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John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), on IMDb
Directed by Chad Stahelski. With Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ian McShane, Ruby Rose. After returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.

John Wick: Chapter 2 movie poster

I enjoyed John Wick: Chapter 2, when I watched it on Saturday night. I don’t think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first John Wick. I found it felt quite a bit “grander” and was more graphicly violent than the first film, but I guess that comes with getting a bigger budget after a surprise hit. My fear that it would strip back too many layers and mysteries from when I watched the first John Wick, in trying to “world build” into a franchise weren’t entirely founded – there wasn’t any clunky or overt exposition I noticed, just some points handled (mostly) naturally in context of the dialogue. Stuff like the “rules” of The Continental, and the consequences of breaking them. How all these pieces fit into the wider picture of assassins, crime lords, and secret societies were left pleasingly ambiguous (for now).

As with the first film, the cinematography was gorgeous. The light and sound design, combined with the framing and editing were absolutely on point. At no time was I unable to follow what was going on in an action scene – something which can’t said for too many “blockbuster” films these days. The plot felt like a reasonably logical continuation of the first film, and the main character was fleshed out in nice, subtle, ways.

Sadly, I need to wait until mid-September before I can watch John Wick: Chapter 3. I didn’t have high expectations when I started the series; I expected it to be somewhat overhyped and empty. But now I’m keen to find out how the story wraps up (or not, as the case may be).

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John Wick (2014), on IMDb
Directed by Chad Stahelski, David Leitch. With Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe. An ex-hit-man comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that killed his dog and took everything from him.

John Wick poster

I finally got round to watching John Wick. It was good, and I see what all the fuss is about; the lighting, cinematography, and choreography were all great. The action plays out very much like a form of dance. The plot is very “by the numbers,” but I liked that it was very stripped down and “simple”.

A bit like the title character himself, I found there was more power in what the film didn’t say about the world of criminals and assassins it is set in. My worry for when I get around to watching the sequels is that they fill in too many of the blanks, and ruin a bit of the mystique. The characters in John Wick felt real and believably connected, without ever really giving everything away, so actions have consequences we can understand even if we don’t know the whole background.

So, yeah, I enjoyed John Wick, and would happily recommend it if you’re looking for a great looking action film that isn’t overly complicated but still has some good character moments.