If we were back in 2014, and the team behind John Wick were seeking advice for a sequel, my suggestion would have been to sharpen the tonal focus. While the first film dabbled in dark humor, moments of genuine emotion, and over-the-top crime world theatrics, it often felt like these elements were fighting for space, never quite coalescing into a unified vision. The comedic aspects felt restrained, the emotional beats muted, and even the stylized action suffered from a visually murky presentation due to overly dark cinematography. The potential for a truly unique action experience was there, but the execution felt like it was holding back.
However, John Wick: Chapter 2, helmed solely by Chad Stahelski this time, throws caution to the wind and fully embraces a more playful and self-aware approach. The film’s opening moments make a bold statement, projecting a scene from Buster Keaton’s silent comedy masterpiece Sherlock Jr. onto a Manhattan building. This isn’t just a random cinematic nod; it’s a declaration of intent. While not a direct stylistic mimicry, Keaton’s influence, particularly his blend of breathtaking physical stunts and comedic timing, permeates the film, adding a layer of delightful postmodern irony to the proceedings. Chapter 2 doesn’t entirely resolve its tonal balancing act, but it confidently strides down a path that suggests a thrilling future for an action franchise that understands the fun lies in its own delightful contradictions.
Keanu Reeves embodies the relentless assassin John Wick in a pivotal scene from Chapter 2, showcasing the film’s signature blend of intense action and stylized visuals.
The opening action sequence, where Wick invades a garage serving as a front for the Russian mob, immediately surpasses anything the original John Wick offered. The highlight of this sequence is undoubtedly Peter Stormare’s cameo as the brother of the first film’s antagonist. Confined to a single room for his brief screen time, Stormare delivers a performance that steals the show. While Michael Nyqvist’s villain in the first John Wick was subtly satirical, Stormare’s portrayal is a complete, unadulterated caricature. It’s a hilarious dismantling of action movie clichés, or perhaps even a playful mockery of over-the-top acting itself. It’s an explosion of comedic energy that gleefully shatters any pretense of serious drama, embracing pure, unadulterated fun.
This opening sequence also signals a crucial shift in Chapter 2‘s priorities: plot takes a backseat to pure, unadulterated action. While a narrative thread does exist, propelling the film forward and providing entertainment, it’s undeniably secondary. By launching directly into 15 minutes of high-octane action, completely detached from the main storyline, Stahelski and returning writer Derek Kolstad send a clear message: intricate plot development is not the primary objective. The purpose of the plot is simply to serve as a framework for delivering increasingly inventive and spectacularly choreographed action set pieces, punctuated by moments of Peter Stormare-level comedic brilliance.
The relentless action of John Wick: Chapter 2 is captured in this image, highlighting the film’s focus on intense gunfights and dynamic choreography.
The plot, such as it is, revolves around John’s perpetually unsuccessful attempts to retire from his violent past. Instead of finding peace, he escalates his conflicts, angering even more powerful and dangerous criminals. He seems to resign himself to a life of constant combat, accepting his fate as a headshot-dispensing machine who must eliminate anyone who crosses his path, culminating in a showdown with the current antagonist, only to find temporary respite before the cycle begins anew. This formula, inherited from the first film, risks becoming repetitive, but Chapter 2 elevates it to absurd new heights. The fact that Wick manages to provoke the wrath of almost the entire criminal underworld, far exceeding his previous conflict with the Camorra, reveals the series’ gleeful embrace of escalating stakes and increasingly improbable odds.
This overwhelming onslaught of assassins translates directly into a significantly increased body count. John Wick: Chapter 2 features a relentless barrage of action, broken down into a series of set pieces that justify the film’s existence. While the action in John Wick was primarily driven by Keanu Reeves’ remarkable ability to move with fluid precision and react convincingly to attacks – a quality that is not only maintained but enhanced here – Chapter 2 enriches each fight and shootout with unique characteristics and escalating tension. This often involves greater interaction with the environment, such as the memorable hall-of-mirrors sequence that plays with spatial disorientation, or more nuanced tactical decisions. An early car chase exemplifies this, where Wick outmaneuvers motorcycle-riding pursuers by cleverly using faster traffic lanes and then abruptly halting his car in an intersection, causing a pursuing helicopter to crash directly into him, sending its rider flying.
The innovative hall of mirrors sequence in John Wick: Chapter 2 showcases the film’s creative use of environments to enhance the action and disorientation.
However, the most significant improvement in Wick‘s fight choreography is the increased emphasis on “table setting.” The film meticulously details John’s weapon and equipment choices before each confrontation, often with a slightly humorous level of detail. These setups are consistently rewarded with satisfying payoffs. In one fight, Wick’s frustration with being armed with a pistol that only holds seven bullets becomes a recurring comedic element as he repeatedly runs out of ammunition, forcing him to switch weapons and even throw empty guns at his enemies. In another instance, he removes a piece of Kevlar from his jacket after believing a gunfight is over, only to be ambushed and forced to desperately use the floppy piece of armor for protection. These logical, and often comical, extensions of Wick’s arsenal, more than anything, underscore the Keaton-esque influence, grounding the fantastical action in relatable, almost slapstick scenarios.
I must also commend the film’s significant advancements in music and cinematography, two areas where its predecessor faltered. While the score by Tyler Bates and new composer Joel J. Richard is only marginally better than the first film’s (primarily due to a slightly broader sonic palette), the cinematography, now under the direction of Dan Laustsen, is transformed from a liability into a major asset. Laustsen retains the film’s penchant for vibrant color splashes but abandons the distracting blue and orange filters and low contrast of the original (resulting in scenes with natural skin tones). He also demonstrates a far superior understanding of composition compared to Jonathan Sela’s work on the first film. This isn’t just a step up from the previous Wick movie; it’s a leap forward from Laustsen’s previous work, most notably The Shape of Water. The fact that The Shape of Water‘s visually unremarkable cinematography garnered Laustsen awards recognition in 2017, while his exceptional work here received no attention, highlights the often-farcical nature of Hollywood awards season. Furthermore, the production design, helmed by Kevin Kavanaugh, is superb, perfectly complementing the film’s aesthetic and comedic sensibilities. The baroque parodies of settings – museums, modern art installations, Italian hotels – not only reinforce the film’s humorous tone but also contribute to a richer and more dynamic color palette. It’s arguably Kavanaugh’s best work to date and a prime example of a project that allows a production designer the creative freedom to deliver something truly unique.
In fact, it’s fair to say that John Wick: Chapter 2 represents an almost across-the-board improvement over its predecessor. This isn’t to say the film is without flaws. Echoes of the first film’s underdeveloped attempts at psychoanalyzing Wick resurface occasionally (most jarringly in a clunky “I think you enjoy this” monologue delivered by a villain hiding around a corner). There’s still a lack of palpable tension and escalating stakes throughout the film’s runtime. And much of the dialogue still feels self-consciously “written,” with the attempt at coolness overshadowing any genuine coolness. The music, while improved, remains largely forgettable at its best and irritating at its worst (exemplified by a baffling remix of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons that strips away almost all of its rhythmic energy). Finally, it’s worth noting a developing trend within the series of associating its few female characters with sexualized violence, particularly a scene where a character disrobes before committing suicide in a bathtub. While the push towards operatic melodrama is appreciated, moments like these reveal a certain thoughtlessness in execution that hopefully will be addressed in subsequent installments, and they make the overwhelmingly male-dominated world of John Wick feel somewhat dated.
Ultimately, the most significant compliment I can give to John Wick: Chapter 2 is that it showcases artists dedicated to growth and confident enough to deliver a thoroughly entertaining pop cinema experience. While I approached John Wick and Chapter 2 with a sense of obligation to stay current with contemporary action films, I now find myself genuinely excited to see Parabellum and discover what new ideas and improvements these filmmakers have in store. John Wick may not be the Road Runner just yet, but he’s definitely putting his foot on the accelerator.
Other Essays in This Series
John Wick John Wick: Chapter 2 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
