‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ Kills with Class

A dinner party? Look no further than the 2010 California Cabernet. An evening concert? Wear an Armani three-piece. An impossible assassination? Call John Wick. In a genre some perhaps would itch to define as tasteless, the hitman action-thriller “John Wick: Chapter 2” uniquely makes connoisseurship its hallmark. Getting outfitted for the next kill is as simple as visiting the “Sommelier” (a gunsmith in the Wick universe) for a private tasting of German and Italian firearms, the local cartographer for ancient maps of Roman catacombs, and of course the tailor for something with sartorial taste and bullet-proof lining.

Sidestepping the unimaginative sequel naming formula “Whatever Movie 2” the follow up to 2014’s “John Wick” opts for the more literary “Chapter 2.” Keanu Reaves returns in the role of the eponymous ex-hitman dragged yet again from retirement, this time to Italy in order to fulfill a blood oath he gave years earlier to a fellow assassin (Riccardo Scamarcio). While he may not like coming back to the scene of international contract killings, one can’t expect a guy with “Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat” (“Fortune Favors the Bold”) tattooed on his back to stay at home with his dog for all that long. Littered with a who’s who of supporting actors—Laurence Fishburne (of “The Matrix”), Ian McShane (of “Deadwood”), John Leguizamo (of “Ice Age”), Lance Reddick (of “The Wire”), hip-hop legend Common (of “Selma”), and the eternal Franco Nero (of “Django," “Django Unchained")—this journey to Italy makes an effort to build an expansive world in which to unleash hell with style.

And the carnage does not disappoint. The kinetic fight choreography is executed with aplomb, whether it is Reeves versus dozens of trained killers or Reeves versus dozens of taxi cabs (or both). Of course, this is what one should expect, since director Chad Stahelski is a veteran stuntman and stunt coordinator himself. Unfortunately, when the scene isn’t filled with action, which thankfully it mostly is, the direction tends to slouch into cheesy flashbacks, graphic novel subtitles or video game-inspired aesthetics. Although they are always done with good humor, and certainly worth a laugh or two, these moments chafe against the film’s tasteful ambitions, with mixed results overall.

That’s not to impugn the director’s taste unilaterally. To his credit the film contains several homages to the great action films of the past, which takes the film’s connoisseurship to the action genre itself. The opening shot of the iconic motorcycle chase scene from Buster Keaton’s “Sherlock Jr.” projected on a NYC skyscraper, which syncs up Keaton’s skidding through a window with a modern motorcycle skidding on its side, shows a sense of discernment and appreciation for the history of the action film genre.Paired with the scattering of Italian sculpture on display throughout the film, the “classical” action film nears art historical “classicism” with an eye for elegance. At first glance, “Chapter 2” may seem like a maximalist display of non-stop action, but when compared to similar franchises like “The Fast and the Furious,” the Wick films come through with a refreshing simplicity: one man, one gun, many villains.

The irony of humanist pleasures in a film with a staggering body count can only be taken with humor, though one can’t help leaving the theater wanting either further debasement and self-parody, or even better, through exploration of Stahelski’s refined artistic interests. Even though the film’s high-brow tastes never come fully into contiguity with its middle-brow ones, “Chapter 2” remains a satisfying offering from a skilled team of actors and filmmakers. Also, watching Common attempt to speak Italian is a treat all unto itself.