What The Reviews Have To Say About 'John Wick: Chapter 2'
The first John Wick is one of those movies that people talk about with a passion that's hard to understand from an outsider's perspective. Directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, Wick has fight choreography as its beating heart — it puts a bullet between the eyes of your cookie-cutter action flick and takes out dozens of henchmen along the way.
Keanu Reeves is back for Chapter 2, in theaters Friday, and Stahelski's still in the director's chair. Wick isn't out for revenge, but retiring from the life of a hitman is still out of the question. Ian McShane (Deadwood), Ruby Rose (Orange is the New Black), Common (Selma), and Reeves' old Matrix castmate Lawrence Fishburne are just some of the faces you'll recognize amongst the film's trained killers. Chapter 2 hits theaters on February 10th — does Wick hit its target? Here's what reviews say:
'Chapter 2' Dives Deep Into Wick's Weirdly Polite Assassin Cabal
This time around, Wick is pulled out of retirement to honor a debt to a backstabbing Italian dandy (Riccardo Scamarcio) who wants to take control of an underground guild of assassins. The idea of a secret world of professional killers adhering to a set of civilized conventions may sound absurd, but it's what makes the Wickverse more intriguing and far richer than the usual numbskull orgy of cinematic nihilism.
[EW]
Recognizing that the Continental was effectively what distinguished "John Wick" from nearly all the other revenge sagas out there, Kolstad has decided to elaborate on its mythology this time around, expanding the homicidal fraternity beyond a single New York hotel to an international organization governed by its own sort of omertà. Rule No. 1, "No blood on Continental grounds," serves to protect bitter rivals, the way "base" does in grade-school games of tag. Rule No. 2, "Every marker must be honored," explains why Wick can't retire just yet: In order to leave the organization, he pledged to fulfill one last favor when asked.
[Variety]
'John Wick: Chapter 2' Doesn't Take Itself Too Seriously, Thankfully
'John Wick: Chapter 2' opens with a movie projected on a wall, as our hero races past an outdoor screening of a silent slapstick comedy. It's an unsubtle but appropriate image: none of this is meant to be taken too seriously, just sit back and enjoy the stunts, the speed, the style. Reeves has more than a touch of Buster Keaton about him too, staying stony-faced as he blasts, karate-kicks and throat-punches his way through literally hundreds of faceless underworld goons.
[TimeOut]
And yet this sequel – with the star at his absolute best as the so-called Boogeyman who once killed three men with a pencil – crashes beyond the borders of typical B-movie nihilism. Chapter 2 finds something excitingly existential in this tale of a loner looking to take a stand in a world gone batshit crazy.
The Gunplay Is As Gorgeous As Ever — And There's More Of It
Even for "Grand Theft Auto" junkies and those at the other end of the spectrum, it can actually get tiresome watching Wick eliminate a seemingly inexhaustible stream of henchmen at times. But there's a quality to the violence here that elevates it above the literal (and reprehensible) nihilism of movies like last year's "Hardcore Henry," and instead achieves something more akin to dance.
[Variety]
The filmmakers know when to lace in genre-tweaking humor, too, as when Reeves and Common are on different levels of a crowded public concourse, nonchalantly poking guns out of their coats and squeezing off shots at each other that nobody else notices.
[The Wrap]
Like Always, You'll Either Love Keanu Or Go 'Woah… No.'
Reeves is back in fine form, confirming how indispensable he is to the franchise with his lithe physicality, no-nonsense demeanor 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 rootable. Once again, Reeves does not disappoint, fully inhabiting Wick by channeling his rage over life's injustices into an intensely focused performance.
Whenever Reeves is forced to act outside of flipping men over, breaking their necks or delivering head shot after head shot, it's an obvious reminder that he isn't a good actor. Every conversation Reeves has on screen is almost painful, and it's especially apparent whenever he's in a scene with Ian McShane who plays the hotel manager, Winston. McShane plays his character with a level of elegance and confidence that you never once doubt his acting. Reeves, however, struggles with the most basic of lines.
[Polygon]
TL;DR
If you've ever watched DVD special features to study how stylish shootouts make it from script to screen (or involuntarily pumped your fist in the air at the theater), John Wick: Chapter 2 is tailor made for your sophisticated (or simplistic) love of action movies.
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