The man. The myth. The melodrama.

Rating: 6/10 (24 February 2017)

A return to the big screen for everyone's favorite hit-man/serial killer/most tragically-suffering assassin on an increasingly preposterous revenge mission; John Wick. And with nearly double the body count of its predecessor, this sequel only builds upon the foundations of death, gore and mythology set out in what is increasingly becoming Keanu's signature role thanks to an original which has attained a cult-classic status over the last couple of years.
The initial outing of John Wick found great success predominantly through the re-watch (home video in old money) market, with audiences garnering a similar relationship to the 'Death Wish'-style plot which so many other successful action franchises have adopted previously (think Schwarzenegger in 'Commando' or Statham's 'Crank'); but with Chapter 2 comes a whole new level of bloody insanity. With more kills than minutes to the movie, the pace is relentless and – as is alluded to by the film's core antagonist, Santino D'Antonio – words are definitely not wasted here (a fact which is reflected in the Ruby Rose's character who is deaf and therefore says nothing whatsoever). Whilst fun, the film only really hooks you toward the end (ironically when the kill count is beginning to tail off) and Wick appears to be making decisions which will have the inevitably dire ramifications. This element of consequence is really what underpinned the heart of the first movie, yet here it is swept aside in favor of more extreme violence and an opportunity for viewer eyes to gorge on the gratuity of the images on screen. In many ways, the second outing of Baba Yaga (John Wick/"The Man They Send to F'n Kill the Boogeyman") is so bludgeoning, full-on and generally numbing; that it becomes almost video game-esque and therefore leaves a real sense of emptiness behind.