A technically great action film

Rating: 8/10 (2 March 2017)

The age of great action movies is virtually over in America. Let's face it, movies like Terminator 2, Aliens, Die Hard, and Rambo were all entities that, no matter how any unnecessary sequels the studios behind them chose to make, spiritually ended in the 80s and 90s. Many times, modern action movies are simply the run of the mill superhero movies that fit into some greater cinematic universe. The new dominant "action" franchise is the endless teenage boy wet dream saga that is the Fast and Furious series. The last great action movie I had truly seen was probably Skyfall in 2012. That is until John Wick: Chapter 2.
The first John Wick movie was a solid run of the mill action movie. I thought the premise was slightly uninventive and storywise, very predictable. However, the second movie I felt was an interestingly developed story. John Wick is now a fully developed character and in hindsight, that's what the first film was trying to do. I always say that stars do not make a movie, but the talent behind the camera. these technical achievements make this film stand out among many boringly average action movies. Director Chad Stahelski and writer David Kolstad return for the sequel. Interestingly enough, Stahelski was Keanu Reeves stunt double for The Matrix Trilogy, which is frequently cited as some of the greatest action films. It is Stahelski's background in what makes stunts look so effortless. The real amazing work in John Wick: Chapter 2 comes at the hands of director of photography Dan Laustensen. I had previously applauded Laustensen's work two years ago in Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak. The way he is able to capture the hues and lights is an incredible capture of the modern neo-noir style, highlighting shadows and their opposition to the light. The real sequence that blew me away was the use of mirrors in one sequence of the movies. No spoilers, but the way the camera captured these mirrors. The sets in this movie done by Letizia Santucci and David Schlesinger are some of the best designed sets I have seen in quite some time. Most of the film is done in old fashioned practical effects, rather than showing off overly flashy and dull computer graphic imaging. CGI has become a huge cop out for many action movies, and it is always nice to see a return to the old-fashioned way of doing effects.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is The Empire Strikes Back to this saga. In some ways, it leaves you with more questions than answers. The film follows in the style of an old serial film being set to a violent aesthetic and violent setting. this film's technical achievements allow me to give it a much higher score, as it chooses to stand out from the crowd.