Wick-ed Good

Being a bonafide action junkie, I always jump at the first opportunity of watching the latest actions films as well as seek out underappreciated or overlooked flicks that fly under the radar (which is how I discovered The Raid: Redemption and the Ip Man films). The first John Wick film was a small masterpiece of action-noir cinema with my only regret about it was I didn't bother to see it in theaters when I had a chance. I made absolute sure that when the sequel came out, I wasn't going to make that same mistake, and I'm glad I didn't because John Wick Chapter 2 is one of the rare sequels that exceeds the original in many ways. Taking place just several days where the original ended, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) finally recovers his car that was stolen by the Russian thugs from the first film (but not before wreaking some havoc). After a long night, John finally retreats to his home as he returns to retirement and to bereave the loss of his wife in peace. Unfortunately it doesn't last long as an old acquaintance from John's past, Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) pays him a visit to collect a favor he owes him. Unable to refuse, John is coerced into paying his debt and is brought back into the underworld he worked so hard to leave behind. The recurrent method that most of today's sequels tend to follow in order to top their predecessor is to go big on the explosions with less importance on story and any form of elucidation. Imagine my surprise that John Wick Chapter 2 not only delivers bigger gunfights and more visceral fight scenes but it also expands on the film's universe as well. In the first film, we only got a small glimpse into the mythos of the underworld of assassins but here we see just how far and wide the reach of this underworld truly is which helps give the story a unique weight of depth. Speaking of which, the plot is slightly improved over the original; whereas the first film felt like a revenge flick that mainly focused on John's bloody vendetta, Chapter 2 feels more like an international thriller that tackles the fallacy of loyalty and how past consequences can affect your future. At this point, you're probably anxious to know how the action is this time around. I can say with confidence that watching the action unfold is like watching bloody poetry in motion with some of the most craziest and inventive action choreography in a long while, accomplishing feats even big-budget films haven't been able to do. Keanu continues to look like a total bad-ass as our favorite anti-hero and shows true dedication to the role which the supporting cast does as well. John Wick Chapter 2 is an incredibly bloody and intensely entertaining action flick that pulls the hail Mary accomplishment of being an immense improvement of an already solid film and leaves the door open to another sequel with high anticipation. John Wick Chapter 2 isn't just an impressive sequel, it's one of the best films of 2017 and I hungrily await the inevitable third chapter to come. Highly recommended.