John Wick: Chapter 2 - Movie Review!

Who's In It?

Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose, Common, Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves


What's It About?

The minute John Wick retrieves his beloved car and quits again, an old acquaintance returns with a marker - a job he can't refuse. 

Any Good?

John Wick seems like a very recent film, so going into this I was a bit worried it'd go all Matrix Reloaded - what unfolded was a sequel that surpassed its original. No mean feat. This movie is absolutely manly-man virtues overload, and it's great. It opens with him saving his old-school Mustang and battering Russians aplenty. Quickly leads to having a custom Assassin's suit fitted, choosing a bespoke arsenal & travelling to Rome. That's just the lead up. It's BEAUTIFUL.

It's also even more over the top, with him stashing different types of guns all along Roman catacombs and using ALL, including shoving a shotgun in someone's chest, reloading and then blowing him away - ALL on screen. The action scenes were fast, furious & hilariously funny, with the best gunfight I've seen since the Matrix, with the entire cinema laughing heartily for the duration. Sadists.

Keanu was great as John Wick (a given really), but the real stars for me were Common and Laurence Fishburne. Common was fantastic spinning dead pan one-liners, giving John a run for his money throughout; and Laurence Fishburne was extremely over the top and charismatic - the chemistry between him and Keanu certainly isn't gone. 

#SquadGoals

The only changes I'd have made would be someone else other than Ruby Rose, she just feels like a gimmick and was flat the entire time - now, granted for a mute, that wasn't a challenge but she could have brought so much more to the role. I quite liked Riccardo Scamarcio, but felt like he was ultimately a discount Benicio del Toro.

I honestly think this is better than the first - ONLY because the mirror museum sequence is even better than THE club one in the original(if you haven't seen it, DO). The fact that his muscle bound pit bull is by his side. The world-building, the head shots, the cracking characters and huge implications alluded to in the ending.

Do go see it, and enable the third to be made. 

Rating: 

John Wick 2 Trailer Sneak Peek!

Taking a break from our usual Flicks on Friday broadcasting; we bring you the teaser trailer for JOHN WICK 2!!

John Wick was unanimously agreed here at gaff cherry (sorry Mam) as one of the best films of 2014 - and I even preferred it to BOTH Raid films. It was quick, interesting and most importantly FUN(!!), with one of my favourite club scenes in any movie - including the fantastic techno/electro hybrid song LED Spirals & Shots Fired (a mix of both songs).

Luckily for us the trailer will be debuted at New York Comic-Con which is on right now, so expect it in the next couple days!!

READ MY 5 CHERRY JOHN WICK REVIEW HERE

John Wick - Movie Review

Who's In It?

Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Adrianne Palicki, and Keanu Reeves

What's It About?

Theon Grayjoy kills Keanu Reeves' dog and steals his car; that's all that needs to be said.

Any Good?

Even from the start, John Wick gave me he feeling THIS is what shlocky 80's action movies should have been - constant action, fantastic acting, and an action movie script.

The story in this film is brilliant, it starts off simple enough and follows basic shoot-em-up plotlines - until it reaches the Continental Bar. Not only is the story good, but the locations are GORGEOUS. One that stuck out to me was a club in the city - a massive dancefloor with a huge set of decks, heavy lights and a glass mezzanine complete with THIS pumping behind it. I'm going to be dreaming of that club for a looong time.

I loved every main in this, Alfie Allen further made his sister look like a fool for that song with his playboy Russian mob son, Michael Nygvist was absolutely fantastic in his role as the mob boss himself, and Willem Defoe played a cross of his American Psycho detective with his Boondock Saints character, it was AWESOME. Most surprisingly, Keanu put in a better turn in this than Constantine and even The Matrix, he's a born action star.

I haven't seen a film that's been a complete 5/5 in a long time, but John Wick is just perfect to me, I'd give it more than 5 if I could. It's 'slow' scenes are complimented by the best soundtrack I've heard since Scott Pilgrim, and the shootouts and fight even beat The Raid (both!) for me. Do yourself a favour and watch this, listen to the soundtrack, then watch it again - it's the perfect action movie.

  Rating: