Now that he's gotten his revenge on the folks who took his car and killed his beagle puppy, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is looking to finally retire and put his life as an assassin behind him. Now he can just spend his days taking care of his new doggie, a pit bull whose just precious. But an old friend of his from the world of killers has come knocking and asking John to make good on a deal they made long ago, a deal that requires John Wick to do a mission in Rome for him. Looking to finally get out of this game once and for all, John Wick reluctantly takes on the mission, but of course, if you think this mission was going to go off without a hitch, well, you haven't been living in the world of John Wick for very long.
If that first John Wick movie was about awakening a sleeping giant, this new adventure focuses on the idea of whether or not the ripple effects of his various actions will allow this giant to ever sleep again. This assassin-filled world that John Wick inhabits becomes something akin to quicksand for its lead character; the more he tries and struggles to get out, the more it keeps pulling him back in. And as various foes drags him deeper and deeper into the occupation he wants out of, both Wick and the audience get to explore the deeper recesses of this world and its mythology, which is a ton of fun to discover, lemme tell ya.
Every new assassin or element of the world of John Wick that gets established is delightfully colorful and memorable, as the writer of this piece (Derek Kolstad, returning from the first movie) is reveling in the opportunities provided by this milieu. We get assassins of all stripes and sizes, from one that is adept as a musical street performer to one that communicates by way of sign language. There's always some new figure around the corner in John Wick: Chapter 2 poised and ready to make an indelible impression and it's impressive that the movie manages to juggle introducing this assortment of unique supporting characters without things delving into a repetitive rut.
It doesn't hurt that many of these distinct individuals get introduced in the film's numerous action sequences, which carry over the aesthetic of the first film in that they're all expertly put together and an absolutely joy to watch unfold. It's lovely that these movies have talent like director Chad Stahleski (he's also returning from the first John Wick) involved that ensures that both the cinematography and inventive kills that John Wick dishes out in these action set pieces both receive the same level of craftsmanship. I cannot stress enough how much fun it is to watch an R-rated action movie where the camera sits still and the editing isn't doing egregious jump cuts, instead allowing me to just soak in all of the well-staged action. Plus, there's a remarkable resourcefulness in how the movie utilizes the environments (like a Subway train or catacombs) its action scenes take place in, which lends another layer of resourcefulness to the proceedings.
In the middle of all that hand-to-hand combat is, of course, the leading man of the piece, Keanu Reeves. Reeves really has just found his perfect little sweet spot with these John Wick movies, which allow him to take advantage of his uniquely intimidating stage presence to create a memorable action movie persona while the brief flashes of vulnerability we see in Wick that Reeves handles so well serve as notable reminders that there is a human being underneath that gun-toting exterior. Keanu Reeves is an absolute blast in the lead role and the supporting cast is stacked with talented actors having a ball in the unique confines of a John Wick movie, with Laurence Fishburne and Ruby Rose being maybe the best of the bunch.
Lord knows we've had plenty of sequels in the past year that couldn't even live up to the quality of their already middling predecessors, let alone plenty of sequels to good movies that turned out to be forgettable at best. Luckily, John Wick has returned to the silver screen with both the kind of inventive spirit that made the first one so great while bringing plenty of new elements to keep things fresh. While I could continue to ramble on about the craftsmanship behind its many virtues, I think the highest endorsement I can give this title is by simply saying that I was downright giddy at a number of the brutal action beats John Wick doles out. Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but I'd counter that statement and say it's at its absolute best when John Wick is the one serving said revenge in an incredibly fun movie like John Wick: Chapter 2.
No comments:
Post a Comment