‘John Wick 2’: A fun send-up of B-grade action flicks
Riccardo Scamarcio as Santino D’Antonio in John WIck: Chapter 2. Before you buy a ticket to see John Wick: Chapter 2, the improbably fun sequel to the implausibly good John Wick, you might want to ask yourself how much tolerance you have for gunshots to the head, because there are a lot of those in John Wick: Chapter 2. More than you might think possible in a single movie. Is it gratuitous? Yes. Do all those people deserve to die? Probably not. But for our bearded bogeyman, who one character calls a priest and the devil in a single sentence, a shot to the head and one to the chest gets the job done quickly and efficiently. Why make things overly complicated?
The same goes for the movie, about the storied hit man who was driven out of retirement and back into the game after some mobsters stole his 1969 Mustang and killed his puppy. Stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski’s sequel is straightforward, fast-paced and gets the job done entertainment-wise.
True to its name, Chapter 2 literally picks up where the first left off. In a skull-crushingly loud sequence involving multiple men getting tossed off car hoods, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retrieves his Mustang from the Ian McShane in John WIck: Chapter 2. crooks holding it hostage (allowing for some knowingly extreme exposition about just how scary this guy is). It’s like a bonus “final scene” from the first film that gives closure to John’s revenge mission and reminds us of his folk hero legend status. It also pushes reboot on the whole thing, allowing John to finally return to his modernist castle in the woods, bury his weapons once more in concrete, reminisce about his dead love and play with his dog (yep, there’s a new one).
But soon enough, Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) is knocking at his door asking John to repay the debt he owes. In this elaborate criminal underworld, there are only two rules: No blood is to be spilt at The Continental (the hit man hotel), and “markers” must always be honoured. Santino helped John get out of the game, and into his multimillion dollar home, and now he wants to cash in the favour.
This request leads John even further into the world of these dandy assassins as he goes to execute Santino’s mission, and boy is it fun — especially the “getting ready” sequence where we get to see John being fitted for bespoke suits (Occasion? Social. Buttons? Two. Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King in John WIck: Chapter 2.
“We had great ideas, we opened up the world ... making a darn good action movie,
Style? Tactical) and choosing his weapons from The Sommelier (Peter Serafinowicz).
From there, it’s really just action sequence after action sequence — from an Italian rave to a final showdown at a modern art exhibit. The visuals are always exciting and over the top, and creative in well-trod territory for the genre, even if the plot gets a little repetitive in the third act.
The film is jam-packed with amazing cameos and supporting players, from Franco Nero as the manager of the Rome branch of The Continental and Common as a fellow assassin with a grudge, to Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King. Ruby Rose is an amusing standout, too, as a sultry, mute bodyguard who communicates in sign language.
And Reeves is in top form as the perpetually unruffled John Wick. It’s a role that is tailor-made for his low-key intensity.
Both John Wick films are send-ups of the tasteless excess of B-action pics and all-out celebrations of their vulgarity. Chapter 2 is the best one could hope for in an action sequel, and it doesn’t even have the “killed the puppy” gimmick on its side. The only real question is when we’ll get the gift of a Chapter 3. —AP