Review of John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) by Jon D — 20 Oct 2018

Strengths: Everything that made the first John Wick film work is back in the sequel. Keanu Reeves (John Wick) gives the cool, quiet performance that was great in the original. Ian McShane (Winston) is again cool. I liked the additions of Common (Cassian) and Ruby Rose (Ares). The latter plays a mute and manages to say a lot without speaking. The action scenes are stellar and come at you constantly. There's next to no slow down throughout this movie. It's action from start to finish. The visuals are stylish and there's just something about the world this takes place in that is cool. The soundtrack adds to it all.

Weaknesses: Some of the dialogue can feel awkward. Even the conversations involving the mute are relatively bland or feature forced moments. It makes some of the movie feel like it drags on at points. The other major issue comes from the villain. Riccardo Scamarcio (Santino D'Antonio) is largely forgettable and never feels like a true threat. I know he was kind of just the guy pulling strings, but he still doesn't make for an intriguing character.

Overall: It's not without flaws, but John Wick: Chapter 2 manages to build upon what worked in the first film. It's cool, fun, and features a ton of action.