'John Wick 2' - a great action movie at the beginning of the year

Racing, gunfights and close combat scenes take place continuously at a fast pace in the high-octane violent movie that has just been released in Vietnamese theaters.

John Wick: Chapter 2 is the second part of the action movie about assassin John Wick, still directed by Chad Stahelski and marking the return of actor Keanu Reeves.

The new part is set just a few days after the events of the first part. At this time, an assassin named John is forced to go to Italy to repay a past debt related to a notorious gangster. Then, his life is put up for sale with a million dollars reward.With the setting expanding from New York (USA) to Rome (Italy), the story becomes a cross-continental journey taking the audience along with the assassin who always longs to "retire" to rediscover the world he once rolled around in for decades.

The writers have cleverly chosen a direction that is completely different from the first part. If the first part conquered viewers with unexpected details and many strong emotional scenes, the new plot delves into the mysterious world of John Wick's past, where gangs operate on a global scale with ancient and unbreakable agreements.

In the midst of the underworld of intricate underground relationships, a series of supporting characters, though appearing briefly, are impressive. In this way, the work builds a world of giang ho similar to the martial arts novels of authors such as Kim Dung, Co Long or On Thuy An. The difference is that the world ofJohn Wick 2placed fully in the context of modern society and completely separate from the contemporary legal system.

Keanu Reeves returns in a neat action scene.

Despite its 120-minute running time, the film’s script is as concise as the protagonist John Wick’s method of action. The plot moves quickly, with almost no unnecessary details. The emotional elements, even if only fleeting, are enough to move the audience.The fast-paced rhythm puts viewers in a state of tension. Meanwhile, the action scenes appear continuously with a much higher density than the previous episode.

Every dramatic scene is meticulously staged, detailed and shows the creativity of director Chad Stahelski and his team. In particular, the film shows many close-combat martial arts scenes as well as the main character's unique use of guns.

The realistic violence in the film shows that John Wick 2 is far superior to the first episode and other films of the same genre released in recent years such as the Jason Bourne series, the Taken series, The Equalizer, The Accountant, Contraband or the Jack Reacher series.

An action scene in a movie.

Keanu Reeves is in his twilight years (52) but his punches are powerful and precise. Viewers can see that clearly through close-up shots where he doesn't rely on a stunt team. In emotional scenes,Keanu Reeves fully embodied the character without much effort.ksad face and ascetic gait.

John Wick seems to be a role "tailored" for Keanu Reeves because the actor's real life is as "difficult" and full of loss as the role.

However, the film also reveals some weaknesses. The scriptThere are a few loose ends that aren't fully explained. Additionally, some of the movie's plot twistsThe overly ostentatious construction makes the rustic and taciturn character John Wick suddenly become out of sync with the surrounding context.

On the other hand, the final fight scene's setting reuses the classic fight scene from Game of Death (Bruce Lee's last film released in 1978) without much innovation.

Poster of the movie "John Wick 2".

Overall, John Wick: Chapter 2 is still a realistic action masterpiece that will make fans of the genre go to the theaters to watch it a second or third time. While the ending of the film is still open, director Chad Stahelski confirmed that Chapter 3 is planned.

John Wick: Chapter 2 (John Wick: Part 2) will be released in Vietnamese theaters from February 10, with three minutes of violent scenes cut from the original and labeled C18 - no viewers under 18 years old.

According to VNE