John Wick: Um Novo Dia para Matar

"John Wick: Chapter 2" (2017 release; 122 min.) continues the 'adventures' of former (?) hit man John Wick. As the movie opens, we are immediately thrown in the middle of a car vs. bike chase, and next thing we know, we find our man retrieving his beloved Mustang from a chop shop in NYC, but not without cars flying about, and dozens of dead or wounded bodies. And that's all in the pre-opening credits! As the story unfolds, Wick, who wants "out, is nevertheless forced back "in" when an Italian baddie calls in a favor and Wick has no choice but to accept. To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: director (and former stunt man) Chad Stahelski returns at the helm following the surprise success of the first John Wick movie, and once again delivers a highly stylish and ultra- violent action movie. When you watch the opening car chases (yes, in plural), it's like watching a synchronized ballet performance. I would not go as far to say that the story line doesn't matter, it does to a degree, but let's be honest: the reason we are there is to watch the car chases and the shoot-outs and the almost cartoonish level of violence that is so over the top, you can't help but laugh at it. Stahelski's thinking must have been: "when in doubt, (i) throw more bodies at it, and (ii) keep the focus on Keanu Reeves". Reeves is cold as ice in the best possible way, and it suits him perfectly in the film. Laurence Fishburn plays a small role (as another baddie) and the scenes where Reeves and Fishburn appear together are their first joint scenes ever since the Matrix Trilogy, if you can believe it. I couldn't believe how quickly these 2 hours flew by and I'm not spoiling anything when I tell you that the movie's ending sets it up nicely for a Chapter 3 in a couple of years. Count me in!

The movie opened wide this past weekend, and the Sunday matinée screening where I saw this at was absolutely jam-packed, somewhat to my surprise. Did I mention this movie is ultra-violent? And that it's rated R for good reason? I was outright dismayed to see how many small kids were in the theater. In the very row in front of me, there was a couple with three small girls, I'm guessing ages 5 to 7. What are these people thinking?!? Meanwhile, for us grown-ups, if you liked the first John Wick, you are more than going to like this sequel, you are going to LOVE it, be it at the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu- ray. "John Wick: Chapter 2" is a WINNER.

This review of John Wick: Chapter 2 is spoiler free

**** (4/5)

THERE HAVE BEEN a lot of roles that Keanu Reeves has played since hanging up his sunglasses, long leather coat and his boots after 2003s The Matrix: Revolutions. Many of which were promisingly good, some were quite bad and others in-between were mediocre to say the least. But out of all these characters he's been in none that have fit him more like a glove than the title character in 2014s John Wick, the hirsute assassin who was enjoying life in retirement with his new puppy, until he had to get revenge etc. The film spawned a whole new genre of action: the geriaction thriller (cheekily, Reeves was just about to turn 50 at the time he couldn't be considered as a geriatric) because at the time there were a few other films with older protagonists sharing the multiplex, such as Denzel Washington in The Equalizer, Kevin Costner in 3 Days to Kill and the granddaddy of them all Liam Neeson in Taken 3.

Even though he was a lot older than he was in the first Matrix he did a bloody (emphasis high on bloody) good job at ass-kicking, or sharp shooting criminals out of his home. He ended up killing a lot of people, there was a lot of action to enjoy. At this point you may be asking yourself what's on offer the second time-round? From the start of John Wick: Chapter 2 there is a lot to take in we are immediately transferred into a car chase it's indeed the main improvement over its predecessor which didn't have much of a story, there was just a lot of action a huge body count and a lot of blood a simple dog revenge thriller. For a while through this it riffs the same thing, there is a lot of action, a lot of blood and a huge body count – there are, however, two differences, an entirely new plot which riffs on an entirely new revenge story this time it's Wick's life on the line after he entered in a wager with a ruthless killer (Riccardo Scamarcio) and the dog (a Staffie with no name).

The title Chapter 2, also indicates there will be a larger series to behold here seemingly perhaps he may come back for the third movie (if it happens) we'll see. Director Chad Stahelski's material here is - in one word spectacular there is plenty here to enjoy, it's one of those movies that if it's done well then you'll enjoy it, now on the second-time-round the message is certainly correct. The action throughout is cool, the car chases are ruthlessly fun, and finally it's completely on edge from start to finish and with Reeves on top form what's not to like for this second time? Kicking off just a few hours after the ending of John Wick our protagonist (Reeves) is bruised, bloodied and quite frankly fatigued after fighting for hours on end.

He's tied in with another plot for revenge with a killer and his duo of assassins (Common, Ruby Rose); he receives info from his trusted hotel manager (McShane) that he is under attack. He must end a wager, to do this he has to fight for his life in a bullet ballet rampage; he must kill someone to somewhat end it, Wick here uses his skills and his wits through this barrage of bullets in the catacombs. Here there is an entertaining montage when he gears up for – perhaps his biggest battle, containing a brilliant cameo from Peter Serafinowicz who helps gear up Wick with an arsenal of weapons, along with his bullet-proof suit. There is also a knife fight on train slightly hinting at The Raid 2. Perhaps this is the message Stahelski is sending to us that he can make a bloody action thriller with a lot of enjoyable moments.

Wick then joins forces with the homeless network run by Laurence Fishburne's Bowery King, though instead of showing down to a Matrix-fu brawl, Bowery gives him a favour for saving his life many years before there is even a chance to his maniacal laugh, and for him to prove he's smarter again by riffing famous lines. This is when the film becomes slightly rubbery it loses its footing slightly, as it drags out a bit more. But when the action unfolds again it's immediately back to its home.

Stahelski's style isn't limited or indeed of short-supply because there is plenty here to enjoy it's completely ruthless from the opening moments to the stunning Hall of Mirrors set-piece there is a lot of action for any action movie buff to enjoy. Reeves may not be the greatest actor of our generation, nor, indeed is he the worst but he hits every mark with clarity throughout he's brilliant when it comes to the action. Despite the elasticised third act, as the story takes a while to step in. John Wick: Chapter 2 is slightly better than its predecessor it's an adrenaline-fuelled, action-packed ride with a lot of bodies, blood, plenty of material and is downright good fun from start to finish, it's an absolute blast.

VERDICT: A bruisingly, brilliant action-packed bullet ballet of a sequel. This is an absolute bloody blast and with Reeves on top form, what's not to love?

A film with more head-shots than words spoken, John Wick: Chapter 2 is just about the most violent film I've seen in quite some time. But it knows exactly what it wants to do, and succeeds immensely.

Keanu Reeves isn't one of the best actors working today, and I don't think he would disagree with that statement. But he's no doubt one of the most committed actors out there. There's no more than a few pages of total spoken dialogue throughout 'Chapter 2', and Reeves has probably a maximum of 30 lines, all of which aren't necessarily delivered as well as they should be. But it doesn't ultimately matter. Sure, John Wick could be a better franchise if the scripts were of the same caliber as say a Bond or a Bourne movie, but that's not really why you go see one of these movies. You go to see Keanu Reeves kick some butt amidst some of the best choreographed action in cinema.

Chapter 2 picks up not too long after the first film ends as Wick is somewhat enjoying his life as a "retired" assassin. If the first film was about him coming back to seek revenge, this film is Wick reluctantly coming back because he owes a debt to another assassin. I don't think the filmmakers truly could have imagined this would be a franchise off the bat, but it's sure shaping up to be quite the intriguing universe. The one thing that has always struck me as appealing in this series is the way they portray the world Wick lives in. Yes, it's present day, but the world that surrounds Wick is heightened to make for more exciting action (it's essentially a world full of super assassins). But at the same time, the films are incredibly grounded with reality. It's that balance that so few films can accomplish to this particular level.

Taking the famous Liam Neeson line "I will kill you" to a whole new level, Wick claims "I will kill them all". And that's pretty much your movie. Wick doesn't want to come back, he owes a debt and is forced to return for one more kill, and then the bounty on his head reaches just about everyone linked to The Continental's database. The rest of the movie is Wick delivering killing blows to just about anyone who stands in his way in the most creative ways possible. Isn't it about time people leave this guy alone? Overall, John Wick: Chapter 2 promised visceral action (all impressively in camera- yeah, I'm looking at you Resident Evil) and we got just that. Even if the dialogue can be clunky and the performances are over the top, it doesn't really matter. What matters is this series continues to be a pleasant surprise in an age where great action movies are too few and far between.

+Insanely well-done action

+Tops the first film's scope

+The universe Derek Kolstad has built

-Some dialogue is bland and even lazy

8.6/10

Well, I committed to watching the first three "John Wick" movies consecutively, and in case I totally worship them - like apparently the rest of the world does - I would hurry myself to the theater and watch the fourth installment on the big screen. After the first one already, I knew this wasn't going to be my thing. Not that "John Wick" is a bad film, it's just a very monotonous 'shoot-em-all-up' actioner that rapidly makes you go like "yeah, whatever".

The first film doesn't have much of a plot, but it does make one thing crystal clear. You cannot kill John Wick, but he sure as hell can kill you without barely even lifting a finger. The plot of chapter two is identical, give or take a few minor details. And if you thought, after the 500+ body count of part I, there wouldn't be any more bad guys left to shoot to pieces, you thought wrong. Another couple of cargo containers full of disposable thugs literally stand in line to get executed by Keanu. This is ironically also where the film gets rather tedious. During some of the never-ending shootout, like in the Roman catacombs, it felt like I was gazing at the ultra-violent video games that my 13-year-old son plays fanatically. And I hate those.

I'll still watch number 3 as planned but the fourth isn't not worth the expensive price of a cinema ticket nowadays. It's more of the same anyways, so I wait patiently until it plays on television in a couple of years.

In 2014, a Keanu Reeves revenge thriller John Wick became a surprise hit. I originally skipped out on the film as I felt that the trailers only showed an assassin story that I felt I've seen before. As far as I'm concerned, I made a big mistake. Before seeing the sequel, I felt it was important to watch the first one. I rented it on Amazon Prime and I was shock by what I saw; a dark, stylish, and fun action movie that is doing it's own thing. Though I've seen plenty stories about revenge (The Count of Monte Cristo and Moby Dick being the prime examples), I can't recall one over someone's pet being murdered.

I've always liked Keanu Reeves as an actor whether he's a metelhead from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, a SWAT officer in Speed, or "a chosen one" from The Matrix franchise. He has a more reserved, yet intriguing way of adapting that to his characters. Under a good direction, this can create a strong character. This has worked for John Wick, which reminds me of an older James Bond-type if the movie was more of a noir. I was happy to sit and watch John Wick: Chapter 2.

After a great opening where he finishes his mission from the first movie to collect his stolen car, John Wick (played by Keanu Reeves) returns home with his new dog to try and find peace with his retirement and death of his wife from before. Like a lot of typical spy movies, John gets visited by Italian crime lord Santino D'Antonio (played by Riccardo Scamarcio)who asks him to come out of retirement. Santino asks to have his sister assassinated so that her brother can have her seat at a table of mafia heads. When John refuses despite making a blood oath years ago, Santino has the assassins home destroyed.

John accepts the job knowing that saying no would only put his life in danger. In Rome, he finds the sister Gianna at a party, but she commits suicide rather then allowing an assassin to get her. On his way out, John finds himself double-crossed by Santino who has sent some of his weaponed goons lead by the mute Ares (played by Ruby Rose). Though John escapes and makes it back to New York, Santino has put out a seven million dollar contract on our hero to cover all the tracks.

John Wick: Chapter 2 manages to pull off a really good sequel. Not only does it expand the John Wick universe more, but the stakes feel bigger and the villains seem more threatening. Now that I have seen the first movie, I can see how tough it would be to follow up on a pretty good action movie. Unlike the Taken sequels which simply repeated the formula over and over again, John Wick: Chapter 2 still feels fresh thanks to it's plot which honestly kept me guessing on how things were going to move forward.

Do I think it's a higher rated movie then before? No, simply because if it does have any faults, it's that it feels a bit long. Not the segment in Rome, but when John returns to New York. It's quick pace suddenly halts when he visits a friend. Though the scene is okay, I feel like they could have cut it in favor have keeping up with John's mysterious background.

Keanu Reeves is still the perfect choice as John Wick. You can tell this man wants to be happy, but understand that with his connection to the crime world, is unlikely to happen. This is enough to keep me hyped for another John Wick movie.

I'll give this eight grey pitbulls out of ten. If you liked the first movie, you'll definitely like the sequel. John Wick has plenty of action waiting to burst, so I can only say love your dog and go see this sequel.