John Wick: Chapter 2

I must admit that I wasn’t expecting much from John Wick 1, which is why I was preparing myself for a run-of-the-mill popcorn-friendly action romp. But what I got, was so much more, as John Wick 1 turned out to be a completely ridiculous, intensely visceral, but extremely entertaining action adventure that left its mark on me.

So when I heard that John Wick was returning for a second outing, I was understandably excited by the potential for yet another ridiculous, but undeniably entertaining cinematic bloodbath. What I didn’t however expect was an evolution of the John Wick formula of outrageousness into something more considered and even more enticing.

John Wick 2 shows a more sophisticated side of our bloody hero.

In a nutshell, John Wick Chapter 2 brings yet more of the same over-the-top violent action that made its predecessor an instant classic, but this time around, adds an inspired degree of desperation to the mix, resulting in an extremely tense and thrilling action fiasco. Think ‘James Bond on drugs’.

Of course, Keanu Reeves returns as the silent, but undeniably violent protagonist that is on a mission to kill a few dozen baddies – and this time around, the stakes are even higher, as Wick loses more than just a dog this time. Because of these higher stakes, Wick’s approach to his task is noticeably more considered than it was previously. Wick also feels much less invincible than he was in the first movie, resulting in a much tenser and nerve-wracking experience for film goers. Dare I say it, the film even presents a thought-provoking look at the life of a hired gun.

"Wick also feels much less invincible than he was in the first movie, resulting in a much tenser and nerve-wracking experience for film goers."

The film’s action sequences also benefit from the same sense of evolution, with each scene thankfully not coming across as a mere copy-and-paste of the previous. There is a slickness and brilliant sense of movement to the film’s energetic action sequences that fans of action films are likely to appreciate.

If you’re a fan of over-the-top action films and don’t mind a generous side serving of style, then John Wick: Chapter 2 is a film you cannot miss. 

Highlight: A castle infiltration scene is as slick as it is intense.