Review of John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) by Dana F — 09 Jul 2017

What the hell happened??? I really liked "John Wick", it was action packed and violent and high-adrenaline and FUN. This one was such a dud in comparison. I'm stunned at the near universal praise it has received, both from critics and fans.

This one totally missed all the marks that the first one hit. What made Chapter 1 so great was its simplicity: it was just a bare bones revenge tale, there was nothing to it except action and stunts and headshots, and that is what made it awesome.

While Chapter 2 starts with a literal bang and initially has the same high energy, it immediately dwindles down to a slog of exposition and backstory. It's another hour (an HOUR!!) before you get any action again.

That is just inexcusable for a movie that prides itself on its balls-out action. The story is too convoluted with too many characters, none of whom get enough screen time to develop. The plot doesn't make sense and is so over-the-top (even for a movie like this), suspension of disbelief is impossible.

The writing is terrible and the dialogue is often unintentionally funny. Keanu Reeves is up to his old tricks again, every line he has (of which there are mercifully few) he delivers in that same flat stilted way that we know and hate him for.

The only good thing about it is, for at least the 2nd half of the movie, it delivers on the same gratuitous action and glorious carnage that the first one reveled in. But, with the notable exception of a badass fight scene featuring a pencil, it's nothing new or different than we saw in the original film.

What a disappointment, I expected so much more out of this movie. I'd recommended re-watching the original over sitting through the 2-plus hours of Chapter 2.