Mr Anderson, Welcome back. We missed you.

Rating: 8/10 (21 February 2017)

If there is one genre of film that has stood the test of time, it is the "Action Flick". There seems to be an unquenchable thirst for these things which the big Hollywood studios have been quick to capitalise on. Back in the 80's and some of the 90's the Action film was literally "One Guy takes on many people" and that's it. The studios knew what people wanted. They didn't want character development or a complex story line. They wanted Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone to kill people in imaginative ways. The audience loved it and the hence their menagerie of films have stood the test of time. Since then much has changed. Films like Fast and Furious attempt to put in a pointless story line about "family", "Friends" and a pathetic endeavour at on screen romance. But John Wick Chapter 2, does what its predecessor did so wonderfully. It takes guidance from the action greats of the past and instead spends most of its time to show you what you have paid to see An orgy of on screen deaths. While on the subject of death, John Wick 2 offers some of the best gun fight sequences ever. Keanu Reeves spent 8 hours every day for 4 months training for his role. This shows throughout the entire film as there are almost no stunt doubles. His efficiency with the weapons and the perfectly executed kills are a visual feast for anyone who loves a good action sequence. And that's exactly what we have come to watch. We don't want a complex story so the film makers don't try to give us one. The atheistic and visceral brutality is the reason why John Wick 2 triumphs over its lacklustre counterparts. The film does well to expand the lore that the first film started. It reveals why John Wick is so feared by almost everyone who knows him. But make no mistake, there is hardly a cohesive story here. The film takes places in a surreal world built upon our very own. There are a few bits of black comedy here and there but the tone is very much noire. One of my issues is that John Wick's character doesn't want to do this but when he is killing people with pencils and disembowels a man from the groin upwards that whole idea goes out of the window. Reeves who plays the character very well doesn't say much throughout the film. But as mentioned before, this isn't a film if you want a story. That aside, John Wick should be enjoyed as it was intended. It is a brutal ballet which is choreographed and filmed to perfection. Keanu Reeves it seems is back and is now the new darling of action purists.