Since February 9, the action movie "John Wick 2" - a continuation of the type cult film two years ago with Keanu Reeves. The first part was so-so - it would be a stretch and I never expected that they would film the second part (and judging by the ending of the second part there will also be a third). Keanu Reeves has long been out of print, but as my trip to the cinema today showed, “Baba Yaga” has fans in Russia. There were several times more spectators than at the Fifty Shades Darker screening. This movie weekend can officially be considered a family weekend: the guys are going to see “John Wick,” the girls are going to “Shades,” the kids are going to “Lego Batman.” Perfect! So, Lego Batman and Shades have done well, but what about John Wick?
Some time passed between the first and second films. The dog has grown up, and a new customer has appeared on the doorstep of the unkillable killer. It’s easy to guess how wrong orders from wrong customers for wrong customers end up. Baba Yaga decided to finally call it quits, but the bill with a bloody imprint is above all circumstances and unwilling desires. John Wick is at it again and causing another bloody mess.
In John Wick 2 there are a lot of chases, fights, shootouts, blown out brains and defeated mercenaries. On the technical side, the action movie will meet the expectations of bang-bang and karate fans 100%.
John Wick still suffers for his deceased lifelong friend, but less than in the first part. I think that in the third John Wick they will find him a fighting girlfriend. So far, he is indifferent to the female part of the population and, without regret, pokes them with a knife and shoots them in the head.
In the whole John Wick/Baba Yaga story, my favorite is the story of the Continental Hotel and its rules. It seems to me that a cool series about resident killers could be made solely on this idea. What do you think?
From a visual point of view, John Wick 2 is also quite good. The action takes place in Rome and New York. In Rome, of course, the main attractions are shown, and New York pleased with its subway and the exhibition “Reflections of the Soul” in the museum contemporary art. Beautiful, stylish and meaningful. It's a shame that the actors were chosen to be mediocre. The most normal ones are Common as Cassian and Riccardo Scamarcio as Santino. The rest would be nice to take additional lessons acting skills.
Fortes fortuna adiuvat(fate helps the brave) - this tattoo was applied to the back of John Wick, the main character of the Hollywood novelty of the same name. John, a former assassin nicknamed “Boogeyman,” decided to quit “work” and indulge in joys family life but his wife dies from incurable disease, and John himself takes the loss very hard.
At first glance, the beginning of the film promises a rather harmless drama about the protagonist’s torment in solitude. The posthumous gift from John’s beloved – a cute puppy named Daisy – also adds a certain sentimentality to the plot. But as soon as the plot reached the 10th minute, liters of blood poured from the screen and thousands of bullets flew, supposedly in the name of justice.
There is an opinion that actor Keanu Reeves was specifically interested in the role of John Wick, which, to put it mildly, is strange, since Keanu has always been considered a master of playing the roles of “good” characters, which cannot be said about the main character of the film, nicknamed “Boogeyman”. However, Hollywood often uses actors beloved by the audience to, in our case, a killer. For this, the director chose the eternal theme of noble revenge. But the revenge shown in the film is very far from being noble, just as John Wick is far from sympathy, and the film itself is far from a positive assessment in terms of morality.
So, the classic cliches - the main character is “offended”, and he begins to take revenge. In our case, robbers broke into John's house, killed Daisy's dog and stole his beloved car. The leader of the robbers turned out to be the son of a Russian mafia boss, for whom John himself once worked. Main character decided to “dig up the hatchet” and take revenge on the offender. The “hatchet” turned out to be a set of weapons hidden in the basement of Wick’s house, which were buried there, apparently with the aim of metaphorically burying the assassin’s past.
The subsequent plot is a terrible mess of shooting, fights, blood, broken glass and alcohol. During the protagonist's struggle for justice, several hundred people are killed, most often with a control shot to the head from John's pistol.
Everything in the film is run by the famous “Russian mafia”, shown from a traditional, primitive propaganda perspective.
Here there is vodka in large glasses, and the Russian language, which is impossible to understand in the original dubbing, and a depository of mafia money in a Catholic church, and a special hotel for killers in the city center, and for some reason the song “Bay-bye” at a party in the bathhouse. At the same time, the main character is called “Baba Yaga”, although his original nickname is “Boogeyman” - the word male and similar to the Russian “Buk” or, in extreme cases, “Babay”.
True, the film hints that the Russian mafia is far from omnipotent, and there are more serious guys who keep order in New York. In particular, closer to the end, it is this mysterious controller who gives the go-ahead for the liquidation of the head of the Russian mafia syndicate, Viggo Tarasov. But this one story line remains undisclosed and simply shows the viewer that the criminal world has its own hierarchy - they say, there is always room to grow.
What does the film teach?
What can a professional killer, who has been artificially given the aura of a “fighter for justice”, teach the viewer? The plot makes it clear that John Wick did not put himself in the shoes of his victims when he carried out his old “job”. And now, having returned to business, he simply demonstrates his ability to cold-bloodedly and mercilessly kill the stupid Russian mafia. A killer's revenge for murder appears to encourage violence for violence's sake. Although the return of Russian criminals to American action films can be considered as an indirect factor confirming Russia’s return to the world stage.
More than 100 exceptionally brutal scenes with savoring all the details of the murders.
Several scenes of criminals having fun with half-naked girls in a bathhouse.
The boss of the Russian mafia uses marijuana once, John Wick uses stimulants, and alcohol generally flows like a river throughout the entire film.
The film tries to create a noble image of a professional killer and present violence as an acceptable tool in the fight for justice.
The film shows the following signs of a harmful film:
– The plot of the film contains obvious or hidden propaganda/advertising for the use of intoxicating substances (alcohol, drugs, cigarettes), mainly through the use of positive characters corresponding bad habits.
– The semantic and ideological content of the film forms a negative image of Russian people, discredits Russian history, presenting the way of life and thinking of Russians as flawed and inferior.
– The film demonstrates physical strength and violence as the main tool for solving problems and fighting good against evil; According to the plot, aggression receives approval from others; the detail and naturalism of the violent episodes does not correspond to the genre or age classification film.
– Actually absent from the film goodies, whose moral qualities and norms of behavior could serve as an example for empathy and imitation.
Objectively, the film has at least 2 reasons to watch it. The first is an actor who managed to get dirty with several low-rated films, but who began to regain his previously earned reputation as a cult actor in action films and action films. And the second reason is also important - we have a continuation of the first part.
Who is John Wick
There are some doubts that there are that many John Wick fans. Trite, from the very beginning such a sign said little. This also applied to the first part. The image of a superhero, which we have already heard about in previous years, is not used here. This is not a comic book star. And the film is certainly not based on real events. The difference between the second part and the first in terms of promotion is greater PR. The first part was completely deprived of it. And in Russia its rental was even canceled and postponed. Throw in little-known director Chad Stahelski, and the presentation isn't exactly spectacular. But this is only at first glance.
Main character - fictional character original story screenwriter Derek Kolstad, also known for his work on the films “The Prisoner” and “The Parcel.” Moreover, thanks to a hint from the first part, we know that Derek was inspired by Trevanyan’s (Rod Whitaker) novel “Shibumi” with a similar plot. And this is the uniqueness of John Wick, since many cult heroes comes from the world. Believe it or not, even “The Terminator” and “300” came from the pages of graphic novels. But Wick's path was unique. With his legend, he really resembles a character from the universe of some minor comic book publisher. But no, his fate is different. Now, after the release of two parts of the film, a real battle of publishing houses has begun, who will get the rights to publish an illustrated story about a brutal hired killer who cannot retire to a well-deserved retirement.
From the first part we know that John Wick is a freelance killer who worked for the Russian mafia for many years and retired without permission. But Wick’s sedate life comes to an end, first with the death of his beloved wife, and then with the murder of the dog, which was a gift from his wife and a symbol of a normal, quiet existence. And the culprits must be punished regardless of personal acquaintance, patronage of criminal authorities and family ties. They destroyed the harmonious world of the most dangerous killer, nicknamed “Baba Yaga,” and the price for this is death.
The second part revolves around John’s same desire to resign, but he is again forced to wash his hands with liters of, whatever, tens of liters of blood.
What didn't you like about the film?
When discussing the film "John Wick 2", it is still worth mentioning some points so that readers do not get the feeling that thoughtless viewing with a wow effect and a pre-biased attitude prevented them from seeing the objective flaws of the film.
- The main disadvantage of the film is the script. Agree, the consistency and, most importantly, the plot of the story in the first part was head and shoulders above that in the second. The viewer barely has time to replay in his head the meaning of the scene with John’s visit to the Italian mafia and his subsequent refusal, when Wick’s house is already on fire, and only the most retarded will not understand that the heat is about to begin. We were not given the opportunity to reflect on the possible consequences of refusal. And the very fact that as soon as John rolls all his weapons into concrete, a bell immediately rings in his house. Too quickly we were thrown into the whirlpool of events. And if all the scenes were as dynamic, then one would understand the director’s haste. But there were also downright drawn-out scenes, especially when Laurence Fishburne’s character appeared. So it was possible to stretch the rubber a little in a situation with the receipt of a new order for murder.
- Weak main villain. The unfinished Don Corleone, for all his pettiness and worthlessness, deserved a more subtle and vibrant game. His image has been completely elevated to the status of some kind of runt. Although, according to history, he is a fairly authoritative person in the criminal world. He has weight, an army of loyal “soldiers” who would not tolerate a soft-bodied boss. You definitely don’t want to die for this. And in the end, he curbed the manly killer, played by open lesbian Ruby Rose. She faithfully served her employer.
- Lack of police as such. Note that in the film there were not just shootouts. Entire areas were destroyed there major cities(New York and Rome), but there are no traces of American or Italian police anywhere. Too implausible.
- The beginning of the film. The scene with the destruction of a Russian mafia car dealership raises a lot of questions. Russian gangsters stubbornly refused to take out their guns. Apparently, the creators of the film wanted to emphasize the “berserker” mode of the average Russian bandit in this way. Plus the ending of the scene is completely baffling. John killed a whole bunch of people, but did not kill the leader, sharing a glass of vodka with him. If such an ending was planned by Wick from the very beginning, why not immediately go to the offender and repeat the described ritual. After all, he wouldn't mind. And if you have to take revenge, then go ahead, finish everything to the end, it’s not for nothing that he returned to the salon in his broken car.
What I liked
- Cinematography by Dan Laustsen. Whether the comparison is appropriate, but some scenes were vaguely reminiscent of Emmanuel Lubezki’s “The Revenant” in a duet with Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu. When you occasionally feel yourself in the thick of things. It’s as if the hero is making his way through a crowd of people with you, simultaneously planting lead bullets in the foreheads and bodies of enemies. Plus panoramic and background plans, which perfectly complement the main video sequence, taking you away from the frantic and aggressive shootings and forcing you to relax a little before the next portion of the drive.
- Music is an integral part of a successful film. In this particular case, the task was to keep the viewer in suspense, conveying emotions and passion in each specific shooting scene, and they lasted almost 90% of the entire film. I especially want to highlight the compositions Ciscandra Nostalghia. They can be heard during scenes of the Roman operation to dispose of the queen of the Italian mafia world.
- Minimum installation. Why is this worth talking about separately? Because modern concepts For some reason they think about an action movie that the more camera angles and cuts there are, the more impressive the moment looks. But with this approach it is completely impossible to study the choreography of fight scenes. Pokes in the face, boom-boom, and that’s it, the enemy is lying around. Here everything returned to the good old principle - a full-fledged demonstration of battles. Why did we all love films with Jackie Chan and LCD so much? Precisely for the long and unchanging camera angle. We see how the strike is carried out, along which trajectory the opponent flies. We even have time to pay attention to the interior details, lighting and, most importantly, evaluate the believability of the fights. “Mechanic”, “Carrier” and other “loaders” moved away from classic style, focusing specifically on the hero, or rather, not even on the hero, but on the actor who plays him. This is a Jason Statham quote book on cinema screens all over the world. In John Wick, the emphasis is on the main character, but he is secondary. The important thing is not who mixed up the entire criminal world of New York. What matters is how the character did it. Attention is directed to the action itself, and not to the person performing it. That is why there are many angles in the film, when we look at what is happening through the eyes of the hero, or vice versa, when the shot is so close that you pay attention to the entire scene, and not to an individual character. That is why you believe in John Wick and that is why you begin to perceive his actions with increased trust.
- This film is worth watching if only for the scenes of Wick being in Rome. From the first second of arrival to departure. The events in the Roman amphitheater are especially impressive with their atmosphere: ancient ruins, majestic columns, catacombs, escalating music, lighting effects and, as the apogee of everything that happens, a battle in the dungeon.
- Battle with Cassian. It’s a rare case when, when studying the John Wick epic, you empathize with its antagonist. Cassian acts according to the laws of the criminal code and takes revenge for the murder of his boss (and, reading through the lines, not only the boss). He makes it clear that he didn’t care about the 7 million reward for killing Wick. He is only interested in personal revenge, because he went on the warpath much earlier than announced big jackpot. The final battle between them is a bright ending (or maybe not - his death was not shown to us, and the 3rd part is already in development) of their confrontation: a shootout on the street, silent firing from pistols with a silencer in the crowd and the final battle in a subway car. A tense rapprochement through people swaying from the movement of an underground electric train, gazes that cannot be removed from each other, knives being drawn, one of which will ultimately remain in Cassian’s sternum, and John Wick will continue his journey in search of the newly minted mafia leader.
- The hero himself, despite his mythical immortality, is still vulnerable. Those. the image becomes much more realistic when you see that the character receives damage, which hinders him in the future, but does not reduce his perseverance, determination and zeal. You can break John Wick physically, but not mentally.
- Stunts and staged fights took place with the direct participation of Keanu Reeves with minimal involvement of stuntmen. This is very impressive and makes you feel more sympathy for the character, for whom the 52-year-old (!) actor actually risks his health. Plus, it should be noted how carefully Keanu paid attention to the staging of the shooting scenes, because for this he took lessons from real special forces and spent a lot of time on training firing lines. In general, the emphasis on stunts is logical and understandable, because the director of the film was professional stuntman Chad Stahelski, who is a frank newcomer to Hollywood. And the John Wick series is so far the most successful that he has managed to do, so it is not surprising that both he and the producers will stick to this series until the end. By the way, there is already talk about a series based on the script by Derek Kolstad.
Summary
If you watched the first part and liked it, you are unlikely to be able to objectively evaluate the picture. I'm most likely no exception. Moreover, the second part turned out to be on the level, replacing the focus on the plot with visuals and staging of stunts, which is so lacking in modern action films. A good product This genre is difficult to come across, because they have all become similar to one another, like two peas in a pod. We see an exception before us. And we will persistently wait for the third part.
The movie opens with a prophetic summary: “He knocked out three guys in a bar. A pencil, motherfucker! The stories you've heard about this man don't add much color." The continuation of the exploits of the sad killer nicknamed Baba Yaga exceeds all expectations. This is a new action classic.
John Wick 2 is a refined, stylish action movie.
Photo: kinopoisk.ru
In the 2014 film quiet life retired hitman John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is disturbed by the son of a Russian bandit. The thug killed the killer's favorite dog, and the entire clan of immigrants from the Russian Federation paid for it... The beginning of the sequel is an epilogue to the first part. Wick visits the lair of a tough guy with a hammer and sickle on his neck - a relative of those crazy Russians. After the programmatic massacre, vodka is poured into the glasses and a toast is raised to peace. Baba Yaga retires.
Keene Reeves lives in his mansion with a new dog and photographs of his dead wife. Photo: kinopoisk.ru
Keene Reeves lives in his mansion with a new dog and photographs of his dead wife. In a couple of frames, he looks like Sad Keanu (a meme in honor of street photographs of the actor, who grieved the deaths of his girlfriend, child and sister). Loneliness doesn't last long. Santino D'Antonio, a member of the secret society of assassins, a representative of the Italian Camorra clan, presents a promissory note signed in John's blood. The oath forces the hero to repay the debt. He flies to Rome to kill his girlfriend from the past. After the quest, everything only gets worse - the entire Camorra stands against John, freelance killers want a reward for his head.
In the sequel, the conflict is “intra-shop”, without bullshit - killers against killers. “We’ll consider this corporate ethics,” says John, leaving a knife in his opponent’s chest, blocking the cut aorta and giving him a chance to survive. Relationships are gentlemanly, conversations are with social gloss, without insults or swearing. First, the heroes beat each other, then they drink together in a bar, discussing the agenda, and again - bloody catch-up.
Respite, like a place for “saves” from video games, is provided by the already familiar Continental hotel chain. Here, killers are given suits with armor lining, are offered interesting “varieties” (as the sommelier-gunsmith says) of pistols, and are given the opportunity to have a friendly chat with someone they’ve recently shot. Murder is prohibited in the "club zone". “Continental” is the main trump card of the franchise. Hotels with almost museum-like copper pipes pneumatic mail, monochrome monitors and dispatch consoles from the 70s preserve traditions that seem to go back to the Orders of Knights.
John Wick has a tattoo on his back: “Fate helps the brave.” Photo: kinopoisk.ru
Murderers pay in gold and sign in blood. The tattoo “Fate helps the brave” on Wick’s back is like a slogan on a coat of arms. In the basements of the monuments of Rome, gothic rock sounds, and Santino D'Antonio, the head of the Camorra clan, takes a bloody bath (cool work by Italian Claudia Gerini). Laurence Fishburne's character (the first meeting with Reeves after The Matrix) holds carrier pigeons and knows the way through the dungeons of New York to the glass palace - the Museum of Modern Art. In this looking glass, accompanied by the slogan from the speakers “Here you will discover the nature of your self,” Wick will transform into a warrior in flaming armor, justifying the prediction “You have awakened hell”... Don’t think, there is not even a drop of pseudo-mysticism here. It’s just that the action movie becomes spiritual, like the legend about the knight who dreams of throwing away his sword, while remaining a real action movie.
Here is the first meeting between Neo and Morpheus after The Matrix. Photo: kinopoisk.ru
Reporters spied how special forces taught Reeves to shoot with two pistols, but he doesn’t imitate John Woo’s heroes, he has his own style. Shoots from everything that shoots. He doesn’t pretend that the clip is endless, he takes the barrel from the dead man, and the shooter continues. He doesn’t make wild jumps, doesn’t fly like the Hong Kong killers, he just walks around and leaves mountains of corpses. In the very first fight there are not only kung fu strikes, but also throws over the hip, over the head, over the shoulder. Next is a harmonious mixture of martial arts, plus knife fighting and pencil strikes, where without them... All this looks like a ballet, and the dialogues sound like opera without singing. Sometimes even without words - some gesticulating warriors have a vow of silence, or their tongue is cut out.
The box office of the first John Wick exceeded the budget by more than four times. Photo: kinopoisk.ru
The box office of the first John Wick exceeded the budget by more than four times; critics praised the “merciless action” and the actors. There is no reason to doubt the success of the sequel. Before this franchise, Chad Stahelski starred in action films about kung fu and cyborgs. In the director's chair, he demonstrates an understanding of the genre and works with courage. Essentially, he remains a debutant, but films new classics action.
According to Nikolai Kurilov, John Wick 3 could be something incredible. Photo: kinopoisk.ru
John Wick 2 is a refined, stylish action film. He does not go beyond the boundaries of the genre with a single frame or remark, and even narrows them (there is no girl for guardianship and romance of other pop attributes), but within this framework frantic energy boils, and something aesthetically new is born.
The bloody ballet ends with a surreal coda - the air of New York is filled with calls from mobile phones accepting a new order. John sees killers at every step. It seems that there is no one left except them... For the first time in his life, John runs. A sublime, filled with anxiety and somewhere even a “spirit of despair” finale of the second part of the trilogy. The story was not immediately conceived as a stupid set of sequels. Therefore, John Wick 3 may turn out to be something incredible. It’s hard to imagine; the bar has been set very high.
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