For some an unexpected success, the 2014 action film John Wick not only revived Keanu Reeves's career and confirmed his status as a major action star, but made possible the creation of a new and successful film franchise, which also found its way onto the small screen. The inevitable sequel, made less than three years after the first, retained the majority of the old team alongside the lead actor. Thus, John Wick: Chapter 2 was created from a screenplay by Derek Kolstad, the creator of the original character, and directed by Chad Stahelski, a former stuntman and Reeves's collaborator from the Matrix era. The only one missing is David Leitch, who instead of John Wick directed the genre-related film Atomic Blonde.
In the new film, Reeves's titular character still enjoys a reputation as a top-tier professional assassin who inspires fear and trepidation even among the most powerful representatives of the criminal underworld, though he has more or less retired from his bloody trade. The only one not particularly impressed by this is Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), one of the bosses of Naples' "Camorra" who once saved John Wick's life and enabled him to build his career. He presents Wick with a special marker which, in the world of high-level criminals, signifies the calling in of a debt, i.e., he demands that Wick put his killing skills back into operation. Wick rather reluctantly agrees and travels to Rome where his target becomes D’Antonio's sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini), who has just ascended to the position of head of the "Camorra" and whose death would allow Santino to succeed her. After thoroughly preparing and finally carrying out the liquidation, Wick himself becomes the target of Gianna's bodyguard Cassian (Common) who wishes to avenge her death, as well as Santino's men who want to conclude the whole affair in the simplest way by eliminating him. Wick returns to New York and discovers that a bounty has once again been placed on him, and that because of this, all professional assassins, motivated by the fabulous reward, begin lying in wait for him. In his struggle to survive he is forced to use not only his own skills, but also the help of friends, and even former enemies whom he believes owe him.
Sequels to popular films are typically worse than their predecessors, and John Wick: Chapter 2 is no exception, though, in all fairness, one can speak here in terms of nuances. Kolstad and Stahelski continue to adhere to the formula whereby the screenplay must be as simple as possible, serving primarily as a pretext for the longest and most spectacular confrontation scenes which utilise various forms of melee and firearms, as well as bare hands and motor vehicles. Reeves continues to function as a perfect killing machine, though this time he gets a sort of equivalent in the form of equally talented opponents who will serve as the equivalent of "boss battles" from action video games, but are also deliberately spared so they can be used in a potential sequel. Alongside rapper Common, this task was performed rather impressively by Australian model Ruby Rose, portraying the character of a deaf-mute assassin.
The film's creators were, despite this, aware that the audience risked monotony, so they offered a new setting in the form of Rome as a sort of refreshment, where, alongside impressive locations (some of which serve very well in the action scenes), Italian actors are used, though not with any particular success. The legendary Franco Nero is reduced to a cheap cameo, Claudia Gerini (known for her role in the TV series Suburra) is wasted in a liquidation scene during a bath which, despite a fairly chaste treatment of sexuality, seems exploitative. Scamarcio, otherwise a very good actor (who played a Milanese gangster in The Ruthless), tries far harder, but is still below the level of Michael Nyqvist who portrayed the main villain in the previous film.
John Wick: Chapter 2 reveals how far more creative effort was invested in locations and set design than in the screenplay. This refers primarily to the fictional Hotel Continental, which, alongside its New York version, gained a Roman one, as well as to Santino's New York headquarters, which, not at all coincidentally, is an art museum that alongside classical sculptures includes a contemporary installation designed to create optical illusions, thus making the job considerably harder for anyone thinking of killing someone in the museum. An interesting detail is also the attempt to provide a sort of insight into John Wick's criminal world, which includes anachronistic offices where a global criminal organisation conducts business with the help of an army of secretaries and typewriters that were obsolete even in the 20th century.
All of this, however, only partially compensates for the fundamental problem of John Wick: Chapter 2 – excessive length. This pertains both to the film itself and to individual scenes, which are quite drawn out and, in the end, rather predictable. Perhaps what stings the eyes the most is the beginning, where the scene in which Wick seeks to finish what he started in the first film, however visually impressive, is simply unnecessary. And there is also the problem of introducing a whole series of new characters portrayed by actors who, although they appear for only a few moments, cannot resist the temptation to show they possess a better range than the wooden Reeves.
However, all of this, as well as a cliffhanger that might irritate some viewers, should not overly influence the general impression of John Wick: Chapter 2. This film can be recommended to all who enjoyed the previous instalment.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
(Note: The text in the original Croatian version is available here.)
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