Fabulous. Loved it totally...

Rating: 9/10 (19 February 2017)

I saw the first John Wick on DVD on the recommendation of a friend. I loved it completely. The storyline was simple. In a sense, it is reminiscent of the chop-socky kungfu movies that I grew up with where the principal theme is revenge. Tarantino had taken that and made it his own in Kill Bill. Keanu Reeves was great as the glowering, silent anti-hero. The cinematography was great too, as was the assassin universe that Wick inhabits.
There was an Easter Egg in JW1 that really made the movie for me. There is of course, that (repeated) reference about the pencil. Who does that?? When I heard that line, my mind shifted to Shibumi by Trevanian. I have heard that Keanu Reeves had optioned the rights to that book and I would love to watch the movie IF it ever gets made. I seriously doubt it. I won't go into the plot of Shibumi here but suffice to say it features (another) retired world class hit man who could kill with a pencil. Later on in JW1 - when Wicks was entering the driving practice range, there was a one-second shot of the guard at the gate reading the book. Yes.. he was reading Shibumi. Although I seem to recall that he was holding the book upside down.
Like I said, that made JW1 THE MOVIE for me. John Wick was clearly modelled on/influenced by Nicholas Hel.
Fast forward to 2017. I eagerly waited for JW2 and I was not disappointed. The old friends are back - Aurelio the Mechanic, Jimmy the policeman (working again, John?), Charon the concierge (How good to see you again so soon, Mr Wick) , Winston the manager/owner of the Intercontinental. Everyone is so polite in this uber violent universe.
Of course, there are new characters - Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King, Cassian the bodyguard of the Mafia princess, Ares the silent androgynous sidekick of the bad guy. The assassin universe was enlarged and I want to find out more about it.
What I liked in particular was the other Easter Egg references to other beloved canons. The use of the ductwork in the huge administrative centre was so reminiscent of Brazil. The giant bathtub of the Mafia princess was (to me) another nod to Trevanian as I was instantly reminded of Jonathan Hemlock's bathtub at his home in a converted church on Long Island. Of course, Laurence Fishburne evokes The Matrix. The hall of mirrors brought back Scaramanga's setup in The Man With The Golden Gun.
Others have shared at length about the action and there isn't much more I can say on that count. It was great. The violence was extreme yet economical. I was a fan and I remain a fan.
I am sure there are heaps more Easter Eggs that I have missed. Please share if you spot anything.
I wonder what happened to the teaser set in Scandinavia? Is that for JW3? I can't wait....