John Wick 2

[vonlance]

Packed screening but took a while to fill up.

started a little after 7pm and we saw Keanu and the Director for like a minute to introduce the movie, then they zoomed off

I loved it, just more of the same! don't fix what isn't broken.

a solid 8/10

[RandomHajile]

yeah it was in three screens yesterday and free bar if you was in screen7(the biggest screen)

im glad its actually good, cant wait for chapter 3 but the wait will be longer as the director is doing highlander first!

8/10

[Jayman]

As someone who wasn't particularly impressed by the first one, I found myself deliriously overwhelmed by the gun-wielding acrobatics extravaganza that is John Wick Chapter 2.
Yup, it's still a bare-bones story with almost no character development to speak of but, as long as you psychologically prep yourself by leaving all of that at the door, you'll walk out of this action-packed, weaponry-based ballet with an adrenalin kick of a lifetime.
It's an absolute feast for the senses.

8/10

As the other posters have noted, Keanu Reeves and the director introduced the movie.
I'm a long-time fan of Reeves so this was a massive fangasm for me.
Here's the video I caught on my crappy phone

[vonlance]

OT but i wish he'd make Constantine 2. I'd p*y to watch that!

[prettyxcool]

So all SFF ticket holders where sent to the basement for Screen 3, from 6pm onwards, not even a drop of water for us, while all the VIPs with proper tickets went upstairs to the free bar and Screen 7. LOL

People trickled in really slowly though, and although it became quite packed, there were still plenty of seats left in the first two rows, shame!

Then just after 7pm, the director and Keanu Reeves rushed in even before the PR lady had the chance to introduce them as a surprise for us, which she tried to do nevertheless. Then this girl in front of us stood up and blocked everyone's view as soon as they came in, and we had to ask her several times to sit down. So selfish!

The film is about an assassin so you would expect killings and there was, a lot! Oh my so much violence, but the world created is intriguing and fascinating, a secret underworld of criminals, another world with their own particular code of conduct. It's a brilliant all action non-stop, fast paced sequel. Surprised that it was such a good sequel, and I really liked it, despite the OTT violence, but it is due to the fact that Keanu Reeves really suits the part of the iconic kickass Wick. He is really charismatic, and the choreography of the fight scenes are amazing, as is the sound. Pure escapist entertainment.

8/10

[The Sparrow]

I was a little concerned as to how many hitmen that there are.

Spoiler

Show

I'll certainly be more wary of the homeless in future.

[kevinknapman]

John Wick Chapter 2 director Chad Stahelski makes his and screenwriter Derek Kolstad's intentions pretty clear in the sequel's opening sequence. An aerial shot of a city at night punctuated by the sounds of revving engines and vehicles colliding ends up on the side of a building on which a Buster Keaton silent comedy is being projected, the sounds seemingly supplying an impromptu soundtrack.
A suggestion perhaps that audiences shouldn't take things too seriously, as the filmmakers clearly don't. They just want you to suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours and have fun.

Which is probably just as well as several moments of far-fetched absurdity are littered throughout John Wick's reluctant return to the life of a professional assassin after the son of a deceased Italian crime boss trying to become the new head of his family asks him to honour a 'marker' which includes a blood oath after helping Wick leave the business and marry his wife several years earlier.
Wick's near indestructibility certainly stretches credibilty as he is shot, kicked, punched, stabbed and hit by a car a couple of times and yet still continues his relentless quest for vengeance (and that's even taking into account the state of the art bulletproof material sewn into the lining of his suit). Plus if this film is to believed, practically everyone in New York are potential assassins for hire ready to make Wick's day even worse than it is already.
Thankfully this ultra violent, non stop action film is so slickly made and enjoyable that such moments only add to the fun, rather than take you out of it.

Keanu Reeves sensibly plays things as taciturn and straight as he did first time round, whilst some of the cast surrounding him get to offer something a little more tongue in cheek.
Returning cast members Ian McShane, John Leguizamo and Lance Reddick relax back into the spirit of things. While newcomers Peter Stormare as the brother and uncle of the first film's antagonists and Laurence Fishburne as a modern day Fagin have fun chewing up the scenery during their brief appearances. Plus Common as a vengeful bodyguard and Ruby Rose as a formidable opponent who communicates through sign language are also solid. Fans of classic vengeance cinema will also appreciate a cameo from one of its icons, the original Django, Franco Nero as the manager of the Rome equivalent of the assassin's hotel of choice, The Continental.

If there's a downside, it's that the endless parade of bad guys waiting in the wings to be shot in the head or shot in the legs then in the head by John Wick can get a bit numbing and repetitive at times. Though there's usually a bit of beautifully choreographed mayhem or a striking visual flourish that comes along to keep things interesting.

The original was that rarest of things at the time (a decent Keanu Reeves film) that seemed to come out of nowhere and the sequel has the tough job of delivering more of the same with something new minus the element of surprise. Yet deliver it definitely does. Impressive action sequences, great characters and a cute dog. Chapter 3 can't come soon enough.

[Florence1]

Yes definitely New York is a dangerous place to live and work. I really enjoyed this. Totally unbelievable but highly entertaining. Love Ian McShane in this - great character. Really looking forward to John Wick3

[The Sparrow]

Any film that has Ian McShane and Franco Nero in it is okay by me.
Sit back and let the film entertain. Leave your brain cells outside.

[midian]

I took a teen boy. he sat forward i his seat he was so happy and excited. apparently he's seen JW1 "many times".

I really enjoyed the how they have developed this whole mythology thing. tbh i was bored with the video game killings sprees, there were a quite few, even using similar camera angles of shoot-em-ups. always very slickly done.

so we ended up with a film which both me and the nephew enjoyed, which is unusual.

i grinned when i learnt a little russian. the "mir" space station has new resonance for me now.

7.5/10