In 2014, John Wick came out of nowhere and turned what seemed like a terrible story (a former hitman goes on a murderous rampage after thugs steal his car and kill his dog) into one of the best movies of the year. It was a superbly choreographed romp, and all in all one of the most well executed (guilty pleasure) action movies in years.
As soon as the end credits started rolling, many viewers started (secretly) hoping for a sequel. While John Wick wasn’t a huge box-office success, it received positive reviews, and for once a studio somehow granted a sequel to a film that actually deserved one. It’s a welcome change to all those sequels releasing that we have absolutely no interest in seeing.
How do you explain the success of John Wick by Hollywood standards? It boasted an original screenplay, starred Keanu Reeves (thankfully in a role with minimal dialogue) whose career was at an all time low and was directed by two veteran stuntmen. It turns out it’s pretty simple: if you respect the audience, write a neat screenplay and shoot action pieces that actually make sense, then people will respond positively to it. This is often lost on the Hollywood machine, which tends to equate budget and CGI with quality, often overlooking the fundamentals.
Fortunately, John Wick fans didn’t have to wait too long for a follow-up, and were treated to Key & Peele’s hilarious version of the flick, the aptly titled Keanu in the meantime. From the looks of the John Wick: Chapter 2 trailer, the film picks up right where we left Wick – gearing up to take another murderous ride for our viewing pleasure.
Chad Stahelski directed Chapter 2 solo after David Leitch left to helm a Charlize Theron spy flick (and Deadpool 2 following that), surrounding himself with a pretty amazing cast including the likes of Ian McShane (now known to a whole generation as “that guy from the Nespresso commercial”), Peter Stormare and even Ruby Rose (from Orange is the New Black) playing a mute assassin! The film will also see Neo and Morpheus reunite as Larry Fishburne makes an appearance.
From what we can tell, John Wick: Chapter 2 seems extremely promising. From the first poster paying homage to a great comedy from the silent era, to the first trailer metaphorically kicking our asses, this definitely makes it one of the most awaited films of 2017.
If all goes well, there are already talks of a third instalment in the series, so let’s hope it breaks the bank on February 10.
Watch the John Wick: Chapter 2 trailer here.
