John Wick Chapter 2 – Have you ever walked out of a film so struck by awe and wonder your skin is abuzz? Has a film ever left you so joyful and drunk on adrenaline that it made you more hopeful about the world? Has a lead performance in an action film ever had such balletic grace it made you marvel at the possibilities of the human body itself? This is exactly how I felt watching “John Wick: Chapter Two,” the sequel to the surprising 2014 action hit.
“John Wick Chapter 2” is a more audacious film, bolder and more violent than its predecessor. It’s also surprisingly hilarious, wringing humor from physical pratfalls and dry wit in unexpected moments. In many ways, it’s the platonic ideal of an action film: operatic yet colored with fine-tuned details, blisteringly visceral yet tinged with pathos. For all its great craft, the movie is ultimately a showcase for Keanu Reeves, who returns as the titular assassin, proving his greatness as an actor and action star. Yes, that’s right, I said greatness. No qualifiers necessary. “John Wick: Chapter Two” is truly wondrous, but it wouldn’t work without Reeves, who has a sincere love of this genre.
“John Wick Chapter 2” is never as singularly focused as its stellar opening, which is pretty much the best Batman sequence that never was. Wick has already avenged his dog and now wants to recover the car stolen in the previous film. This gives us a fun Peter Stormare cameo as Abram Tarasov, the brother of the Russian gangster Wick killed the last time around. The opening juxtaposes Wick fluidly moving in and out of shadow killing all manner of men who stand in his path. All the while, Abram listens to the ricocheting bullets and belabored screams of his henchmen growing almost cartoonishly overwrought with dread. The scene works by leaning into Wick’s mythic nature even more heavily than the first film and establishes the sequel’s excellent comedic stylings.
“John Wick Chapter 2” is a character actor’s paradise. It’s so obvious that returning cast members and new faces are having fun that you can’t help but smile: Ian McShane returns to make a meal out of every scene he’s in as Winston, the owner of New York City’s Continental hotel; Lance Reddick and John Leguizamo are also a pleasure, giving completely different energy to the film; Ruby Rose might just have a great career soon as an action star. With not a single line of dialogue, she has a commanding presence, proving me wrong about her skills demonstrated in a previous season of “Orange is the New Black.” Common proves to also be a great foil for Reeves, nailing the silent but deadly assassin mode with panache. Franco Nero’s brief appearance as the manager of the Continental hotel in Rome is especially great. Come on. It’s Franco Nero talking to John Wick. What else could you ask for?
But Reeves goes beyond being a talented physical performer in action scenes. The film highlights the thematic preoccupation that snakes through his entire career: loneliness. Reeves has always been best when playing men isolated due to equal parts choice and pathology. Wick’s struggle to find peace and his place in the world is surprisingly moving. Here is a man without any home in the world—emotional or tangible. Amid the high body count and clever design, “John Wick: Chapter Two” is a moving portrait of how loneliness warps the best of us. It ends with room for a third chapter, which I am definitely hoping for, since “John Wick: Chapter Two” demonstrates what film as an art form is all about: it awes and delights, challenges and provokes. It also proves that Keanu Reeves is the greatest modern action star and film is better for his return.
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