chapter 2 is more of the same, on a higher level. The element of surprise is gone, but they manage to entertain and set up a third film that has me invested in where they will take the story. So after two films and a third in the pipeline...yeah, I'm thinking he's back.