Why John Wick 2 Will Be Awesome

Zavvi.com8 years ago

John Wick has surprisingly flown under the radar since its release in 2014. However, the Keanu Reeves-lead action flick is not your run of the mill actor vehicle like so many others. John Wick doesn't just portray a great revenge story, it also gives us a small window into a world that's very different to our own. With an otherworldly nature and incredible action sequences, we're absolutely pumped about the sequel, and here's why John Wick 2 will be awesome.

I know Gun-Fu

Yeah yeah yeah, what really is 'Gun-Fu'. It sounds like some mad made-up thing that just services the film, right? Well, nope. Gun-Fu is totally a thing that exists. The stunt team on John Wick are the same folks behind The Matrix. With a mix of martial arts and gunplay, the film creates its own unique, exciting brand of combat that we've simply never seen in any other film. The creation of this style requires rigorous training, but the results look incredible on screen. Take a look at the featurette below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r5_5eOmxzA

A Unique World

One of the biggest strengths of the first John Wick movie is that it's a big fan of the 'show, don't tell' technique. We see this reflected in the quieter sequences of the film. With little flourishes like its own vague currency and establishments that operate on that black-market. John Wick intentionally keeps things vague and lets the viewer piece these small flourishes together themselves. In addition to this, we see a garage, hotel and more, this invites the viewer to question the proliferation of this black market in the world of the film, and from what we can garner from the first film, there's so much more room for exploration in its sequel.

Source: Lionsgate (via Giphy)

A Dark Past

With John Wick's backstory coming in the first 15 minutes of the film establishing his humanity, the rest of the film is dedicated to stripping away that idea of humanity. Driven by revenge, we see the darker side of Wick come out as the film continues to strip away the curtain to reveal his true nature. But additionally, we see through his ties to the aforementioned criminal underworld, that he has allies, a father figure in the shape of Willem Dafoe's character and lots more. John Wick: Chapter 2 is going to set out on expanding further the colourful (and deadly) cast of characters.

Source: Grantland (via Giphy)

Incredible Action Sequences

From what you may have garnered from the gifs and video that we've included in this list, you might notice that John Wick's action is incredibly well-directed. You're not likely to find a shaky, hard to watch action sequence in John Wick: Chapter 2, instead you'll be treated to a visual feast of colour, utilising static shots and quick cuts to convey the complex choreography of the action sequences in the film. This is something that seems to have carried over to its sequel. Not only are we treated to standard, on-foot sequences, but we're also treated to car chases and combat sequences that always feel real, practical and grounded. John Wick is no CGI-Fest like so many other Hollywood action movies.

Source: Lionsgate (via Giphy)

It knows that it's overindulgent

John Wick doesn't beat around the bush as a film. It knows it's a bombastic, unrealistic view on how the criminal underworld operates, and for all intensive purposes John Wick is a superhero (but still has to reload!). The film doesn't attempt to be more than the sum of its parts and what it ultimately is, is an unapologetic action film that's chocked full of set-piece after set-piece of incredible action. You're not going to find any Oscar-winning performances in John Wick, but the film doesn't need that. It wears its heart on its sleeve. Whether this is true for John Wick 2: The Second Chapter remains to be seen, however we're confident that it'll be just as good, if not better than the first.