![]() Taking the famous Liam Neeson line "I will kill you" to a whole new level, Wick claims "I will kill them all". It's that balance that so few films can accomplish to this particular level. But at the same time, the films are incredibly grounded with reality. Yes, it's present day, but the world that surrounds Wick is heightened to make for more exciting action (it's essentially a world full of super assassins). The one thing that has always struck me as appealing in this series is the way they portray the world Wick lives in. I don't think the filmmakers truly could have imagined this would be a franchise off the bat, but it's sure shaping up to be quite the intriguing universe. If the first film was about him coming back to seek revenge, this film is Wick reluctantly coming back because he owes a debt to another assassin. Chapter 2 picks up not too long after the first film ends as Wick is somewhat enjoying his life as a "retired" assassin. You go to see Keanu Reeves kick some butt amidst some of the best choreographed action in cinema. Sure, John Wick could be a better franchise if the scripts were of the same caliber as say a Bond or a Bourne movie, but that's not really why you go see one of these movies. There's no more than a few pages of total spoken dialogue throughout 'Chapter 2', and Reeves has probably a maximum of 30 lines, all of which aren't necessarily delivered as well as they should be. But he's no doubt one of the most committed actors out there. Keanu Reeves isn't one of the best actors working today, and I don't think he would disagree with that statement. But it knows exactly what it wants to do, and succeeds immensely. And with the unequivocal ending, Wick 3 ought to escalate the body count exponentially.Ī film with more head-shots than words spoken, John Wick: Chapter 2 is just about the most violent film I've seen in quite some time. Again, I emphasize that if that's what you want when you come to a picture like this, then Wick Two delivers in spades. Anyway, for a film with a cast of thousands who are either hit men or getting killed themselves, this is quite the adrenaline rush. That was really quite a remarkable and original scene that makes the film more memorable for me than it otherwise might have been. My favorite scene was the hit on Gianna D'Antonio (Claudia Gerini), not so much for the bullet to her head, but for the way she took control to demonstrate she would die on her own terms and not her brother's. Ian McShane's Winston had a nice way of putting things in perspective for Wick to show him that the repercussions weren't going to be personal. I also like the entire idea of this particular mob having a code that's inviolate, even for someone like Wick who crossed the line by taking out Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) on Continental grounds. ![]() The picture maintained that same high level of consistency with the sleek settings and the richly detailed environs of The Continental. I do have to say that the opening scene of the brightly lit downtown Manhattan cityscape was about the finest cinematography you can hope to come up with just about anywhere. ![]() But I guess that's the whole point, suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours and just go with all of the over the top action the film makers can put together. Okay, I get it, Reeves is the star of the picture and has to come out on top, but I'd like a little more credibility put into these kinds of stories. Besides that, he almost never makes a wrong move when hunted by dozens of assassins all at the same time. No doubt about it, "John Wick: Chapter 2" is a slick action thriller, but man, oh man, how can any one person absorb that kind of punishment? John (Keanu Reeves) gets shot, stabbed and hit by cars multiple times and postures a limp now and then to indicate he might have gotten just a little bit hurt. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |