a_chinn Keanu has tried to shed his dumb guy persona for quite some time. Even in excellent films like "Point Break" or "The Matrix" he was still playing a doofus. With the John Wick films, Keanu is a next level badass and completely divests himself from Ted (although he's reprising his role in an upcoming third film). This sequel picks up right after the first John Wick film, with Keanu being pressured to pay back a debt that originally got him out of his hitman life in the first place. He's been asked to kill a powerful mob boss by her brother. After doing so, the brother puts a huge bounty on Wick's head and he has to fight off hitmen and hitwomen at every turn. That is everywhere except for The Continental Hotel, an underworld sanctuary run by Ian McShane where no killing is allowed. When characters who've fought each other to a bloody pulp meet up at the Continental, they must peacefully coexist. However, as cool as The Continental is of an addition to the John Wick universe, it's the unbelievably great action sequences from director Chad Stahelski and writer Derek Kolstad that make this film so memorable, even for even the most jaded of action film fan. Kolstad's script sets up some great action sequences (there's an excellent hall of mirrors finale, although most filmmakers should know that they're never going to top Orson Welles' "The Lady from Shanghai" climax), but it's director Chad Stahelski who makes the action sequences something wholly original and something not seen on screen before. Hong Kong action films of the 80s and 90s brought something original and new to action films (which were then endlessly imitated in American action films like "The Matrix" or "Desperado", but there really hasn't been anything since then that seemed all that different from what's come before (maybe Kurt Wimmer's "Gun-Fu" in "Equilibrium" and "Ultraviolet," but that too borrowed heavily from Hong Kong action cinema). The action in John Wick is fast, aggressive, and mixes hand-to-hand and gun-play in a way that has not been done before on film. The film is expertly shot by ace cinematographer Dan Laustsen ("The Shape of Water" "Crimson Peak" "Silent Hill" "Brotherhood of the Wolf"). The action is fast, bloody, and brutal, which is to say it's not going to be for all tastes, but if you're a fan of action films, you'll likely find this sequel equal if not better than the first John Wick film. Besides the top tier action, you have an even better cast than the first film, which includes Riccardo Scamarcio, Ruby Rose (as a very cool mute hitwoman), Laurence Fishburne, John Leguizamo, Bridget Moynahan, David Patrick Kelly, Peter Stormare, and even Franco Nero! Top that off by a surprise appearance by a Commodore VIC-20 used by The Continental Hotel staff and at the end of the film and that adds up to one of the best action films to come out in years!

mrhsie Watching John Wick: Chapter 2. I was really looking forward to sitting down to a nice meal and watching a sequel with the understanding that it may not be as good as the first. They never are. Sadly Stahelski must have spent 90% of the budget on the location and a big party overlooking Rome with hookers and cocaine. The writing is so bad I think they owed the writer money from a previous production. They also owe money to the supporting actors, cinematographers, sets, costume, lighting, sound, fight scene choreography, any other choreography, editing, music, vehicle support, stunts and pyrotechnics. In fact the whole movie is such a clustermuck that I think they may have even scrimped on catering, assistants and accomodation too. The problem is I'm 60 minutes in (it's a train wreck) and IMDB says it's 122 minutes long. I'm curious if it gets any worse. Cannot believe there is actually a John Wick 3.

funtasticfour I enjoyed the first John Wick movie, as a popcorn action flick. The idea of a safe haven hotel is great, and has since been copied (upcoming Hotel Artemis for example). The action is great, with cool cars and gun-fu, which is surprisingly gory. This second movie continues where the first one ended, but has less story than the original, which isn't saying much. Some good fights and over the top shooting make me wonder why this isn't already a video game franchise! And of course a new one is in the works, which I'll watch but not in the theatre.

Chris Fox This movie is based on a simple premise - John Wick is an unstoppable killer with a desire to escape his profession. The action is almost constant with short breaks that add flavor to this world. The killers are very polite and refined in their social actions outside of the actual killing. The rules show a desire to have a sophisticated approach to a very ugly environment. These rules end up trapping John in a Catch-22 that requires a lot of ammo to escape. I love the details in the sets - the Italian ceremony scene shows candles in glass grape holders, the catacombs are ancient with modern lighting and the museum makes an amazing set piece. For those people who see the movie as beyond belief - it is my secret hope that the John Wick world turns out to be a level in the Matrix that recast the main players in new roles - this would explain how John is impossible to kill.