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After returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.
I never saw “John Wick” upon its initial theatrical release. And I cannot, for the life of me, remember why. I have always liked Keanu Reeves, going back to the outrageous “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” and even the corny but enjoyable testosterone-filled “Point Break.” But “The Matrix” has to be my ultimate favorite of his. This time around, however, when the opportunity came up for me to see a press screening of “John Wick: Chapter 2,” I sure as hell was not going to miss it. And I am so glad I didn’t. Watching a movie like this has to be seen on the big screen in order to appreciate everything it has to offer, and believe me, it has so much to offer. It is filled with the customary violence that only John Wick himself can deliver, as well as some very funny laugh-out-loud moments. And we get to see Morpheus himself, Laurence Fishburne, interact with Neo again. What more could you ask for?
With the ending of chapter one, John had finally disposed of all the bad guys that took everything from him, his car, his memories, but most importantly, his brand new puppy Daisy, bought for him by his late wife. If there’s one thing I know, you do not, I repeat, DO NOT, kill a puppy that was delivered from John’s dead wife to keep him company during his grieving process, that just opens a doorway to hell that can only be closed by John himself. As chapter two begins, John fights his way into the house of Abram (Peter Stormare), the brother of Viggo and uncle of Iosef, the bad guys from the first film. When he finally comes face to face with Abram, instead of killing him, he asks for peace, and Abram agrees. With John wanting to leave his life as a hitman behind him, he tries to move on, buying himself a new dog, a pit bull. One night, out of the blue, there is a knock at his door, and he is very surprised to see Santino (Riccardo Scamarcio), an old friend from his past to whom he owes a blood debt. When Santino asks John to kill his sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini), who he believes stole his rightful place at the “High Table,” a council of high-level crime lords, John refuses, stating that he has left that life behind. When Santino reminds him that he is obligated to do what he asks because of the debt he owes him, again, John refuses. Disappointed, Santino leaves but before the evening is over, he destroys John’s house, almost killing John in the process. The next day, John tracks him down and knowing that if he were to kill Santino, every hitman in the country would be after him, he has no choice but to accept Santino’s request.
Once in Rome, John tracks down Gianna and surprised to see him, she asks who put the mark on her head. He tells her it was her brother Santino and before she dies, she reminds John that once Santino takes her position at the high table, he will take over New York, and will undoubtedly kill John, not wanting to leave a trail behind. True to her word, as soon as John finishes the task, Santino’s men immediately set out to kill him but John being John, he kills them all in violent, grandiose fashion. Once back in New York, he temporarily takes refuge at the New York Continental Hotel, which caters exclusively to assassins, and which permits no business on its premises. There, he speaks to Winston (Ian McShane), the owner of the hotel who can offer him no sound advice, other than trying to stay alive. John leaves and when Santino puts a bounty on his head for $7 million, every assassin in New York is out looking for him. In the subway, he fights mercilessly against a continuous number of killers, all wanting a piece of the $7 million bounty. Injured in the process, he meets up with Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), an underground crime lord who John had been assigned to kill in the past but spared his life. Bowery’s men help patch him up but even though he is tempted to turn John over for the large sum of money, when John tells him that once Santino takes his seat at the high table and that he will crush New York, including him, he has second thoughts. All John asks of him is safe passage to Santino’s location and he will take it from there but once he tracks him down, Santino manages to escape to the confines of the New York Continental and once there, John is faced with a dilemma, kill Santino on hotel property, and risk excommunication and a bounty on his head so big, it would make Santino’s look like loose change, or wait until he leaves the property, which could take a very long time.
“John Wick: Chapter 2” is that rare breed of sequel that successfully manages to surpass the original. Keane Reeves is an actor who manages to reinvent himself every few years, more so than any other actor in Hollywood. Starting out with the “Bill & Ted” movies, then moving up to “Speed,” followed by “The Matrix” trilogy and “Constantine,” and now “John Wick,” the man is as unpredictable as he is charismatic. The action and violence supersede what was set before but dials it all the way up to 10, making you wonder just how in the hell are they going to top it should they decide to do Chapter 3. Reeves is in top form, and obviously having a lot of fun and although he and Fishburne spend some onscreen time together, it is far too short. Ruby Rose appears as one of Santino’s assassins and ends up fighting John in hand-to-hand combat, with delicious results. Director Chad Stahelski takes the helm again after chapter one and proves that at the rate he is going, should he return for “John Wick: Chapter 3,” it will probably be the best movie ever made. The violence is so over the top that it cannot be taken seriously and the action scenes are near-perfect. If you are easily put off by the sight of blood, watch “The LEGO Batman Movie” instead, otherwise, if you’re up for this, I would highly recommend watching the first movie, if you haven’t already, then sit down and get ready to be blown out of the back of your living room!
“John Wick: Chapter 2” explodes onto 4K, Blu-ray & DVD Tuesday, June 13
