John Wick: Chapter 2

Bullet ballet.

There is nothing beautiful about violence in real life. The crunch of of a bone being broken sounds nothing like celery being twisted in real life. It is deafening in a way that I can only describe as stomach-churning. A knife cutting into skin isn’t smooth. It sinks deep, bringing about blood of a deep crimson, knowing it has ended a life. I have left behind the life on the run that led me to know these images all too well. For this reason, I have avoided overtly violent films, and those that I watched that had needless violence put me off. Now that I have had time, now that I have had space, I felt it was time to try once again to find beauty in the bleak. The film I chose was both visceral and beautiful, using style to turn ferocity into art.

John Wick: Chapter 2 continues the elegant and intelligent action-thriller sensibilities of the first film in the series. Combining dynamic action sequences with remarkable characters and deep lore, Chapter 2 takes what worked for its predecessor and expands on it, without ever feeling as if it is overextending itself. Often sequels go by the idea that bigger is better, and this film certainly does expand in several areas, but it also keeps the straightforward narrative and intense focus that created the tension of the first film. John Wick is one of the best action series of the 2010’s, only competing with The Raid in terms of pure moment to moment brutality. It tops the aforementioned series in creating a rich world with ample areas to explore, and as we see with this sequel, the filmmakers were unafraid to take the story in directions that the audience is unlikely to see coming.

The story of Chapter 2 isn’t quite as direct as the first film, which both works for and against it. Taking place in the immediate aftermath of the original, John finds himself caught between retirement and the world that he had left behind. When his hand is forced to carry out an assassination, he finds that old friends have become enemies, and he may just be in over his head. The set up is elegant, showing his inner conflict between wanting to be the man his late wife would have wanted him to be, and being the man everyone knows him to be. Though it may not have the pure passion of revenge that the first film used to great effect, it still manages to find inherent drama in all of the relationships between John and those in his world. The characters that populate the world are richly developed, with sharp exchanges, implying history that reaches well into John’s past. Of particular interest are the manager of The Continental, Winston, as well as John’s target Gianna D’Antonio. They are powerful figures, and you feel the weight of their status within the world. The only character who doesn’t work as well is that of actress Ruby Rose, Ares. Rose plays a silent character, and has certainly perfected her menacing grimace, but her physical presence isn’t intimidating given that she has little in the way of action, despite playing the main bodyguard to the film’s antagonist. In a film such as John Wick, you expect a character in her position to hold her own, not just order others around, seeing as how her boss already does that. Her acting is perfectly adequate, it is just a bit disappointing that her character wasn’t given more to do. Otherwise, the cast is excellent, both in their performances and their writing. Once again, John is played with sophistication and a cold yet caring demeanour by Keanu Reeves. He makes playing the world’s toughest assassin look easy, and has fun doing it.

The film itself is exceptionally well made. Strong direction once again by Chad Stahelski frames the action beautifully, but he also isn’t afraid to slow the film down for important moments, using creative editing to keep the pace up, even in dialogue heavy scenes. The lavish sets are used in stark contrast to the blood splattered fight sequences. An interesting choice with the series has been to largely use diegetic music, whether the setting be a concert, party or club, the intensity is heightened even further due to great use of music that feels natural in the moment. This is taken to the next level when there is a distinct lack of music during fight sequences, focusing on the brutal sounds of fists meeting flesh, and the heavy grunts of two men fighting with their lives on the line. Chapter 2  combines realistic outdoor lighting with heavily stylized blues and purples during intense scenes to expand upon the already stylish first chapter. The films feel like two parts of a whole, cohesive instead of distinct. The film truly feels like a ballet in its choreography, all while dishing out thrills painted in red.

If you haven’t already, take the time to watch the first John Wick. If the sophisticated action sequences don’t win you over, then the rich lore and characters certainly will. Chapter 2 is more of what made the first one so successful, and the ending left me eager for more.

4.5 out of 5 stars.

CB