Revenge is sought, betrayal is executed in ‘John Wick: Chapter 2’

The first “John Wick” was more focused on revenge, and also gave glimpse at an intricate world of hitmen, and how Wick was amongst the deadliest, and characters all around Wick were terrified of him. In the first film, Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist), the father of Wick’s target, aptly described him: “John Wick wasn’t exactly the boogeyman, he was the man you sent to kill the boogeyman.”

The intense, visceral action of “John Wick” has become a staple of this new franchise, and the film, more than once, implements clever fight scenes and chases that set these films apart from other, more run-of-the-mill action flicks.

Following the events just weeks after the first “John Wick,” “Chapter 2” pits the legendary assassin against double-crossing contracts, dozens of skilled killers, and shows the audience an even deeper look into the complex world this assassin organization.

One of the most notable aspects of the first “John Wick,” was the fast and smart “gun kata-esque” fight scenes, which “Chapter 2” is far from lacking. “Gun kata” is a fictional term of fluent gunplay mixed with martial arts, that has been seen in movies such as “Equilibrium” (2002), and has been refurbished and grounded in the “John Wick” series. Where “Equilibrium” would have their shooters make impossible shots and unnatural finesse, John Wick uses his close quarters combat and gunplay in a more realistic and visceral way.

Wick will take precise shots at any angle, and able to take down foes through advanced jujitsu before finishing them off, typically with two shots to the head and heart. These scenes are one of the two most fascinating and entertaining things about this new franchise, the second being the unique and layered world of hitmen.

These killers have very strict rules to maintain order between thousands of assassins across the world. Gold coins, for example, are used as a currency amongst the assassins and their resources, and also function as a badge of their status as hitmen, allowing them access to secret areas, munitions, contacts, and more.

John Wick, however, is forced back into action due to one other rule that keeps these killers from chaos: a “Mark.” This special locket represents an obligation between one member to another, and can be initiated whenever the one who offered the “Mark” deems necessary. Wick used the “Mark” to first “get out” of the organization, but he had to do so by striking a deal with Santini D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio).

Wick is fully aware that D’Antonio is an untrustworthy member of the assassin’s organization, who wants to take the seat amongst “the Table,” the leaders of the organization. Each seat is occupied by a representative of each country that has an assassin branch, though D’Antonio desires the seat his father once held, his sister, Gianna (Claudia Gerini), is the one who is about to inherit it. Wick is reluctantly forced to make the deal, and is quickly thrown into a bloodbath, made from those who attempt to stop Wick.

Reeves’s performance is somewhat better than it was in the first movie, mainly because Wick’s dialogue has been shortened to sparse conversation and one-liners. The film wisely takes the route of Wick being a man of action, rarely words. The revenge-double-crossed plot isn’t really new to Hollywood, but the movie’s focus is largely on the world around Wick, and the paths Wick takes to reach his targets.

The first film was a relatively simple revenge story, but what made the narrative interesting was how fully aware everyone around Wick were of how dangerous and relentless he is. Though Wick isn’t as feared as he was in the first film, the fear is replaced with a strange respect and comradery between the assassins, especially towards Wick. Even the assassin, Cassian (Common), who has a recently deepened hate towards Wick, still treats him with professional respect and honor.

“John Wick: Chapter 2” is fully aware of what kind of film it is, and instead of other “self-aware” action films that are obsessed explosions, nonsensical violence, and recycled uninteresting plots, “John Wick” keeps a level-headed pace in action, violence, and story.