In terms of sequels, you will not be able to find a better film than John Wick: Chapter 2. The sequel takes every aspect of the first and expands on it, making it bigger and better, but still having the same drawbacks of the first. The story and performances are not the greatest, but do enough to drive the action and film forward. I would argue that the plot here is slightly improved due to the larger scope. The assassin underworld is expanded as we get to see more subsects and players in the space. There are complex relationships that Wick has with many characters in this film, and although we never see what occurred in the past, the history is there in terms of their interactions. This is especially apparent in the end when all of Wick’s former “co-workers” start entering into the fold. This had to be my favorite part of the film. Rome, as a setting, was great and the underground tunnels were a fun environment for Wick to play in. The action was brilliant once again, with more weapons and creative kills included. I loved that we got to see Wick use the pencil on two of the guards! There were some beautiful shots with fantastic color due to the city light scape. The use of water reflections was done well, although, I do think there might have been a few too many. The pace towards the end started to slow down. I feel as though this movie should have been maybe 10-15 minutes shorter. Despite that, this movie was once again a fantastic entry into the series and on par with the first in terms of quality, action, and enjoyment.

Score: 79%
Verdict: Great