John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

[Ezen Baklattan]

Review, Discuss, Debate, Celebrate.

 

Yeah, I'm thinking he's back.

 

[Deep Wang]

So fucking good!

 

 

[WrathOfHan]

This is the most fun I've had at the theater in quite a while. Great action setpieces are galore in a film that raises the stakes from the first and becomes more grandiose. I can't wait to see where they take the third and presumably final chapter. 9/10 | A-

[RobinHood26]

Did John Wick 2 have a story? Nope not really. Did he kill 200 people? Yes, yes he fucking did. Gorgeous sets, cinematography and GunFu

 

I really like the interacting between 3 situations of him fighting to survive after the hit is called, great editing.

 

Cinematography was beautiful lived the use of color light though out. Action was well framed. lots of long takes, wide angles, were able to take it all in.

 

The way Chad stakes 3 set pieces on top of one another in Rome is brilliant, a huge shoot out at the concert the a underground sewer fight and

finally one on one with common. Although the club scene equalivenat in this while larger in scale isn't quite as good.

 

The ending in the Mirror/modern art part of the museum reminds me of Man With The Golden Gun. They pull of some pretty damn spectacular

and just and ass shots.

 

The sets though out the whole movie scream style, elegance, they are gorgeous.

 

However though I do feel a kinda lack of investment through half of the movie. When it took its self seriously it was bad ass

but not as emotionally engaging as the first.

 

One of my favorite parts is when they are firing at each other in the train station yet no one is noticing. Moments lie that are well this excels because

the film isn't quite as funny as the first.

 

While not a bad actor, I found the villain to be kinda mehh

 

Also while I love all the world building it kinda felt just a tad heavy handed like look we can make 12 of these and spin offs, you can tell they want a franchise.

Not necessarily a bad thing. I felt the movie could have cut a little fat, 5 minutes though out just to tighten it up, some dead space between action because

of the lack of plot. The very end also dragged on for too long. 

 

B (85)

 

 

Edit: I like it alittle more than the first, it's a blast. 

 

Edited November 21, 2017 by Jay Hollywood

[TheMovieman]

Great, and fun, time-waster that, as was the first, in Keanu Reeve's wheelhouse as he is far better doing fights than espousing dialogue, though even in that regard he has a few good lines. Can't wait for the third entry.

 

****/*****, (B+, 8.1/10, 3.25/4)

[Plain Old Tele]

I've ranted elsewhere.

 

It was decent.

 

edit: okay, here's a bit of what I said on WhatsApp...

 

I guess what it all comes down to is this: JW2 is something I watch and appreciate the technical things: stunts/how they cut it, etc. but it doesn't connect with me on an emotional level. John Wick is an indestructible tank and he's basically a terminator, so there's not really even the interest of whether or not he'll lose an individual fight. So I enjoy Keanu and I enjoy the other stuff but I'm at a certain distance throughout.

[Sam]

Ignore the ranting ancient creature above.

 

It was real neat. Engaging, hitting many right beats.

 

A-

 

 

[baumer]

It's no longer a joke.

 

Tele really doesn't like movies anymore, except for Russian black and white movies about Gods.

[MrPink]

2 hours ago, Sam said:

Ignore the ranting ancient creature above.

 

It was real neat. Engaging, hitting many right beats.

 

A-

 

 

 

A- was the grade I gave it!

 

ARE WE BEST FRIENDS AGAIN?

[Sam]

16 minutes ago, MrPink said:

 

A- was the grade I gave it!

 

ARE WE BEST FRIENDS AGAIN?

 

 

Yes. Yes, we are. 

[4815162342]

3 hours ago, Sam said:

Ignore the ranting ancient creature above.

 

It was real neat. Engaging, hitting many right beats.

 

A-

 

 

 

1 hour ago, MrPink said:

 

A- was the grade I gave it!

 

ARE WE BEST FRIENDS AGAIN?

 

51 minutes ago, Sam said:

 

 

Yes. Yes, we are. 

 

I don't know, I get the feeling one of you is Santino and the other is the Ruby Rose character.

 

Or you can go Gianna/Cassian if you prefer.

[Sam]

14 minutes ago, 4815162342 said:

 

 

 

I don't know, I get the feeling one of you is Santino and the other is the Ruby Rose character.

 

Or you can go Gianna/Cassian if you prefer.

 

The former ain't bad, but I must say I'm partial to the latter.

 

Besides, Santino has a full head of hair so uhm... 

[Plain Old Tele]

^^ That was more brutal than any of the kills in JW2.

[Sam]

Just now, Telemachos said:

^^ That was more brutal than any of the kills in JW2.

 

Sowing discord between us best friends while throwing shades at the movie. 

 

You're a sly old man. 

[antovolk]

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Here's the great thing about this - they switched up the tone and fully embraced the over the topness of it all. So many laugh out loud and Cheshire-esque grinning moments.

The good: the action is ballet-like, like everyone else has been saying. Totally lived up to the hype. Keanu is total boss. Loved the world expansion too - yay for more McShane and Reddick! Overall this is literally John Wick; Catching Fire with a pinch of almost Fury Road-esque relentlessness - they better not split up Chapter 3 into two though. And speaking of, such a great hook to lead us in. Cannot wait. At the same time, don't want Stahelski and co to rush it, that's the good thing about this one. Came at just the right time so when we get the glorious opening purposefully calling back the first film, we start grinning like idiots instead of bemoaning them. And lastly - Stormare, Ruby Rose and Common and FISHBURNE were AWESOME.

Everything else: too little Aurelio and Jimmy (can they get bigger roles in 3 please), the D'Antonios are serviceable (although I liked Santino's cheek - in the figurative sense of the word) point being: it's the architecture of this world that's the enemy and not as much the people, unlike the first film. Visuals feel a bit too brightened and Technicoloured up but then again - fits with the new tone. Oh, and the fake Russian is still there - endearing but nope.

Anyway - bring on Chapter 3.

[MrPink]

20 hours ago, Sam said:

 

The former ain't bad, but I must say I'm partial to the latter.

 

Besides, Santino has a full head of hair so uhm... 

 

[baumer]

Just as good as the first and the third chapter should be quite epic.  One of the things that is incredibly well done in John Wick 2 is the fights between Reeves and Common.  The one big battle they have in Rome is reminiscent of the Piper/David fight in They Live.  It just goes on and on and through walls, down stairs, in catacombs, in a club and so on.  It's beautifully choreographed.  At then end when Wick kills the bad guy, I genuinely felt bad for him.  He committed the ultimate sin and I really wish he hadn't done that.  I know the guy he killed is pure evil, but the rules are the rules and the code is something they all live by and for him to do it, well, he just went rogue and now has to get by completely on his own.  Too bad.  

 

John Wick 2 is perhaps the best action film you will see all year.

 

9/10

[dxmatrixdt]

I just saw this today, A- (92) btw...  There are many comments in this thread about the lack of emotional connection between Keanu Reeves character and the audience.  Also comments about the less dialogue the better.  As I was reading through this thread after seeing the movie, I closed my phone (which i cannot post from) and thought some more about the movie...  Then it occurred to me.   THE DOG.   What a perfect way to display emotional connection.  Keanu does not even have to do any dramatic acting.  Just having a natural relationship with an innocent animal like this is good enough for a universal emotional connection.  These connections transcend judgement too.  The dog is treated well by characters and warm feelings resonate towards the movie.  I do not blame him in the first movie.  I would do the same thing.  Imagine if you loose EVERYTHING and you are emotionally in the dumps.  Feeling suicide is the only escape.  You adopt a dog and a gang breaks into your house.  They try to kill you and fail at killing you but they kill this innocent puppy for no reason.   I understand that he would have wanted to go all in guns blazing suicide mission to avenge the senseless and cowardice attack that happened.  Maybe if they had tried to kill him and left the dog alive, he would understand. He would have not been mad for them almost killing him.  But seeing the character on display and seeing a flaw in this world after the dog stomping and it is just like fuck it.  I have a special set of skills and you are all going to hell now.

[Vanilla]

I wonder if Wick is going to take charge of the city or at least the hotel by the end if the third? 

[Blankments]

John Wick: Chapter Two is definitely an improvement on its predecessor. The ugly Matrix-lite aesthetic is gone and replaced with a beautiful color palette. The action scenes are kicked up a notch, both in brutality and in creativity. The worldbuilding is again fascinating, bringing us even deeper into this assassin's world. Reeves' presence is still welcome, and Common is actually pretty awesome in this.

 

It's just a shame that it has the same flaw of the original in that we have no reason to care for John Wick, or any character in the movie. This was fine in the first film since a dog's death makes one inherently sympathetic, but now that that's been avenged, why should we care about his struggle? A lot of the action feels like empty spectacle due to this, and it's hard to care about any part of the story, especially during the 40-minute-long boring set-up to the actual plot of the film. Also, two much lesser flaws... but Fishburne is wasted in an almost hilarious way, and the non-action cinematography feels super cheap at points.

 

John Wick: Chapter Two is plenty of fun. The action is ridiculously cool, and the cinematography is really impressive. Unfortunately, the script is both underwritten and bloated that leaves one with a disappointing feeling overall. That said, the action in these films is so fantastic that it's still well worth seeing in theaters, and leaves one at least somewhat excited for a third installment. Too bad it can't be more than that. B