IMO the overall theme of the second movie wasn't about revenge, but dealing with the consequences of your previous actions. The writers did a lot to hammer this into our heads (The marker, picking a fight with the russians, letting Morpheus live...) I'm pretty happy they moved on from revenge and focused on deconstructing John as a character (was he really out? He could've laid low instead of seeking revenge. He seeks the thrill etc)
Yeah that was really the running theme throughout this movie.
And the funny thing is, the Desanto/Desanti? probably wouldn't have come to John if John didn't come out of retirement for his revenge. He probably would have hired some other guy to wack his sister. But hey, John is out killing again? Time to cash in my coin.
Saw it earlier today... well, yesterday, local time.
Pretty good, though the theater had way too loud audio systems... felt like they were tuned for a larger place (was the smallest screen size in the theater, i think).
Very good action, and more of it. Somewhat humorous at times too, in the black comedy sort of way, like in the first one. Definitively one of the better action movies there are.
I do like the first one more though, it is a tad more self-contained, Chapter 2 more or less sets up a third part, presumably forming a trilogy. And I like the first one's slightly more... subdued style, Chapter 2 is almost over the top at times.
The ending is fucked up since he didn't ask for this, all of this over a car and puppy and now, he's out on his own, he just got burned and looking over his shoulder.
Just got back. Still digesting the film. My initial impression is holy shit, so good. Better than the first in many ways. It's one of the rare action movies I found myself watching and hoping it would last longer than I knew it would. I'm definitely going back for repeat viewings.
The ending is fucked up since he didn't ask for this, all of this over a car and puppy and now, he's out on his own, he just got burned and looking over his shoulder.
He did ask for it. He broke the rules, just like Perkins. I was inwardly pleading along with Winston for John not to shoot Santino. I didn't expect he would, as he's previously shown nothing but the utmost respect for the Continental. So much for that.
He did ask for it. He broke the rules, just like Perkins. I was inwardly pleading along with Winston for John not to shoot Santino. I didn't expect he would, as he's previously shown nothing but the utmost respect for the Continental. So much for that.
Really delivered on everything I expected. Its hard to follow up from such a great movie, but they did everything possible. Really amazing action movie, doesn't take it self to seriously, plenty of humor and nods to say, yeah we just having fun.
Also the ending, really loved it.
I love when a movie is willing to just go for it at the ending, no crazy bullshit. A lot of movies play out the end of a movie, some crazy crazy show down with the good and bad guys. But nope, when it gets to the moment where John can shoot him? He does, cause thats what you'd fucking do, he wants him dead and does it. No crazy escape or convoluted shit to prolong it.
Its a very competent and well thought out movie in the "dumb action movie" genre. Which is where it really shines, still dumb and fun, but everything is done so well.
Saw a Thursday night showing yesterday, but I didn't get home until after midnight, and had work early the next day, so I couldn't post my impressions until now.
Anyway, I loved it. It was probably one of the best action sequels I've ever seen. It's pure balls to the walls action, and it's great. Keanu does another fantastic job, and everybody else brings their best. The directors seem to know exactly how to use the actors to the best of their capabilities. I wasn't too sure about Common and Ruby Rose (moreso the latter than the former, since I thought Common did a good job as the hitman in Run All Night with Liam Neeson), but their characters were used in a way that kept their strengths, and eliminated their weaknesses. Common is used as the stoic foil to John, a part he plays perfectly, and Rose's character never speaks, so you don't have to see her acting, and is portrayed as someone who's a bit in over their head. And seeing Fishburne and Keanu together again made the Matrix fan in me jump for joy. I also loved seeing the Continentale, and I loved meeting their Charon and Julius. The
pope
joke also got me laughing. The film manages to flesh out the underworld from the first one while keeping a sense of mystery to it. I was worried for a bit that they'd reveal too much and the world seem dull, but with every question they answered, they give you another one to ask (ex.
What exactly is the High Table?
)
I would put it on par with the first. That's how good it is. As a sequel, I would put it above the Raid 2. The movie had no moments where it seemed to drag, unlike the middle of R2.
The gunplay was great, and really creative. The scene where he reloaded the shotgun was the best, and showed just why the way the films uses guns works. It designs the encounters around the weapons and their real life capabilities. When John gets a gun with seven shots, he only gets seven shots, and needs to reload afterwards. It makes what happens feel all the more realistic.
The bulletproof suit and
the amount of assassins in New York
didn't bother me too much. The suit isn't perfect, as shown by John's bruises and the knife wound he gets in his fight with Common, and
he's bleeding after the violinist shoots him later in the film
. As for the second point,
it didn't actually show a huge number of people getting the phone call. I don't think it's too unbelievable that in a place near a Continental, and in a city as crowded as NY, there would be over 20 killers ready to hunt Wick down.
The encounters also manage to differentiate themselves from those in the first film. The
scene where he gets his car back
effortlessly combines hand-to-hand combat, gun-fu, and car-fu into one spectacular setpiece, where in the first film, you never had that interplay between car and guns. The
catacombs
is probably the most like those in the first film, and I thought the music worked well with the action in this one, though not as well as "Think" in the Red Circle from JW1. It's also different due to how the second half plays out, and how it ends. The
assassin hunt and the museum
action setpieces are completely original, and so unlike anything from the first film, that my jaw was on the floor during both of them.
What amazes me about the film is how the action is directed in such a way that you always know what's going on even in action scenes where you probably should have a hard time. The sequence in the catacombs probably showcases this best, and it's a true testament to the director's talent. The place is dark, and you sometimes have trouble seeing the characters. However, the entire scene has the camera stick close to John, almost like a third person video game, so you can easily tell where he is and what he's doing. The enemies also all use flashlights on their guns, so seeing the glare of a light tells the audience about a new enemy, and the light going off as the gun falls to the ground indicated John has killed them. It's something I noticed that's absolutely brilliant. Another is how the guards at the start of the last shootout all wear white jackets, contrasting with what John wears.
As for the audience in my theatre, they clapped when
John killed two people with a fucking peeencil.
And there was an audible gasp when
he killed Santino.
It was a tour de force, and I'd give it a 10/10 because of how fun and well put together it was. Can't wait for John Wick 3. Inject it in my veins.
either way it will be used in 3. To me it could be blank for a new oath. Winston gains nothing. A member of the high table however gains alot. I don't think winston has the power that a high table does
Given that we juat heard about this high table means it will be a big part in 3
This. Sums up what I felt with much less sentences. Everyone seems to think John has thick massive amount of motivation for chapter 2. Simply put he doesn't.
One of my favorite aspects of the first film is how it repeatedly depicts Wick commanding an almost mythical level of respect in the Underworld. The simple "Oh" uttered by Viggo in his call with Aurelio is a hilarious scene, but it's particularly brilliant for conveying in one word the sheer gravity of Losef's fuck up and Viggo's regard for Wick. And this respect is not just for John's talents but for the man himself, as Viggo later praises him for being "a man of focus, commitment, sheer will" while putting down his own son for lacking those traits. And throughout both films that deference is shown by every other high level player in the Underworld almost without exception. " By the end of Chapter 2 he's been referred to as Baba Yaga, The Boogieman, Death's Emissary and The Devil Himself. One bit I particularly liked is when
Wick arrives in Rome and one of the first questions he receives is a respectful and cautious, "Are you here for the Pope?"
This tiny interaction says so much about Wick's reputation and how it proceeds him every where he goes.
But despite his legendary status, John Wick is such a grounded character. He's a force of nature but he never feels unstoppable like so many classic action protagonists. We see him beaten and wounded. We see him get his ass kicked throughout both films. He's shot, he's cut, he's stabbed, he's rammed by cars, he's thrown off of ledges and he's left limping after almost every fight with other assassins. He pays for those interactions in pain and blood, and because of this every encounter between Wick and an opposing force feels super fucking intense.
I'll probably spend the next few days digesting more of what I enjoyed about Chapter 2 but for the moment I'm just basking in the surprise of seeing an action sequel so triumphantly eclipse its already amazing predecessor. I really fucking love this entire series and I can't wait for more.
This. Sums up what I felt with much less sentences. Everyone seems to think John has thick massive amount of motivation for chapter 2. Simply put he doesn't.
Wick is reactive in Chapter 2, more so than being proactive. A reactive character is not automatically a bad thing but it gives a feeling of the character being powerless or lacking control. (This kinda sounds like a tautology.) And might explain why it feels like he lacks motivation. That said, there is motivation, and it is survival.
I didn't really bother me but this might be one reason i prefer the first one more, where Wick is proactive, clearly a hunter.
Possible, though i'd expect Wick does something that either collapses the whole idea of underworld with rules, or does something that leads the underworld to avoid him completely.
Or perhaps he'll fake his death somehow. I mean, figure he is counted as "dead" in paperwork, even if he is alive afterwards in reality...
John Wick Chapter 2 is one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. What a fucking MASTERPIECE. It helps that Keanu Reeves is my favorite actor of all time. It's going to be hard for any other movie this year to top this greatness for me.
Wick is reactive in Chapter 2, more so than being proactive. A reactive character is not automatically a bad thing but it gives a feeling of the character being powerless or lacking control. (This kinda sounds like a tautology.) And might explain why it feels like he lacks motivation. That said, there is motivation, and it is survival.
I didn't really bother me but this might be one reason i prefer the first one more, where Wick is proactive, clearly a hunter.
Yeah this. It's not like he had that good of a motivation in the first movie either. People always point out how silly it is that he goes on a revenge oddyssey over a dog and car.
It's not about his own motivation. It's about the leverage that
Santino and the Continental has over him. He swore a blood oath and he's dead if he doesn't fulfill it. It's not about whether you're convinced he's doing this because he wants to. That's not what chapter 2 is about. It's about if you're convinced that he's doing this because he has no other choice. And he doesn't. The movie makes it clear. Between Santino and the Continental rules, he has no recourse.
Yeah this. It's not like he had that good of a motivation in the first movie either. People always point out how silly it is that he goes on a revenge oddyssey over a dog and car.
Revenge is rarely rational. And pretty sure it isn't really healthy either, psychologically speaking.
But revenge stories are pretty old, sort of all time favorites. It is pretty basic, elemental, theme, and i guess it resonates with people.
I know i like reading or watching well done revenge stories.
Rationally, it is silly... but emotionally, i'm not sure it is a silly story.
IMO the overall theme of the second movie wasn't about revenge, but dealing with the consequences of your previous actions. The writers did a lot to hammer this into our heads (The marker, picking a fight with the russians, letting Morpheus live...) I'm pretty happy they moved on from revenge and focused on deconstructing John as a character (was he really out? He could've laid low instead of seeking revenge. He seeks the thrill etc)
Speaking of drive...the first movie was about John coming to terms with death and finding purpose in life. His dog's death, which represented the last link he had to his wife drove him to revenge but when all was said and done, he still felt empty. Getting a second dog was a sign that he was willing to try again. In the sequel, John accepting that assignment was him fighting for a chance to live (as opposed to the first movie where he simply lived to get revenge). Of course, it's great that John remains an imperfect character in the sequel. He still has trouble letting go, and losing every memory of his wife (hope you got that video backed on iCloud bruh) was the breaking point that led him to break Continental rules. This is a great example of the "yes-but, no-and" progression system a lot of writers use in fiction.
By the end of the film you get the feeling that John is done with pretenses and has finally embraced his reputation as the boogeyman.
He did ask for it. He broke the rules, just like Perkins. I was inwardly pleading along with Winston for John not to shoot Santino. I didn't expect he would, as he's previously shown nothing but the utmost respect for the Continental. So much for that.
The last thing John is ever going to do is look over his shoulder during his every day life. That one guy was still alive, meaning the contract for 7 million dollars was still floating around. So he can either go into hiding, or shoot the guy in the safe haven and go down that rabbit hole
So to say its for the thrill, I think does a bit disservice to him. The cards were stacked against him at the end.
That ending scene with the whole crowd stopping. I think thats the first time John ever felt powerless.
Eh. Critiques like this are reductive and unoriginal. Yes, the sequel is a meatier, all-around better flick, but if all you got from the first film was the song and dance, then I doubt this franchise is for you. John Wick isn't your typical, run-of-the-mill actioner. It's a revenge saga built around simplicity and precision, with well-drawn characters, a darkly comedic sensibility, and a setup so perfect that it borders on self-aware. And that's to say nothing of the surprisingly dense mythology surrounding The Continental, and its connections to New York's criminal underworld.
So, yeah - from one cinephile to the next, there's actually a surprising amount of art here.
Did anyone else notice the bad green screen they used for the fistfight between John and Cassian just before they dove into Rome's Continental? You could clearly see that the backdrop of Rome was a picture :lol
Saw a Thursday night showing yesterday, but I didn't get home until after midnight, and had work early the next day, so I couldn't post my impressions until now.
Anyway, I loved it. It was probably one of the best action sequels I've ever seen. It's pure balls to the walls action, and it's great. Keanu does another fantastic job, and everybody else brings their best. The directors seem to know exactly how to use the actors to the best of their capabilities. I wasn't too sure about Common and Ruby Rose (moreso the latter than the former, since I thought Common did a good job as the hitman in Run All Night with Liam Neeson), but their characters were used in a way that kept their strengths, and eliminated their weaknesses. Common is used as the stoic foil to John, a part he plays perfectly, and Rose's character never speaks, so you don't have to see her acting, and is portrayed as someone who's a bit in over their head. And seeing Fishburne and Keanu together again made the Matrix fan in me jump for joy. I also loved seeing the Continentale, and I loved meeting their Charon and Julius. The
pope
joke also got me laughing. The film manages to flesh out the underworld from the first one while keeping a sense of mystery to it. I was worried for a bit that they'd reveal too much and the world seem dull, but with every question they answered, they give you another one to ask (ex.
What exactly is the High Table?
)
I would put it on par with the first. That's how good it is. As a sequel, I would put it above the Raid 2. The movie had no moments where it seemed to drag, unlike the middle of R2.
The gunplay was great, and really creative. The scene where he reloaded the shotgun was the best, and showed just why the way the films uses guns works. It designs the encounters around the weapons and their real life capabilities. When John gets a gun with seven shots, he only gets seven shots, and needs to reload afterwards. It makes what happens feel all the more realistic.
The bulletproof suit and
the amount of assassins in New York
didn't bother me too much. The suit isn't perfect, as shown by John's bruises and the knife wound he gets in his fight with Common, and
he's bleeding after the violinist shoots him later in the film
. As for the second point,
it didn't actually show a huge number of people getting the phone call. I don't think it's too unbelievable that in a place near a Continental, and in a city as crowded as NY, there would be over 20 killers ready to hunt Wick down.
The encounters also manage to differentiate themselves from those in the first film. The
scene where he gets his car back
effortlessly combines hand-to-hand combat, gun-fu, and car-fu into one spectacular setpiece, where in the first film, you never had that interplay between car and guns. The
catacombs
is probably the most like those in the first film, and I thought the music worked well with the action in this one, though not as well as "Think" in the Red Circle from JW1. It's also different due to how the second half plays out, and how it ends. The
assassin hunt and the museum
action setpieces are completely original, and so unlike anything from the first film, that my jaw was on the floor during both of them.
What amazes me about the film is how the action is directed in such a way that you always know what's going on even in action scenes where you probably should have a hard time. The sequence in the catacombs probably showcases this best, and it's a true testament to the director's talent. The place is dark, and you sometimes have trouble seeing the characters. However, the entire scene has the camera stick close to John, almost like a third person video game, so you can easily tell where he is and what he's doing. The enemies also all use flashlights on their guns, so seeing the glare of a light tells the audience about a new enemy, and the light going off as the gun falls to the ground indicated John has killed them. It's something I noticed that's absolutely brilliant. Another is how the guards at the start of the last shootout all wear white jackets, contrasting with what John wears.
As for the audience in my theatre, they clapped when
John killed two people with a fucking peeencil.
And there was an audible gasp when
he killed Santino.
It was a tour de force, and I'd give it a 10/10 because of how fun and well put together it was. Can't wait for John Wick 3. Inject it in my veins.
