I'll Kill Them All!

John Wick Chapter 2

I told you there was more to come!

Mere days after his rampage through New York City, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) just wants to go back to trying to retire. Unfortunately for John, news of his un-retirement spreads across the world and to the ears of crime lord Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio). D’Antonio has come to New York to envoke the rules of a ‘Marker’, a blood oath medallion that is unbreakable promise. John politely refuses due to his plans to go back into retirement, however D’Antonio is bitter and blows up his house. Forced out of retirement (again), John heads to Rome where his is tasked with killing D’Antonio’s sister with hopes of D’Antonio taking her place at the “High Table”. However there is much more to this “mission” that John doesn’t know and will violently figure out, hopefully before he ends up dead.

There are very few sequels that will live up to the original film. Aliens, The Godfather Part II, and of course The Dark Knight; all of these films built on what made the original unique and expanded on it. John Wick: Chapter 2 does just that by expanding on a world full of assassins, crime bosses, and of course the rules. The foundation laid by John Wick was that of a solid action film and the writers and director didn’t shake that foundation at all. Taking over as full time director Chad Stahelski does a marvelous job of heading the expansion of this world, all the while keeping the essence of the first film firmly intact. Reeves is back in a big way as well, never flinching as he slides back into this role like he was born for this. I will say that I did love that this film does give a little bit more vulnerability to John that he don’t see in the first film and by the end of the film that vulnerability gives John a little more character than just a mindless killer.

Listen, this review is going to be over very soon, due to the fact that I have nothing negative to say about this movie. Cliché as this all may sound, if you loved the first one than you will love the second one. The action is the centerpiece of the first one, however with this film it is more about the expansion of this assassins world along with the amazing action sequences. Definitely one sequel that will live up to the original film

The Verdict: Watch! ASAP