WICK RETURNS
Chapter 2. Directed by Chad Stahelski.With Keanu Reeves, Common, Laurence Fishburne, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, Lance Reddick, John Leguizamo, Claudia Gerini, Ian McShane, Bridget Moynahan.
Reeves does not disappoint, fully inhabiting Wick by channelling his rage over life’s injustices into an intensely focused performance
provided the opening for Wick to secretly withdraw from professional crime and start over again with his now-deceased wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan).
Although he’s obliged by a blood oath to honour his rival’s repayment demand, Wick declines to return to his spurned profession, growling, “I’m not that guy anymore.” D’Antonio responds, “You’re always that guy, John,” and directs him to target his sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini), the head of their Italian crime family. After Wick categorically refuses, D’Antonio finds a more emphatic means of persuasion, directing a grenade launcher at Wick’s home and incinerating it. Cut off from his supply of weapons, Wick pays a visit to Winston (Ian McShane), the arbiter of the secret assassins guild’s arcane customs, who informs Wick that if he doesn’t fulfil his obligation to D’Antonio, the organisation itself will have him eliminated.
Out of options, Wick travels to Rome to prepare for taking out Gianna, who’s well-protected by loyal hitman Cassian (Common) and an army of thugs. D’Antonio is determined to stop her before she can assume a position among the leaders controlling the world’s top organised-crime groups, an honour that he claims for himself.Reeves is back in fine form, confirming how indispensable he is to the franchise with his lithe physicality, no-nonsense demeanour and impressive skill set, as he again performs many of his own driving and martial arts stunts. Returning screenwriter Derek Kolstad reaffirms the appealing ingenuity of his highly memorable lead character, whose clear motivations for underworld score-settling are both relatable and rootable. Once again, Reeves does not disappoint, fully inhabiting Wick by channelling his rage over life’s injustices into an intensely focused performance.
This time around, Kolstad miscues some key plot developments, however, principally by neglecting to centre the action on Wick’s antagonist D’Antonio from the outset and initially focusing on the logistical intricacies of Wick’s assassination assignment instead. By the midpoint, though, more formidable adversaries have emerged, diluting the main conflict further.
Chief among these new opponents, Common’s Cassian stands out for his ability to match Wick one-on-one, either with laconic understatement or in hand-to-hand, knife-wielding combat. Most welcome of all, Fishburne reunites with his Matrix co-star in a cameo as a mysterious underground New York crime kingpin known as the Bowery King. Their brief exchange leaves little doubt that the character is likely to re-emerge in subsequent installments.
In fact, a third chapter is already in the planning stages, perhaps for when director Chad Stahelski completes the Highlander reboot, which should benefit substantially from his John Wick expertise. Going solo on the second instalment (with previous co-director David Leitch as an executive producer), Stahelski doubles up on the stunts and firepower.
The film’s frenetic opening car chase through night-lit Manhattan streets, followed by a near demolition derby scene as Wick targets the Russian mob’s vehicle fleet by using the Mustang as a kinetic weapon, rank respectably with almost anything that the Fast and Furious franchise can muster.
An intensely staged shootout in the catacombs below Rome’s historic monuments is somewhat less impressive despite the obvious logistical challenges, overly relying on a video-game style third-person shooter setup. Individual face-offs between Wick and Cassian, Ares and any number of deadly henchmen are far more satisfying for their nonstop deployment of judo and jujitsu techniques.
Cinematographer Dan Laustsen bathes the frequently low-light action scenes in pools of indigo and ultraviolet to achieve a suitable underworld vibe, allowing editor Evan Schiff to step in and amp up the pacing with stylishly energetic cutting. – Hollywood Reporter