John Wick is a man of focus, commitment, and sheer will

John Wick: Chapter 2, the second movie in the hitman’s thriller saga, stays true to the original John Wick, delivering two hours of gratuitous action punctuated by perfectly choreographed violence. Picking up where the first chapter of John Wick ended, John Wick 2 does not waste time in delivering the destructive car chases, overkill gun battles, and classic fist fights its audience craves.

While this movie fails to deliver much more than one man, John Wick played by Keanu Reeves, and his revenge-fueled, adrenaline inducing-rampage, it delivers it oh so well.

The beginning of the movie finds John Wick as a widower, dog owner, and previously retired international assassin extraordinaire stealing back his all-black 1969 Mustang from the brother of Viggo, the mob boss Wick faced off with in the first chapter of his story. Having exacted what he perceives to be an appropriate amount of vengeance, Wick takes his reclaimed vehicle back to his home where he hopes to retire for good.

However, John Wick is a man who cannot know peace. After barely a day of Wick’s second stab at retirement he is drawn back into his world of high class crime by an archaic secret society of assassins he was once a part of.

Throughout the film Wick travels through avant garde art museums and E.D.M. shows across the world in Rome and New York facing off against numerous faceless henchmen as well as other skilled assassins who provide small amounts of background to John Wick’s story giving his character and world slightly more depth than your average action flick. However, John Wick: Chapter 2 still sticks to its winning formula.

Audiences can expect to be enthralled by the movie’s expertly choreographed combat and Wick’s determination in his fight for survival, although to deliver this level of excellence in entertainment the film makes no concessions for a realistic plot while trying and failing to add a deeper level of emotional draw.

Nonetheless, John Wick: Chapter 2 is a masterfully crafted sequel that provides a level of blood pumping thrills that is rarely seen in cinema today. Despite it’s drawbacks, John Wick: Chapter 2 has all the makings of a classic hollywood action flick and is well worth looking into while it is still in theaters.

Running time: 122 minutes
Rating: R
Opening weekend: $30,436,123
Significant actors: Keanu Reeves, Ricardo Scimarcio, Ian McShane
Director: Chad Stahelski