John Wick Chapter 2 (2017) - Review
Originally published June 2017The first John Wick of a few years ago was a surprisingly exciting and fun action movie that made use of a simple plot to tell a straightforward story within a deep and rich world the writer/director managed to create. It was one of my favorite movies I managed to watch last year, but I wasn't necessarily excited for a sequel. When something as new and original as John Wick comes along, I almost fear the destructive nature of sequels in how they can take a good idea and run it into the ground. Or, they can make something that is so wholly unoriginal as a sequel, that it can completely deflate the quality of the first film. John Wick Chapter 2, while not quite as good as the original, manages to avoid the sequel curse and ends up being a dumb-fun movie worthy of continuing the franchise.
It's not perfect, nor is it as tightly woven as the first movie, but it manages to justify its existence in some interesting ways that work and build upon the universe that makes John Wick's world so interesting. The motivation for revenge isn't as strong, and the villains aren't quite as good this time around, but John Wick Chapter 2 is a worthy follow-up that makes the smart decision of being a little dumber than last time.
Image: Lionsgate
Pros
Action is still fun and exciting; shot well and well-choreographed
Pacing is consistent and strong
Unique world of John Wick is further built upon in some interesting ways
Tone and color of the original are maintained despite the change in location
Cons
Keanu Reeves' acting stiffness is still occasionally off-putting
Main villain is not quite crazy or douchey enough to be very interesting
Not enough Peter Stormare
Laurence Fishburne's performance is a bit much
The motivations that put Wick in the initial Catch-22 are rendered moot by the end
Plot & Thoughts
The original John Wick was a smart movie with a dumb plot. A former hitman takes revenge upon the Russian mob for the death of his dog. It's ridiculous and silly that an action movie as good as that could be summarized by such a line, but that's part of what makes it special. The second movie goes the opposite direction and cannot be so easily summarized. It uses a plot that is more complicated to make a movie that ends up being slightly dumber as a result. This isn't too big of a negative, because some of my favorite action movies are extremely dumb, such as Commando or the Rambo sequels. There are twists in the plot that are so well-telegraphed, even the characters are unsurprised by those twists. It's a movie that is aware of how dumb it is and just asks that you have fun watching John Wick experience the worst weekend of his life.
Image: Lionsgate
To quickly summarize as best I can, Wick completes his original vendetta against the Russian mob, gets his stolen car back, and returns home, only to have another visitor call on him. It's an old acquaintance demanding that Wick return the favor paid to him years ago that helped him get out of the killing business in the first place. Wick refuses but is quickly forced to hold up his end of the bargain, nonetheless. This, of course, places Wick in a tough position and inevitably forces him into conflict with other people of similar skill and violence. What follows is about 2 hours of intense action and John Wick getting the crap kicked out of him, with a fight scene that is somewhat painful to watch—like They Live, but actually good.
I think the main thing that helps protect John Wick Chapter 2 from being a bland and pointless sequel—aside from the solid action—is that it further builds upon its greatest asset: the unique world in which this all takes place. It's the modern world as we know it, but underneath it all is the underbelly of assassin culture. It's similar to that of the Hitman video games, but even deeper with an economy, a culture, and various services specifically for professional assassins. The original John Wick already intelligently established this world with subtlety, innuendo, and well-written dialogue. This does more of the same—there is one standout dialogue sequence with the weapon-dealer, also known as the sommelier. It also discusses a bigger organization and some culture around favors in the assassination world. The only downside is that there isn't quite as much in John Wick Chapter 2 to match the creative world-building of its predecessor
Image: Lionsgate
My other quick knock against the movie is that the supporting cast isn't as good this time around. There are various assassins that cross Wick's path, which are fun and intimidating. However, the main villain and some of Wick's new acquaintances do little to help the film. The villain isn't bad, but he isn't memorable either. He just looks like a guy who is probably crazy, but never acts crazy; he just acts like a spoiled, ambitious guy without any guts. Also, I didn't care much for any of the scenes with Laurence Fishburne in them. Maybe years of doing a TV show soured his acting skills, but it was all more over-the-top than a movie like this required. Still, these are all minor issues and don't negatively impact the experience very much.
TL;DR (Conclusion)
I don't really have that much to say about John Wick Chapter 2, other than "It’s good." It has solid action sequences that are fun to watch. It continues to build upon the interesting and deep world the original movie created. It manages to stay interesting and exciting from start to finish. It just isn't quite as smart, memorable, or unique as the first movie. However, those flaws feel relatively minor in comparison to how much enjoyment I got from watching Wick return for the worst few days of his life.
Image: Lionsgate
Do you agree or disagree? Tell me what you think in the comments!
Fan of death metal? Check out my band on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. If you like what you hear and want to hear more, head to HoundsofInnsmouth.com for more info!