John Wick isn’t addicted to vengeance; he’s just a victim of circumstance.
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His wife dies, thugs kill his dogs and steal his car, what else is a man to do when everything he loves been taking away from him? Go on a killing spree? Sure, but only in the movies. Particularly, in this movie in which we discover that Wick’s actions have repercussions. I’m sure I’ve heard the line “you should have stayed retired” before and in this instant you kinda feel bad for enjoying the head-shot extravaganza from the first installation because man o’man does Wick paint himself into pretty picture of violence so rosy-tinted not even your best Rococo artist of the 17th century could reproduce.
Sequels or reproductions ( if we’re staying with the art theme) — Okay lets do that.
Reproductions of art so masterful are sometimes trumpeted as more sublime than the original piece it replicates. John Wick 2 was if not in style but in substance just the right amount of everything the first movie had and then some. Don’t get me wrong, there’s not much more of a story here but Wick 2 does offer you a glimpse into a world far more dangerous than Wick himself. That’s a better blessing than Wick going up against a Sumo assassin; it gives this one-dimensional plot line layers. An actual sense that John Wick isn’t alone in his world to just outright kill anyone who crosses him. You actually sympathize for the antagonist. Well everyone in this movie is an antagonist but dammit, the man lost his wife and puppy, so he’s entitled to kill a few hundred people!
Um, More Please
The fact that he f’ed up his chances at living a somewhat normal life gives this character dimension that allows a story to matrix around him and perpetuate this notion that once a killer, always a killer. And if you follow any assassin to mob relationships, then you know where the endgame lies. There is only one way John Wick leads a normal life and that would be to cut the head off the serpent, and only when the body stops wriggling is the true threat then eradicated. So let’s just hope they follow up this latest episode with a part three and John Wick carrying a goddamn shovel.