REEVES RETURNS WITH A BANG
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER TWO Running time: 2hrs Starring: Keanu Reeves, Common, Laurence Fishburne, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose Director: Chad Stahelski
ASURPRISE hit when it propelled Keanu Reeves’s action career back into high gear, 2014’s John Wick concluded with more than enough momentum for a sequel, or even several. The thriller about a former professional assassin who reluctantly emerges from retirement to exact revenge against some mercilessly misguided Russian mobsters capitalised on an energetic visual style and relentless pacing as Reeves robustly performed much of his own high-energy stunt work.
Ambitiously expanding the follow-up to a global scale implicitly signals its intention to operate at the level of iconic international actioners like the Bond, Bourne and Mission: Impossible series. The success of John Wick: Chapter 2 will go a long way towards demonstrating whether the franchise can distinguish itself from the competition in that rarefied realm.
Picking up only a few days after the events of the first film, the sequel finds John Wick (Reeves) finally succeeding in retrieving his prized 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 from New York’s Russian mob after a gut-wrenching car chase and more than a few retaliatory beat downs.
Wick barely finishes stashing his impressive collection of weaponry in anticipation of finally enjoying his retirement undisturbed when an unexpected visitor turns up at his door. Fellow assassin Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) has come to claim a debt that Wick incurred when D’Antonio saved Wick’s life. His intervention provided the opening for Wick to secretly withdraw from professional crime and start over again with his now-deceased wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan, seen only in brief flashbacks).
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 shadowy 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. So he assigns his mute but deadly bodyguard Ares (Ruby Rose) to shadow Wick, adding to the threats he’ll have to neutralise if he’s going to come out of this unwanted assignment alive.
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 root-able. 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.
Re-emerge
Most welcome of all, Laurence 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, provocative exchange leaves little doubt that the character is likely to re-emerge in subsequent instalments.
Stahelski doubles up on the stunts and fire power. 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. Individual duels 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