Ferocious Fun

Rating: 10/10 (19 February 2017)

"The man. The myth. The legend. John Wick. You are not very good at retiring."
Thank god John Wick is not good at retiring. He is back, and obliterates every action movie made in the last 10 years, out of the park. Hollywood history has proved bigger is not necessarily better, but John Wick is one of the few exceptions. 2X bigger budget, but 4X the fun as compared to the original.
Speaking of which, the movie starts 5 days after the first movie ended, with Wick tracking down his trusty Mustang at yet another Tarasov's. A brutal fight follows that seems pointless as it ends in a peace offering, but it is not quite pointless- it sets up John Wick's character for the uninitiated. That he is focused, commitment, has sheer fu***ng will, and all the stories about him are watered down versions of actual events. And that is the excellent thing about the characters in John Wick 2. They help grow the mystery around the main character, keep adding to his legend. Because as far as the plot goes, it can be summed up in one line- handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, pencils, knives or hands- Wick will kill lots of people in the most inventive ways possible.
"You stabbed the devil in the back. To him this isn't vengeance, this is justice"
While director Chad Stahelski might have been a stuntman, but John Wick 2 is not all action. It is funny too, like horror movie funny. Incredible action pieces are followed up by tense, yet funny moments. Think Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2 rolled in one. Keanu Reeves is again perfect as the unkillable assassin, dispatching 128 people in the movie, in elaborately choreographed style, yet seeming lovable and hopeless romantic at the same time. Apparently ex-Special Forces folks trained him and that shows in his physical performance. In current form, close quarter armed or unarmed, he might even take on Bond, Reacher, Hunt and Bourne, all together, and make it out alive. All the while looking way better than those guys.
"Tailor: Is this a formal event or a social affair? John Wick: Social. Tailor: How many buttons? John Wick: Two. Tailor: And what style? John Wick: Tactical..."
While Wick is stylish, his style has both art and purpose. His impeccably tailored suit serves as his body armor. His moves have a dance like feel. The criminal world he belongs to has the same kind of resources that Bond has access to, yet crazily, has a code of honor. By the time the movie is over, you might be left wondering if there is a thing called "too much."
Spoiler- The climax doffs its hat to another cult classic action flick- Enter the Dragon. Does Wick go one up on Bruce Lee? Watch it and decide- 10/10