‘John Wick: Chapter 2‘ (2017) is the second episode in a series featuring the character created by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski. Three instalments have been released so far and the fourth is in filming and will be released (if all goes according to plan) in 2022. Before launching into feature film directing Stahelski worked as a stuntman and stunts and special effects director for more than two decades, with over 75 movies in his filmography. It is therefore not surprising that the special effects in JW: C2 take up perhaps half of the screening time and that they are spectacular and professionally executed. But this is not the only reason why this film, and the whole series, competes and even surpasses in many ways competitors such as the series ‘James Bond’ or ‘Mission Impossible’. Spectators who do not reject action films in principle and films filled with violence have many other reasons for satisfaction. JW:C2 is a movie that proves again that there are no good or bad genres, there are only good movies and bad movies. It is both violent entertainment and quality film. Yes, it is possible!
Why does ‘John Wick’ succeed where other series fight routine and result in movies that we easily forget half an hour after the end of the viewing? The main reason is, I think, John Wick himself, that is the character created and played by Keanu Reeves. The action story (full of contract killers, secret societies and global financial intrigues) in this film is no more believable than in many other films, and the series of coincidences that help the hero stay alive (usually) from the first to the last minute of the film it is as incredible as the huge pile of corpses and the amount of material destruction it leaves behind. However, the character created by Kolstad and Stahelski is exactly that kind of loner in constant battle with a hostile destiny that suits Reeves perfectly, in any kind of movie he appears in. Even though he never assumes an explicit superhero role, John Wick acts like a superhero, otherwise he has no chance of survival. And Reeves is the perfect actor for that.
The technical and visual qualities of the film are remarkable and fans of the genre will enjoy a real feast. The supporting characters (almost exclusively negative) have well-written lines and the interpretations are impeccable. Of course, Reeves‘ on-screen reunion with Laurence Fishburne, the partner in the first ‘The Matrix’ movies, is very interesting. I also noticed Riccardo Scamarcio and Ruby Rose, as a bad-guy and bad-gal respectively, almost up to their opponent as well as Lance Reddick, an actor with a style and nobility that captivates me every time he appears on screen. I recommend JW: C2 to all those who do not reject action movies from the start and who want to spend two hours of no-guilt dynamic entertainment.