john wick Chapter 2 (2017) review
John Wick might have more bodies on his hands than any movie character ever. He and the films he inhabits are deadly serious and supreme fun. The notion that any one man can be so dangerously untouchable in a world inhabited by men and women singularly defined by how dangerous they are is a ludicrous premise but in the Wick-iverse it works. You can tell Keanu Reeves is having a blast playing an analogue of The Punisher, all id and driven by vengeance. For Both Wick and The Punisher, the guns are characters in the story and both wield firearms like extensions of their own bodies. The pistol is to Wick as lightsabers are to Jedi. And if the suit does indeed maketh the man, Wick doesn’t disappoint. The story of John Wick 2 isn’t manifestly different than anything we’ve seen before in other shoot first films but those movies don’t have Keanu Reeves. The international setting is a great fit for expanding the mythology. A host of minor yet impactful character actors pepper the film with manic energy even if we are asked to overlook the absurdity that seemingly every citizen, even the violin player, is an assassin. Everyone quite literally has a gun pointed at him but Wick, despite occasionally wincing in pain, is essentially invincible. Let’s call it “Taken Syndrome,” a condition where in each sequel our protagonist becomes less of a human vigilante and more of an invulnerable superhero. As a result, the emotional core noticeably erodes with each new offering. Chapter 2 has more action but it’s a lesser film than the original. Wick’s motivation in the first was clear while in this iteration he’s simply trying to survive until the end. It’s still a blast to watch and peak Keanu Reeves is a treat. Shout out to Common for a great turn as mid-level boss - If they used a stunt double for him, I couldn’t tell.
John Wick 2 receives a score of 6.5/10 for general audiences and an 8/10 for fans of Reeves and the stalwart Wick franchise.