A perfect case of ‘just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in’, John Wick: Chapter 2 starts off soon after the original feature. For those of you who need a recap of the previous film, here is the link to my review: http://filmizon.com/movie_reviews/wick-lights-the-fuse/
Starting with a video of Buster Keaton projected onto a New York City wall, Wick (Keanu Reeves) is like one of those silent film stars of the 1920s – though much more violent. A man of few words, he bumps, crashes and bangs his way through foes, a wandering ‘tramp’ with no true home, albeit, wealthier, better dressed and much more connected. Keaton, nicknamed “The Great Stone Face” has the same stoic demeanor as our protagonist – who, for the most part, plays things close to the vest.
Just below the film footage, we witness an accident much like the one seen on the above building. Starting with a James Bond-like introduction, Wick is attempting to retrieve the car he lost during the course of Chapter 1. Following this adrenalin pumping opening, which features both car chase and hand to hand combat, the pace slows down, as writer Derek Kolstad and director Chad Stahelski immerse us, in a deeper way, into the world they built in the previous film; better explaining the stringent rules and regulations that chart the course of this hidden-in-plain-sight world of hitmen.
To further develop the idea I mentioned in the opening line, Wick, following the introduction, looks to hunker down and finally enjoy his retirement. Upon burying all of his weapons and gold in the basement, the doorbell rings, and we the audience are in on the joke – i.e., after putting his violent past in the ground, another tribulation is at his door. The movie is embedded with a number of subtle jokes much like this – including a public service announcement at a subway station that asks travellers to report unusual behaviour (as Wick takes out a multitude of foes at that location).
A face from the past, Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) is a well connected man who helped Wick escape his most difficult mission (the one that allowed him to retire). He is always accompanied by his henchwoman, a silently severe Ares (Ruby Rose). Looking to square things, D’Antonio attempts to cash in on the ‘Marker’ Wick promised him – a blood oath made between the two when the hitman asked for his aid. Unwilling to return at first, D’Antonio has his ways, and eventually convinces the reluctant man to do one last hit.
Heading to Italy, he has the unenviable task of taking down one of the twelve crime lords that sit at the ‘High Table’, who rule the criminal underworld. Guarded by her fierce bodyguard Cassian (Common), it will not be easy. Gearing up, the locales of Rome provide a more traditional, classical, old world vibe compared to that of New York City. One entertaining moment finds Wick going to a sommelier for a tasting – though it is guns, not wine, that he is sampling. Being fitted for his custom made, all black attire (when asked what style, Wick simply says “tactical”), it means the resistant man for hire is finally back in the game.
After a few twists and turns, Wick finds himself being hunted. Will he be able to escape the outrageous onslaught, dodging hit after hit, or will he finally fall in a similar fashion to the way he has handled so many other individuals?
Feeling almost like the second extended episode of a high-octane action television series, it is a nice touch that Chapter 2 starts off almost immediately after the first movie. Featuring many of the same players, it is a joy to see posh hotel owner Winston (Ian McShane), serious desk clerk Charon (Lance Reddick), sketchy car guy Aurelio (John Leguizamo), as well as a few others again. Likewise, myth-like tidbits whispered about in the first motion picture (most memorably, kills using a pencil) are expanded upon here – proving that the pencil (and not the pen) is mightier than the sword.
We also learn more about our protagonist. Seeming to be a stone cold killer, we actually discover that he sometimes leaves those in his sight wounded, but not dead. One such person is the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), a pigeon loving man who has homeless hitmen/spies on almost every corner of The Big Apple.
Much like the first feature, anything that you enjoyed in it will be of a similar quality here. The sequel comes with the same moody cinematography (silhouettes, shadows and bright lights help tell the murky netherworld story), superlative action that is utterly easy on the eyes, and high-voltage storyline (at least, once it gets going).
After watching John Wick: Chapter 2, it is not surprising that Stahelski has stated that he would like to take a shot at directing a Bond film. For those British super-spy aficionados, you will clearly see an ode to the iconic final battle between Roger Moore’s Bond and Christopher Lee’s Scaramanga in The Man With the Golden Gun at the end of this film (it too takes place in a deceptive hall of mirrors).
Another worthwhile foray into the action arena, John Wick: Chapter 2 will please its audience with a bloody good mixture of story and shoot-em-up gunplay, visually arresting locations and fiery explosions. Though not as exciting as the first (though it is a rare sequel that is), it still packs quite the punch. . . kick. . . arm break. . . neck snap. . . head shot. . . and countless other ways to die. So, take a return trip into this explosive landscape to learn more about the man, the myth, the legend that is John Wick – he is by no means dogging it in this follow up feature.