Wicked
By Dwayne Tillman
Has there been another actor/character combination recently as perfectly satisfying as Keanu Reeves as John Wick? Reeves has never been the most emotive actor in the world (remember that time he played an actual robot in that terrible The Day the Earth Stood Still remake?). But there was something about this laconic, blunt anti-hero in the surprise 2014 smash John Wick that just clicked with Reeves’ own laconic, blunt demeanour. As proof that the Gods can be nice sometimes, Reeves and co. have returned for another slice of no-holds-barred, bloodstained, shoot ’em up entertainment with John Wick: Chapter 2. And boy, do they turn it the fuck up.
Set almost immediately after the events of the first film, Chapter 2 sees the man Wick being forced out of retirement yet again after a shadowy hitman society comes back to haunt him. Crime boss Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) approaches Wick with a marker/token (that Wick gave to him in order to leave the society). As the society doesn’t exactly let people go lighter, D’Antonio offers him a job to take out his mob-boss sister, which also essentially means: take the job or die. Wick refuses, D’Antonio blows up his house, and from there it’s a full blown Wick-a-thon as he battles a multi-million dollar bounty put on his head and assassins from all angles attempting to take him out.
Part of the reason the first film worked as well as it did was thanks to its simplistic approach to the modern-day action film. John Wick was surrounded by a marketplace stuffed with franchise-baiting action blockbusters that were more concerned with juggling multiple subplots and setting up future sequels than creating a satisfying story. Wick Part 1, on the other hand, was at its bones a story about a man avenging the murder of his dog. Chapter 2 adds a bit more complexity, smartly building on a world that was quietly alluded to in the first film. And like all the best sequels, this one takes the story into a new direction without losing what worked the first time around. So while some of the simplicity and surprise is missing from this one, it’s replaced by an equally satisfying approach to building a character that we connected with.
Reeves absolutely makes this role his own, digging deeper into Wick’s emotional complexities. He absolutely sells Wick as both an infallible, vengeful hitman and a vulnerable, grief-stricken widower. It’s a surprisingly nuanced performance that gives you more of an emotional impact than you may have been expecting and reinforces Wick as one of the more intriguing anti-heroes of modern times. He’s surrounded by an impressive supporting cast that perfectly juxtaposes Reeves’/Wick’s simplicity. Scamarcio makes a terrific impression as D’Antonio, creating a villain that is properly threatening. Reeves’ showdown with Common is a real highlight, and there’s a bit of a thrill in seeing a bit of a Matrix reunion when Laurence Fishburne turns up.
The action is probably the main reason why you’re here, though, and it does not disappoint. Drenched in neon hues, Chapter 2’s action is choreographed to utter perfection. The first film stood out for the pure reason of actually being able to see what’s going on in the action scenes (imagine that!), and it is no different here. The scale, gore, and body count is all upped here, and it’s truly thrilling. The set pieces, particularly the climactic hall of mirrors scene, all seem a lot more thought out and inspired. Director Chad Stahelski takes cues from Asian action cinema and the ludicrousness of the work of John Woo, and it helps elevates the film above the pack of your average action film. A lot of action films these days focus more on bland shootouts, so I give this film more praise for giving us proper action set-pieces. Whether you’re marvelling at the skilful choreography or the increasing levels of haemoglobin spilt on screen, your jaw will be nailed to the floor.
Stahelski and writer Derek Kolstad are smart in retaining that self-awareness that ran through the blood of the first film, and while I do miss some of that tongue-in-cheek humour, Chapter 2 knows exactly what it is and completely runs with it. There are a number of religious allegories and philosophical questions that make the film surprisingly thought-provoking. The world of the secret society has a bigger presence in this film, but it’s not always directly explained, creating a sort of puzzle for us to try and piece together.
On a slightly bum note, the film does take a while to get going. After a terrific prologue, the film sags a bit as we go through the motions of setting up for the significantly more satisfying second half. Similarly, the film ends on a sequel-baiting cliffhanger that, despite a sequel actually feeling welcome, feels somewhat cheap compared to the film that follows. The rest of the film did such a great job at being its own thing that it’s a little disappointing when it turns its head towards future voyages.
Chances are, though, you’ll be too pumped up with adrenaline to care. John Wick: Chapter 2 is the best kind of sequel: bigger, better, faster, bloodier, more complex, but still unabashedly John Wick. If the next film can up its game again, we might just have a new classic action series on our hands. Bring it on.