John Wick 2 (4½ Stars)

In the first film it seemed like John Wick had wiped out the whole of the Russian mafia in New York. They called him the Baba Yaga, to express their fear and respect for him. In this film we see that there are a few left. After killing the minor henchmen he spares the leader's life and offers him a truce.

And that's just before the opening credits.

The John Wick films take place in a bizarre world that's parallel to where normal people like you and me live. All around us there are trained assassins who look harmless until they pull out their guns. They might look like a road sweeper, a busker or a mother pushing a pram.

These assassins live by a code. When they're required to kill another assassin they treat their opponents with courtesy. The most successful assassins are allowed to visit the Continental Hotel, a safe house. No business can be done in the hotel. You can share a drink with your enemies before walking out of the door to kill them. It's all very gentlemanly.

Maybe there are a few other rules. Before checking in to the Continental Hotel in Rome John Wick is asked if he intends to kill the Pope. He's off limits. The manager of the Continental Hotel in Rome is played by Franco Nero. He was 73 at the time the film was made, but he doesn't look a day over 50.

There are delightful homages to other films. Laurence Fishburne offers Keanu Reeves a choice of weapons. Now where have we seen that before?

Keanu Reeves has a shootout in a hall of mirrors. That's a throwback to "Enter the Dragon". Unfortunately Keanu has forgotten Bruce Lee's advice: "Destroy the image and you will break the enemy".

Keanu Reeves has good taste in dogs. This is the dog that he took from the rescue shelter at the end of the first film. He doesn't have a name. Let's just call him Dog.

Surprisingly, the critics like the film. Most of them, anyway. There must be something about the stylised killing sprees that appeals to them. It's not often that the film critics and the cinema audiences agree on something.

I need to watch the two John Wick films back to back. Maybe I'll do it soon. Maybe I'll wait until the third part is released next year.

Success Rate:  + 2.3

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