In the second half of 2014, the so-called return of Keanu Reeves - neo-noir action, "John Wick," which is highly acclaimed by critics, excellent box office results and growing cult status after coming online. The director Chad Stahelski takes advantage of the situation in the best possible way, wrapping his sleeves and sculpting a sequel, which instantly receives even more recognition from critics and audiences. And this is deserving because I believe unequivocally that "John Wick 2" is entering the indefinite list of sequels, better than his first part. And is an important representative of contemporary genre cinema. Here, director Chad Stahelski works alone behind the camera and, as you can see clearly, he did not intend to create a commercial product or some bombastic, gurgling action. In fact, the only thing I can blame for "John Wick 2" in self-worth is the very quality of the work.
The difference between the two films is not that big, but it is substantial. "John Wick 2" builds the overall picture of the first film not only in a large scale. Proportionally, the detail of the heroic world as well as the overall efficiency of the work grow. Much more attention is paid to the underground network of mercenaries and the entire criminal world. There are certain rules in it, and the violation has consequences. Even a legend in this world, like John Wick himself, can not avoid them. A very good move is that Wick's personal vendetta moves the course of events, which is the second part. He is forced to return to life, which for the second time fades from forces higher than himself. He can have godlike abilities in his craft, but he can not go beyond the Matrix he is part of. I find it hard to point out something good from the first film, which is not present in the second, even more polished and developed way. The main focus again falls on the same keywords - precision, style, class, elegance. But at a higher level. They fit every aspect of John Wick 2 - starting with his genre - a highly stylized and endlessly beautiful action that goes forward purposefully. He does not get into the depths of sentimentality. He does not try to put complicated philosophical questions and is generally not doing something that is not. And that's terribly attractive! Even at the premiere of the first film, the creators had no idea what the audience's reactions would be because they did not have the means of organizing pre-screenings - they knew they had a quality product, but they did not know how well it would be . This, of course, gives them the confidence to create the sequel in the same daring and uncompromising way - against their standards and requirements, not those of the mass audience. Stewels' sharp and disciplined directing, an absolute master in the world of fighting choreography, cascading, and duality, allows actors to play with sufficient weight, determination and seriousness. Who said that in action we can not watch quality performances. From the very first film, Mikael Newquest impressed with his strong presence, not because his character was special or different, but simply because he is part of a well-oiled mechanism that knows precisely his role and place and does not abuse it. And the performer, aware of all this, believes he is part of this world. The same goes for the actors in the second part, starting with the living legend Franco Nero as the manager of the Roman Continental Hotel. His charisma and dignity instantly earn and bring new levels of weight into the overall picture. In spite of my brief participation, Claudia Jerryn ("The Passion of Christ") made me very impressed as Jana D'Antonio, the head of the criminal syndicate, Camorra. A prominent actress in her home country, with numerous nominations and awards, she adds to the wealth of John Wick 2's criminal underground universe with her hunger, classy radiance and aging beauty. Without spoilers I will say that one of the most unusual, surprising and wonderful scenes in the film is with her participation.
Another great value in the film is the rapper-actor Common, who performs a role that at first glance has played a dozen times, a mercenary-bodyguard. Here, however, Cassian played hard in his place and wishes respect. From now on, it will inevitably be the movie I will associate with this man. Cassian is Wick's worthy adversary, with whom, apart from superhuman physical training, combat abilities, and loyalty, they both share true respect for each other. Good words can be said about the other mini-star in the movie - the Australian model, DJ, singer and actress - Ruby Rose, like the Ares guard, broadcasting passion with every second screen time. The sincerity is not to mention Keanu Reeves himself and his full-blown reincarnation. It was as if he was born to be John Wick. There is a particular drama in the way Wick speaks (as rare as it may be). His low-frequency timbre says a lot about his character. He does not speak the words with ease, but with weight and difficulty. This is in full harmony with his life, which does not quite develop in the way he desires. John Wick is actually a tragic hero who is constantly returning to the past, to the way of life as a killing machine that he no longer wants to be, but his destiny seems to have karmically predetermined to be. When the universe of a movie is filled with such an adequate and credible casting, going to the little almost episodic roles chosen with great care, then we are delighted to dive into the atmosphere and spend two hours in the hero world. Because "John Wick 2" is not just a title you're enjoying because of youth and shooting (though they occupy so much of it). Dialogues are once again economical and simple but very precise. Huge admirations deserve the use of languages in the film. In the first part we enjoyed a lot of Russian, while in the second part we were a little Russian and Italian. Of course, we can not compare John Wick 2 with the level and amount of linguistic perfectionism in Quentin Tarantino's cinema, but I can see how sometimes masters like Steven Spielberg, Brian Singer, and even Stanley Kubrick unify the language used by their characters , the second part of the Stachelski series stands out in this respect as well. Using languages other than English is not an end in itself here again. Here we have a true respect for both the characters and their mother tongues, all of which add dimensions to Chad Stahelski's canvas, which overflows with the class. Another thing that makes the film more than perfect is that it actually goes ahead. He does not attempt to recreate and repeat popular moments from the first film, but only builds up, making elegant direct references. The action began several days after the end of the first film, and the pre-cap scene was one of the most explosive, and it actually served as the link between the two. The car chase and the few initial dogfights are the first dose that sharply raises our adrenaline and shows what we will see in the rest of the movie - a breathtaking action-packed styling that is remarkably tangible both visually and soundly. "John Wick 2" acts as an intoxicating pill with instant action that relaxes enormous amounts of endorphin. The last film that acted like me was "Mad Max: Fury Road."
Both films have a very strong common denominator - a minimal amount of CGI. Just the actual performance of all these sophisticated choreographed scenes by real people in a real environment brings a real feel and causes such a strong emotion in viewers. Because, regardless of the development of technology and the masterful use of the computer-generated image, knowingly or not - the human brain makes a difference. However absurd it sounds - it's the future of action cinema! But in one respect, the John Wick battle scenes even outnumber those in the "Fury Road." The way they are shot and executed - in much longer, continuous and not so close frames. We do not have the typical sprawling installation, in which large plans, details, and sharp movements of the camera change in seconds, giving a sense of dynamics. Of course, the scale here is quite different, but the complexity and the precision of performance is no less. There is another similarity between the two films - the hero's movement, from point A to point B and again to point A, after enormous and endlessly enjoyable scrubs. John Wick 2 is not for everyone, nor does he want to be. For many people, it's just action and maybe right, but with a few additions. The action is not a dirty word, it is a movie genre that deserves just as much respect as anyone else. Titles such as John Wick 2 may perhaps redefine the meaning, and use of this word, which for many years sounded so old. And as such a representative of the genre cinema, the film is a work close to impeccability, which must be watched and studied to recoil!
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