Writer: Derek Kolstad
Director: Chad Stahelski
*** GO TO THE VERY END OF THE REVIEW IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE DOG DIES ***
After bumping off a shedload of bad guys in the first movie, John Wick (Reeves) is now enjoying a quiet life at home with the dog he adopted at the end of said flick. Of course, a second chapter in the generally bullet-riddled life of Mr Wick isn't going to revolve around him buying scatter cushions, looking at wallpaper swatches and deciding which renovations to make next.
No, it's not long before another bad guy - and promoter of vowel use in names - Santino D'Antonio (Scamarcio) calls in a marker which means John Wick has to tool up again to take out a target. As you'd expect, the target is protected by various layers of security, meaning our anti-hero will have his work cut out to complete his mission. Meaning that wave upon wave of disposable henchmen will almost certainly be shot, stabbed or have the crap kicked out of them. Or they'll be shot and stabbed and have the crap kicked out of them.
So, is this better or worse than the, ahem, most excellent (sorry, Keanu) original? That's a difficult question to answer because the sequel has a somewhat different feel whilst still sticking to the general rules of a sequel by seriously upping the ante in terms of mayhem. It also opens out the continuing story to include the Rome branch of the Continental Hotel, presided over by Julius (Franco Nero - great casting) while Wisdom (Ian McShane) continues to mind the shop in New York.
Upping the action quotient means that Wick's been involved in a car chase, shootout and extended scrap even before the opening titles have appeared. The gun-fu battles are also much longer this time out, with Wick's adversaries appearing from seemingly every angle. These sequences are breathless, full of startling (yet cartoony) violence and, let's be honest here, they're massively entertaining. There's absolutely no point in trying to keep track of the body count - it's bloody enormous, let's just leave it at that.
In between all of the superbly choreographed bullet ballets you're going to need some breathing space and JW2 gives the audience just enough downtime before the next bout of retina-scorching carnage to serve up a simple but serviceable plot which chucks the taciturn assassin into a situation where he becomes the most prized target of all. It's hardly the most convoluted of tales but do you want two hours of scheming and lurking in the shadows or two hours of undiluted action nirvana? If it's the former, do you realise this is John Wick 2 I'm talking about?
Naturally, the shootouts, fights and chases are all superbly marshalled but there are some pretty good performances here too. Reeves looks like he's having a ball playing John Wick and it's good to see McShane, John Leguizamo and Lance Reddick (as unflappable front of house guy Chiron) reprising their roles. The newcomers are no less impressive, chiefly Common as stone-faced, dapper fellow assassin Cassian, Ruby Rose as the mute, deadly Ares and a deadpan, hilarious Peter Serafinowicz as an unfailingly polite "sommelier" who describes an increasingly lethal selection of firearms as he would a cellar of fine wines.
John Wick 2 is that rarest of beasts, a sequel that doesn't disappoint on any level. It's funny, exciting, chock-full of incredible action and makes the prospect of a third movie an enticing one. Yes, Mr Wick is working on his retirement but don't expect him to hang up his guns just yet. And if he doesn't have access to guns, a pencil will do nicely...
To close, as promised earlier in the review, here's the answer to the following question:
Does the dog die?
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No. But the house gets it. Big time.
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