John Wick: Chapter 2

Movie Name: John Wick: Chapter 2
Year of Release: 2017

Director: Chad Stahelski

Stars: Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Common, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, Laurence Fishburne, Claudia Gerini, Lance Reddick, Tobias Segal, John Leguizamo, Bridget Moynahan, Thomas Sadoski, David Patrick Kelly
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
View Trailer

Synopsis:

After the surprise success of "John Wick", both commercially and critically, most of the team behind the original feature is back for a sequel, which continues the adventures of the professional killer. The film picks up shortly after the events of the first film, with John being asked by a crime lord to do a service for him, something that he has to comply, due to the rules of the game. When John goes to Italy to finish the job, he finds himself in a tough spot, with a series of people on his tail. Upon dispatching these foes, John returns to New York to settle scores, and finds himself once again in a tough situation, of being himself the target for a series of hitmen.
What has made this series so entertaining has always been the fact that it knows that it's nothing more than a slick B movie. It's a series that holds no pretensions, and yet it has enough smarts to create a central character that though not fully realized, is also sufficiently engaging and dimensional to hold the interest of the viewers. It's a far more interesting version of James Bond, since it avoids being cartoonish, instead being violently over the top, while retaining humor and enough edge to always keep the audience entertained. Keanu Reeves is perfectly cast, since his silent demeanor is perfectly on par with the taciturn aspect of the character. The action set pieces are expertly choreographed by director Chad Stahelski, who also manages to populate the film with an interesting array of supporting actors, from Laurence Fishburne, through Ian McShane. The cinematography from Dan Laustsen is beautiful. A solid and entertaining action film.