Why see just one when you can see both?
Hollywood’s always trying to figure out how to maximize box office returns, including figuring out what movie to release when. For example, James Cameron’s Titanic was originally slated for a summer release, but got pushed back to the weekend before Christmas, thus making wintertime the new summertime for big budget blockbusters (the Star Wars franchise has been dominating this slot for the past two Decembers and likely will continue to do so indefinitely).
On a much smaller scale from a money standpoint, but equally as revelatory, 20th Century Fox discovered a couple years ago that there’s a market for fresh, fun, violent, R-rated action on Valentine’s Day weekend with a little movie called Kingsman (which itself was originally slated for October, as is its coming sequel). A year later they followed that up with the even more successful Deadpool. Frankly, how Logan is NOT in the same slot this year is utterly baffling. Maybe Lionsgate/Summit just beat Fox to the punch this time around, but, in any case, this year’s contestant in the R-rated Valentine’s Day massacre is the somewhat anticipated John Wick: Chapter 2.
I feel a little guilty that I was as excited for John Wick 2 as I was, because the studio was obviously pandering to my generation with the promised on-screen reunion of Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne (in reference to some other movie), but, what can I say? The marketing got me in the door.
Of course, the natural question is, “Is John Wick: Chapter 2 better than the first one?”
Swarms upon swarms of people are answering, “YAS!” because it has “MOAR ACTION!” but I don’t agree. Chapter 2 might have more (and more stylized) action, but the 2014 original is the superior film because of story and characters.
The first time I saw John Wick was in a real IMAX theater, completely alone. Seriously, I was literally the only person in the theater (I don’t think there were even any staff), so it was LOUD. At the time, I thought it was an okay action movie, but I realized after seeing it again ahead of Chapter 2 that I was missing something: an audience.
I have a rule that I don’t write any reviews here unless I’ve seen a movie theatrically, because movies are meant to be seen theatrically, but there’s something else you don’t get while watching a movie on your couch, and that’s the collective experience of other people in the theater; the oohs and aahs, the audible laughter, the heightened sense of awareness that adds to the enjoyment of the film. I missed that the first time I saw John Wick, and seeing it again under more proper circumstances made me realize I had been underrating it.
Action movies in general aren’t quite what they used to be, largely because of bad CGI, but John Wick is very good for its time, and its biggest strength is its clarity. We know what’s happening, we know why, we connect with why, and John Wick himself is uncomplicated in his quest. Throw in some more-than-competent action, a dash of good humor here and there, and a nice gallery of supporting characters (good and bad), and you’ve got a real crowd-pleaser of a film.
On the other hand, where John Wick is clear, Chapter 2 is muddled. His motivation is less interesting (the first one he did it because he wanted to; now he’s doing it out of obligation), the villains aren’t as strong, there are no supporting characters who can compete with Willem Dafoe from the first one, the plot is more convoluted, and there’s some backtracking with John Wick’s character (trying to soften his edge) that I did not appreciate. Not to mention the third act is a disappointment from a story perspective.
This is not to say that Chapter 2 is utterly useless. I enjoyed how it expanded the secret hitman universe established in the first movie, and the build-up is a lot of fun, but, on the whole, it’s more than a full step down from John Wick. There’s just too much we don’t know or care about, and too much sequelitis (aka “Remember this!?).
They make a fine pairing back-to-back, but the difference is clear.
(Also, as someone familiar with public transportation in and around New York City, I was annoyed with the “geography” of the PATH train in Chapter 2. Like, either use real locations or don’t. I know this is a bit of a nitpick on my part, but it just got to me.)
Ratings:
John Wick: ★★★★☆
Chapter 2: ★★½
P.S.
Shout out to Alamo Drafthouse (as usual) for their John Wick-themed specials this month. The “Carbonara Pizza: Chapter 2” and “Hotel Continental Special” are worth killing for.
