Better than the first film

Rating: 8/10 (8 March 2017)

Picking up shortly after the events of the first movie, we see John retrieving his beloved car from Russian mob boss Peter Stormare in an opening sequence that gives James Bond a run for his money. Using nothing but his car and his Kung-Fu, he beats through a countless barrage of thugs. He uses his gun once on a big guy (Raiders of the Lost Ark style!) John seeks to stay retired now he's found his car but he's then forced to take a job by sleazy Italian gangster Santino, which involves him going to Italy. Once Wick suits up and gets he's arsenal of weapons he checks into the Rome branch of The Continental, run by original Django actor Franco Nero.
While in Rome, he bumps into old acquaintances, some of them friendly some.. not so friendly. This time around his foes are less generic and feel more different to one another, one of them being a violin player another being played by Ruby Rose (who is deaf and mute in this) He also finally meets his match with a hit man played by rapper turned actor, Common. All of their scenes together are fun; one amusing scene where they take silenced shots at each other in a crowded train station gets a good laugh, and that's just one of many confrontations between the two.
The bass has been raised literally since the last film in one sequence that includes a Techno-Rave where John butchers countless henchmen. This is easily the best sequence that tops the nightclub scene from the last film. Like the last film he also takes some nasty hits throughout, he gets stabbed, shot, body slammed the lot! It makes you wonder if he will survive to the end. But just as you think he'll throw in the towel, he pulls off more inventive kill streaks each one more deadlier than the last.
Overall it balances it's comedic elements and dark elements very well. However it does get a little goofy at times, one scene involving a Sumo Wrestler is hit and miss and another scene including Lawrence Fishbourne and his crew feels completely unnecessary. Nitpicking aside, if you enjoyed the first film, then chances are you will enjoy Chapter 2 a lot more as it's more of the same but with a bigger budget and more action set pieces. Its very well directed in terms of action and never short on thrills. Keanu is on top form and you can easily see his commitment to the role. From his Matrix days and the last Wick movie. He certainly knows Kung-Fu or in this case Gun-Fu/Car-Fu. He won't be in an Expendables film any time soon as I sense he will be busy making more original action movies and of course more exciting John Wick chapters.