“Whoever comes, I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all.”

– John Wick (portrayed by Keanu Reeves)

The 2014 film “John Wick” was not only a financial and critical success, but it struck a strong fan base. Writer Derek Kolstad crafted an assassin-filled universe and gave the viewer bits and pieces of this world throughout the film.

Its sequel, “John Wick: Chapter 2,” takes the audience deeper into the world of John Wick (portrayed by Keanu Reeves) and also successfully establishes this film franchise.

The pace of “John Wick: Chapter 2” is quite different from the pace of its predecessor. While “John Wick” built to an hour of nonstop violence, the sequel instead disperses the action in a more traditional manner. The cinematic carnage of “gun-fu” is absolutely beautiful throughout the film.

The true strength of the film is how it familiarizes the viewer with the John Wick universe. The film establishes that everyone and anyone in this universe can be an assassin. This includes a syndicate of homeless people, musicians on the street and even couples in the park. Ruby Rose shines in this film as Ares, a vicious deaf assassin who hunts Wick across the globe.

The film implements rules that exist within Wick’s world, while also using these rules to push the plot forward. Concepts such as “The Marker” and “The High Table” will delight action-film buffs.

If you were a fan of the first John Wick film, you should definitely see the second.

RATING: 4.5 / 5 stars