John Wick: Chapter 2

After John Wick was released in 2014, I and many others were quick to declare it as one of the greatest action films of all time. Obviously, I was ecstatic when I heard that Keanu Reeves would return in the main role in the eventual trilogy. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed by this underwhelming film's shaky and confusing story.

Cinematography 18/20

One of the few positive notes of the film was the outstanding cinematography. Director Chad Stahelski was able to tap into some of the mastermind that made the film's predecessor truly great - high-tension, action packed and suspenseful. With a decent script, this film could have been truly great.

Main Cast 16/20

Keanu Reeves' portrayal of John Wick was mildly disappointing. During fight scenes when Wick was forced to escape from impossible situations, he did so while fighting through stab wounds and gunfire. With the undeniable blood loss that Wick faced, he should have been dead far before the conclusion of the film, though this slight inconsistency should not be put down to Reeves' acting, which made for some of the best action scenes in recent memory.

Supporting Roles 15/20

This high score is solely due to the brilliant performance of John Leguizamo as John's mechanic/car dealer, Aurelio. Despite only appearing in a handful of scenes, Leguizamo made it clear that his character deserves to be upgraded to the main cast for the series' third entry.

Originality 3/20

John Wick: Chapter 2 is unfortunately just another action movie. It unsuccessfully tries to replace the first film's cast, while essentially copying its predecessor. The only thing that saves the originality of the film from being 1/20 is the film's ending.

MILD SPOILER ALERT

Unlike the first film, Wick doesn't simply kill all of his enemies. He is actually forced to try and escape them before they finally overwhelm him in the third film.

Story 5/20

The story of John Wick: Chapter 2 is shaky and confusing. It is hard to follow as characters from Wick's past often show up and the film's minimal use of flashbacks make the audience desperate to try to follow the story. This makes the film hard to enjoy, though once one is able to assemble the mess of a story, it is admittedly creative for an action film.

Overall: 57/100, BRONZE

As a standalone film, John Wick: Chapter 2 would have scored much higher. Unfortunately, the masterpiece that was its predecessor forced upon it some virtually unattainable expectations. While watchable, this film was still terrible when compared to the series' first entry. Hopefully, John Wick 3: Parabellum will be able to wash out this stain on the reputation of the John Wick franchise.

- Connor

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