John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
Chad Stahelski
Writers:
Derek Kolstad
Cast:
Keanu Reeves (John Wick), Riccardo Scamarcio (Santino D'Antonio), Ian McShane (Winston), Ruby Rose (Ares), Common (Cassian), Claudia Gerini (Gianna D'Antonio), Lance Reddick (Charon), Laurence Fishburne (Bowery King), Tobias Segal (Earl),John Leguizamo (Aurelio), Bridget Moynahan (Helen), and Tomas Sadoski (Jimmy).
Opening Credits:
The new Spider-Man film is out, and yes i could've reviewed the film. Not saying I'm not going to review the new movie. But with that said John Wick: Chapter 2 drew me in. The continued story of a gun for hire; A man with a definite grudge. The close up fire-fights, to mere grappling techniques.
Summer is here, and like the season it comes with a ton of new and exciting films, so alas no worries the web-slinger will have his day here on the www.reeltimemoviereview.com
Unfortunately the summer brought us so many bad movies, i guess that's the business. The fact that so many movies bombed in 2017 is a big deal. The Netflix, Hulu, Amazon streaming services are getting bigger as we speak. Even their films are doing well. The streaming services are what is killing the theaters, at least to me it feels like they're winning the war. The time where spending 100.00 USD on a movie is over. Spend 10.00 or 11.00 USD on a monthly subscription and you're set. I believe there will be a time when the customer will have to choose the new film, and watch it on their big screen at home. The effect can be achieved, technology has brought us there. The time for movies will be over, it will only take a few more bombs for audiences to just turn away.
An example of this would be Daredevil series on Netflix. Granted there are 13 episodes, but the characters grow, as everything in that series. Movies, feature films only have 2 Hrs to tell the story, and sometimes it bombs, unfortunately the bombs continue to take form at the silver screen. With that being said, nobody wants to pay for a horrible film. At least with the streaming services you get a lot more for your buck. 11.00 USD a month for original movies, TV shows. Guess the movie studios, and theaters need to start from scratch in order to compete with this sleeping giant.
Review:
You stabbed the devil in the back and forced him back into the life that he had just left. You incinerated the priest's temple. Burned it to the ground. Now he's free of the marker, what do you think he'll do? He had a glimpse of the other side and he embraced it. But you, Signor D'Antonio...Took it away from him. -Winston-
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) drives to the warehouse that is owned by Abram Tarasov (Peter Stormare). He comes like the Angel of Death, Tarasov had taken is car, and now only death remains. The operation will have to wait, the "Baba Yaga," or Boogeyman is coming.
A man lights up a cigar, enjoying it, but even as he inhales, a hand covering his mouth pushes the cigar in. Suddenly the man's head is turned sideways. His death was quick, but not painless.
Looking for any danger, the hired gunman notices something, but it's to late, a wire catches his neck, it takes hold. The gunman is flipped, punched, until his breath ceases. Another life the Baba Yaga has taken. Wick emerges from the shadows, taking out Tarasov's men. The car, dog will be avenged.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is probably one of the most in your face films of all times. The movie is inside your head at the opening sequence. The guy doesn't stop. He is a monster of combat, a perfect killer of all trades. Smart, engaging, yet his presence is known in the first glimpse. This film is that engaging, granted there has been so many revenge films, but this one is about a guy who wants out of the hired assassin business. I know how it looks, he is a devil incarnate, and somehow the audiences love it.
The first film John Wick's partner was his dog, and that poor little guy was killed. The story was John taking revenge for the mobsters taking the things he loves away from him. The second film, John still tries to stay retired, but a mobster by the name of Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) comes to visit John, and tries to hire him, with the coin agreement. Wick declines, afterwards his home is incinerated. Wick then goes with his new dog to the Continental. Like in the first film, the Continental is a no killing zone. So he comes out of retirement only to do one last job.
D'Antonio wants his sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini) dead. She holds a pretty big part of the business, and in the mob, everything is just business. A coin of acceptance is part of the agreement, Wick and D'Antonio have with each other. The only problem is that the boss has a different plan for John Wick.
As the long night progresses, Wick approaches Gianna, tells her of her brother's plans. Gianna commits suicide, by cutting her wrists, Wick shoots her in the head, taking the pain away.
The story is pretty engaging, a hardcore film. The pace is fast, but not fast enough to kill the film, it's perfect. The fight scenes are pretty good. Reeves did most of his stunts, it's very noticeable in a positive way. The hard work the stunt team, and Reeves gave with every fight scene. The gun fights were amazing. You don't know how many times I've watched a movie, and knowing the gun only had 6 rounds, and yet afterwards the gun just somehow had a thousands of bullets, without the protagonist changing clips. No worries in John Wick 2, Keanu Reeves does a wonderful job, running, fighting, shooting, changing clips. The team worked hard, and it payed off, something Hollywood needs to take note.
The acting is great, all the characters connected well, everything went smooth from scene to scene. Ian McShane, Common, Ruby Rose, Claudia Gerini, Lance Reddick, Laurence Fishburne, John Leguizamo, and Bridget Moynahan. These folks in some ways and others did a wonderful job. The connections with all the characters were memorable. An example of this would be Ruby Rose who plays Ares. She plays a character that can't hear. So she communicates with sign language. Wick and Ares are nemesis in the film, but yet they both still get the job done. Her actions are amazing in the film, and again a huge big thumbs up to everyone making this film because the final product paid off.
I have been mentioning in my last three reviews that Hollywood needs to change, because the huge amounts of films bombing at the box office. This film should be a shining example of what to do. Instead the studios decide to back films like Alien Covenant, Transformers, and The Mummy are movies that bombed. So what will it take for studios to see the outcome. No worries because streaming is killing the theaters, and those services will dominate as long as the studios continue to produce bad films. That's really sad, because i personally love the experience of watching something on the big screen. The audio down to the mass visual quality is enough for me. But why? is the theaters falling apart. First had just mentioned the bombs, that adds to it. Another is the outrages prices on all drinks, food products. and last but definitely not least is time. 2 Hr films don't really have an advantage. Trying to get everything in 2 Hrs is difficult. The streaming services have the time, money, and the main advantage is you could take it with you. Cell phone, computer, TV, anywhere. You're not held to one place. Either way the movie companies better come up with something fast, because in the next 10 years, if not sooner the theaters will put up the closed sign.
Comments