How's about a real long fight scene? Try 2017's John Wick: Chapter 2. I only thought the first John Wick was so-so but Caitlin's been talking about the movies a lot in her blog lately so I decided to see the next one. I'm glad I did, it's a big improvement on the first.
Where the first felt like the filmmakers were trying to make a simple revenge story about a hitman, the second feels like they were trying to push themselves as hard as they could to make relentless physical action, with a few moments of dialogue here and there.
One might start to wonder why John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is considered an almost supernatural killer when he barely survives most of these fights. Lucky for him the people wanting to kill him prefer to shoot at his bulletproof vest. And why does he so often strut calmly through the middle of the street? He gets hit by a car for that in one instance--it's a stunt I'm getting kind of tired of, though I suppose it was fairly new in 2017, maybe John Wick 2 was even the first time it was done. A character walks along oblivious and is hit by a car coming into frame suddenly. Average people can hear a car coming at least sometimes, you'd think if Mr. Wick has the confidence to walk out in the open he'd at least have some finely tuned senses.
But those are my few complaints. I liked the hit he was forced to carry out, a beautiful woman (Claudia Gerini) who decides to slit her wrists in her decadent bathtub before Wick can execute her (though the scene would have been better if the filmmakers hadn't felt compelled to hide her nudity). I enjoyed Franco Nero's small role as the manager of the Continental Hotel in Rome. I liked how the first part of the climax takes place in a funhouse but an audio recording explains to the visitor that this is actually an art installation inviting you to contemplate reflection and self and blah blah blah. It's a funhouse someone's selling to rich people as avante garde art. Pretty funny.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is available on Netflix.
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