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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 8 February
Review: ‘John Wick 2’ is an extravagantly violent good time

LINDSEY BAHR sible in a single movie. Is hitman who was driven underworld, there are only as a fellow assassin with a
AP Film Writer it gratuitous? Yes. Do all out of retirement and back two rules: No blood is to grudge, to Laurence Fish-
Before you buy a ticket to those people deserve to into the game after some be spilled at The Continen- burne as the Bowery King.
see “John Wick: Chapter die? Probably not. But for mobsters stole his 1969 Mus- tal (the hitman hotel), and Ruby Rose is an amusing
2 ,” the improbably fun our bearded boogeyman, tang and killed his puppy. “markers” must always be standout, too, as a sul-
sequel to the implausibly who one character calls a Stuntman-turned-director honored. Santino helped try, mute bodyguard who
good “John Wick,” you priest and the devil in a sin- Chad Stahelski’s sequel is John get out of the game, communicates in sign
might want to ask your- gle sentence, a shot to the straightforward, fast-paced and into his multimillion language. There are also
self how much tolerance head and one to the chest and gets the job done en- dollar home, and now he some returning players, like
you have for gun shots to gets the job done quickly tertainment-wise. wants to cash in the favor. Lance Reddick as the Con-
the head, because there and efficiently. Why make True to its name, “Chapter This request leads John tinental’s concierge and
are a lot of those in “John things overly complicated? 2” literally picks up where even further into the world Ian McShane as the New
Wick: Chapter 2.” More The same goes for the the first left off. In a skull- of these dandy assassins York Continental manager
than you might think pos- movie, about the storied crushingly loud sequence as he goes to execute as well as a handful of oth-
involving multiple men get- Santino’s mission, and boy ers.
ting tossed off car hoods, is it fun — especially the And Reeves is in top form

This image released by Lionsgate shows Keanu Reeves in a scene from, “John Wick: Chapter 2.
Associated Press

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) “getting ready” sequence as the perpetually unruffled
retrieves his Mustang from where we get to see John John Wick. It’s a role that is
the crooks holding it hos- being fitted for bespoke tailor-made for his low-key
tage (allowing for some suits (Occasion? Social. But- intensity and one that will fit
knowingly extreme exposi- tons? Two. Style? Tactical) him for years to come.
tion about just how scary and choosing his weapons Both “John Wick” films are
this guy is). It’s like a bonus from The Sommelier (Peter sendups of the tasteless ex-
“final scene” from the first Serafinowicz). cess of B-action pics and
film that gives closure to From there, it’s really just all-out celebrations of their
John’s revenge mission and action sequence after ac- vulgarity. “Chapter 2” is the
reminds us of his folk hero tion sequence — from an best one could hope for
legend status. It also push- Italian rave to a final show- in an action sequel, and
es reboot on the whole down at a modern art ex- it doesn’t even have the
thing, allowing John to fi- hibit. The visuals are always “killed the puppy” gimmick
nally return to his modernist exciting and over the top, on its side. The only real
castle in the woods, bury and creative in well-trod question is when we’ll get
his weapons once more in territory for the genre (like the gift of a “Chapter 3.”
concrete, reminisce about a subway platform), even if “John Wick: Chapter 2,” a
his dead love and play with the plot gets a little repeti- Lionsgate release is rated
his dog (yep, there’s a new tive in the third act. R by the Motion Picture As-
one). But soon enough, The film is jam-packed with sociation of America for
Santino D’Antonio (Ricca- amazing cameos and sup- “strong violence through-
rdo Scamarcio) is knocking porting players, from Fran- out, some language and
at his door asking John to co Nero as the manager brief nudity.” Running time:
repay the debt he owes. of the Rome branch of The 122 minutes. Three stars out
In this elaborate criminal Continental and Common of four.q