--John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2
Well, I chose to experiment with my movie selections by watching this title and giving Keanu a chance--and the results were very enjoyable! I was surprised by the quality and atmosphere of this movie, which I will detail below. This may be one of the best movies released so far this year, not the kind of films that critics expect from the month of January. I've dissected components of the film in their usual spots.
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Production Values
Excellent fighting choreography is on full display here, with many action scenes seeming unique and distinct from the previous ones, whether the difference lies in having the shootout in a mirror maze or in a montage of several different fights or having two skilled assassins brawl and shoot their way across subways, crowds, and the outdoors. This movie is not the type of film to have or need elaborate CGI, and I hear that Keanu has invested himself deeply enough into the character that many of his stunts are just legitimate acting coupled with practical effects. Search for videos of Keanu practicing at a gun range on YouTube to see him truly immerse himself in the role and actually shoot in real life with the same precision, speed, and consistency that he does in the film. Between the sets, choreography, and splendid practical effects, this movie has very impressive visuals that truly aid the world-building.
I completely bought Keanu Reeves as an ultra-skilled and extremely-focused assassin. In the past I have scoffed at his acting (or lack of it), but this role seemed perfect for his dry, blank Keanu expressions. Ruby Rose and Common (bizarre name!) play the two primary antagonist assassins who oppose John Wick, and both delivered wonderful performances, especially considering the type of movie I expected this to be. Ruby Rose's character Ares is a mute woman who communicates using sign language; Common's character Cassian is an imposing persona who requires a great deal of effort from John Wick to kill. Both stand out in the film partly because of the absence of any other opponents of John that receive screen time beyond a shot (get it?) of John killing them. The rest of the acting is not forced or cheap, which elevated the whole film.
Tyler Bates designed some of the music, with his former soundtrack projects including 300 and God of War: Ascension, both of which are appreciated by me from a soundtrack perspective and as overall art. He successfully created appropriate music that ranges from haunting to exciting, tailored well to the scenes where each track appears.
The movie has great production values all around. What could have been a cheap B action film is instead a breathtaking series of fights within a clever backdrop.
Story
The titular John Wick, seeking retirement from his life as an assassin, is coerced back into his macabre occupation when his home is destroyed by a man named Santino who wants John to kill his sister Gianna. She has ascended to a position of power after the death of her father instead of John's employer and her brother wants to replace her.
John completes his mission and finds himself pursued by the minions of the deceased Gianna and by others who are interested in a $7,000,000 bounty that Santino has placed on his head--after all, what kind of man would he be if he did not "avenge" the death of his sister?
(SPOILERS)
The majority of the remaining scenes either show or set up dazzling action scenes in underground Roman catacombs, public crowds, and a mirror maze semi-finale that oozes style.
In anger, John eventually kills Santino on Continental grounds, a place where killing is prohibited. John finds himself declared "excommunicado" and the organization he once worked for bars access to its weaponry, technology, and services. The final scene shows him fleeing as he is given a single hour to prepare before legions of assassins attempt to kill him and earn an even larger bounty than the one Santino placed on him, leaving the story open for a dramatic sequel.
For a movie expected to heavily emphasize action and spectacle, the story arc and setting are quite inventive and immersive.
Intellectual Content
Is there such a thing as a legitimate assassin? Obviously the Bible would condemn hiring a man or woman to kill a neighbor (Exodus 20:13), but can governments hire assassins to kill individuals resembling Hitler, Stalin, Nero, or Tiberius outside of war conditions without committing a wrong? The answer is deceptively difficult to verify because it is impossible to make a moral judgment that is both correct and confirmable without divine revelation (and God has not necessarily provided enough details to dogmatically answer this), yet the possibility of it being immoral to not engage in such preemptive assassinations remains.
The movie never explores the morality of assassinations with any serious depth, but it is clear that some of the assassins are more egoistic and amoral than others and that some of them have adopted a type of moral code. To be fair, the movie was designed to astonish the mind with chases and shootouts rather than investigate a philosophical topic, and it definitely succeeds in that area. Still, the question of the morality of the occupation of an assassin is a relevant concept to think about after viewing it.
Conclusion
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John Wick: Chapter 2 is a great action movie that delivers a story intriguing enough to craft a creative backdrop for the spectacular shooting sequences--and the gunplay and action are indeed spectacular. Keanu Reeves has found a role that actually makes the most of his monotone, reserved, largely emotionless and bland acting and turns it into something imposing and impressive. If you want to watch a thriller with well-constructed background lore and excellent fighting scenes, then you will very likely appreciate John Wick: Chapter 2. It is a wonderful film that successfully accomplishes almost everything it needed to.
Content
1. Violence: Many people are shot to death and some scenes involve lengthy brawls between formidable opponents.
2. Profanity: Various characters say "f-cking" and "sh-t" occasionally.
3. Nudity: Gianna removes all of her clothing before entering a pool of water and slicing her forearms open. No so-called "private parts" are actually seen directly by the camera but she is wearing nothing.
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