The Keanu Reeves Project: John Wick: Chapter 2

 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (2017) - John Wick

Well, in my post about the first movie I very correctly stated that countless things have already been written and filmed about these movies that there's nothing unique or original I can really say at this point.  I'm also finding it much harder to write these posts about movies I love and have seen numerous times than the ones I have not...With that in mind, please enjoy my thoughts.

So it's no secret that I love the John Wick trilogy (soon to be the quadology, I don't know what the right word is so I'm making that one up).  I mean, everyone loves these movies and the only real question is what's their order of greatness?  I'm hoping to use this project as a way to answer that question but I really think I might come up empty on this.  

I just rewatched "Chapter 2" for the 15th or 20th time and for absolute completion of this project, I also watched all of the special features on my Blu-Ray, as well as the movie AND the movie a second time with Keanu Reeves and Chad Stahelski doing commentary.  I didn't really learn too much from the commentary that I didn't already know, although I should point out that Keanu spent a good chunk of the commentary giving praise to his co-stars and stunt doubles and coordinators because, as we all know by now, Keanu is the best.

After watching "John Wick" from the comfort of my home back in the fall of 2015 I spent two years anticipating this sequel, which was finally capped off on February 10, 2017 when I went to go see "Chapter 2" on opening night with my friend Russell....and then again the following night with my buddy Gabe because I'd promised both of these people to see it with them in the theater and I saw no problem seeing it two nights in a row, especially because it's awesome.

Many, many, many movie sequels do not live up to the hype and the examples are far too numerous for me to list but off the top of my head.  Because of this project, "The Matrix Reloaded" certainly comes to mind but I think it's safe to say that "John Wick: Chapter 2" does not fit the bill of disappointing sequels.  If anything, "Chapter 2" far exceeded my expectations because the movie did everything you could want it to do - 

It's got a higher kill count with even more amazing action sequences and it further expands the John Wick Universe, again by SHOWING the audience and not TELLING us while introducing us to new concepts like markers and the High Table and characters (Ruby Rose as Ares, Lawrence Fishburne as the Bowery King, and a host of others) while bringing back some of our old favorites like Lance Riddick as the hotel concierge, Winston, and Aurielo who promises to fix up John Wick's busted up car by Christmas....2030.  

This'll buff right out

We even get yet another Peter Stormare sighting early in the movie, playing Iosef's uncle.  John Wick actually spares him in the taxi company siege cold open and I'm 100% convinced that Keanu must be friends with Peter Stormare in real life given how many movies they've been in together, not to mention that Keanu Reeves had a recurring role in a TV show called "Swedish Dicks" that starred Peter Stormare.  I won't be watching that show for this project but I'll get around to it one day. 

BFFs

Oh, and there's also a sweet montage where John Wick murders a bunch of would-be killers and getting in a super awesome double pencil kill, which are two of the most brutal in the the first two movies.  I mean was there anyway they were going to make a John Wick sequel and not put in the oft-referenced pencil kill?

Aside from being reunited with Lawrence Fishburne, Keanu is also back on screen with Common for a second time, who you might (but probably don't) remember from the cop drama, "Street Kings."  If you're keeping track, this is the second time Keanu kills Common on screen, although they are a much better match in this one, guessing they each got a fair amount of training in.  In fact, Keanu shares the screen with Common in multiple scenes and it's pretty evident how much work both of them put in to training and learning the choreography for their fight scenes, first in the streets of Rome and later in the New York subway system where Common meets an unfortunate ending.

Much better than "Street Kings"

Speaking of Rome, I absolutely love the montage of Keanu showing up to Rome to meet his "sommelier" and tailor where he arms himself for the assassination of Gianna D'Antonio so her brother Santino can take her spot at the High Table.  What kind of suit does he need?  

TACTICAL

Okay, so we know the kill count is higher and the choreography is even more extreme than the first movie, but how about the set pieces?  Just off the top of my head some of the more fun sequences include the shootout in the catacombs (which nobody could believe they were actually able to film in since that was actual catacombs and not a set) and the mirrored art installation that Santino flees to with Ares towards the end of the movie as he's trying to escape John Wick (which works, albeit briefly and also Ares dies in this fight).

Not so fun house

And then of course the movie has a pretty great ending and everyone involved in making "Chapter 2" must have been supremely confident in getting a third movie because I can't think of another movie that sets up more for a follow-up movie than this, except for maybe "The Empire Strikes Back."

I mean, what else is there really for me to say here?  This movie is one of the best sequels I can think of and does nothing except improve on everything that made the first movie great.  

Some various side thoughts:

*Once again, you have to give it up to all the performers in this (mainly Keanu, Common and Ruby Rose) for their dedication to the training that went into making this, not to mention all of the stunt work from all the folks who get no accolades for the crazy shit they do.

*Peter Serafinowicz just kills it as the sommelier and is basically wonderful in everything he does.  About ten years ago he had a recurring role on a very mediocre sitcom called "Running Wilde" that starred Will Arnett where he played a completely out of touch billionaire and might have been the only funny part of the entire show.

*The guy who plays John Wick's tailor is the actual wardrobe guy on the film.  I don't know about you but I think that's kind of fun.

Expert Tailor

*Okay seriously, how many world class assassins exist in the world of John Wick?  And how many of them happen to live in New York?  Thousands?  It's apparently a significant part of the homeless population not to mention at least one street busker (and probably many more), maintenance workers, etc. 

*So the inciting event of this movie is Santino blowing up John Wick's house with a rocket launcher or some shit, immediately after having his marker rejected.  But like, wasn't Santino at all concerned that he'd accidentally murder John Wick in the explosion?   This seems like it was a bad plan that luckily worked out.

*Also regarding Santino logic - is he just planning on living at the Continental forever at the end of the movie before John Wick breaks the rules and murders him on Continental grounds?  If his whole plan was taking a spot at the High Table, I'm guessing this all would have been for nothing because I doubt they'd let him work remotely from Zoom or some shit.  I don't think Santino thought his plan the whole way through.

*I still think that it was an interesting choice to have Ares be deaf and sign throughout the movie and I'm not sure what, if any, significance there is here other than to show us that John Wick is also apparently fluent enough in ASL.  He speaks English and Russian, he's an expert marksman and martial artist, he knows sign language, and I'm guessing he can make a mean borscht. 

Box Office Information: $92 Million domestic/$79 Million international for a worldwide total of $171 million on a $40 million budget.  Not too bad.  It was also the 36th highest grossing movie of 2017.

Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Critic/85% Audience.  How is this not 100% on both accounts?

IMDB: 7.5

My Movie Rating: 10/10.  Yeah, still don't know if this is better or worse than the first movie.  I guess I'll make an official determination when I wrap this project up.

Keanu Rating: 10/10.  Once again, he's totally perfect.

Up Next: It's yet another movie I've never heard of, how is this even possible that Keanu is still making no name movies in 2017?  It's "A Happening of Monumental Proportions."