willyolio
Since: Jan, 2001
12/09/2018 00:00:00
Chapter 1 is pure and simple. We get his motivation, he WANTS to kill someone even when he\'s supposedly given up that life. It\'s amazing internal conflict, in the sense that he\'s his own worst enemy, not any of the mooks that try to stop him.
In chapter 2... he\'s killing because someone with money and power is forcing him to. That\'s actually really bland in comparison. Although the finale does a good amount of worldbuilding and setup for chapter 3, I\'ll have to give it that. Probably the only real character moment in the film.
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A more extreme version of the first movie, but lacking its emotional core
I'll get this out of the way first: I enjoyed this movie. A lot. It is entertaining from start to finish. And I'm REALLY looking forward to the sequel. But... something still felt off to me.
What the movie gets right, is expanding the most obvious good parts from the first John Wick film: The worldbuilding is still excellent (the scene with the sommelier in particular was an absolute riot), the action is even more engaging and brutal, the banter even more snarky and amusing. They took what worked and turned it all Up to Eleven. There's a lot to love about this movie, for sure.
What the movie lacks though is any reason for me to actually care about it all. John Wick worked because John Wick (the character) was thoroughly humanized and, yes, seeing his dog get killed is a simple yet effective moment of connecting me to that movie emotionally and... John Wick: Chapter 2 kinda lacks this. Oh, sure, they burn down his house in the beginning, and pics of his wife with it, but... that's just it. Nothing and noone really *dies* for John, and we don't get another scene mid-movie where he breaks down and rants about his motives and emotions which was one of the strongest parts of the first movie (not in the least because it also gave Keanu Reeves a chance to actually act instead of just looking cool and stoic).
Obviously I do not want that exact scene again (one of John Wick: Chapter 2's biggest strengths is that it does not just repeat the same plot of the first one, after all), but I'd still like to have some characer moments and not none. What I've got instead was... functional, but dependent on the goodwill the first movie generated, without that it feels very cold and soulless for me.
But in the end, in no way does this diminish just what a thoroughly fun movie it is, and if you liked the first one you will like this one, too. It is just decidedly lesser, in my opinion.