Feels like it picks up right where the first film left off, tying up that one remaining loose end of what happened to Wick's car. Something that if you're like me you wondered about upon finishing the original. It serves as a great way of opening Chapter 2 up with a bang and introduces us to just how much more stylish things are than in its predecessor. It doesn't take long for this sequel to pick up its own plot however. One that I personally think has a few writing issues. After finally righting the last of Iosef's wrongs, Wick tries to settle back into retirement when a face from his past shows up asking him to repay a debt that he is held to by more than just honor, but the actual laws of the assassin/criminal hierarchy he once worked under as well. John of course refuses, leading to his creditor retaliating by destroying the portion of his civilian life he had left. It's certainly a decent setup that allows the movie to naturally dive deeper into the rules of the shadowy world its stars inhabit while also revealing how much of its hero's legend has been overblown. Yet, it also serves to make the titular protagonist seem a little dumb. It makes no sense for him to refuse knowing the repercussions for doing so, to the point where another character even asks him "what did you think would happen?" You could argue it was done to give him a reason to seek revenge again, but that would have been handled later on when the villain inevitably double crossed him anyways. It's just a bit illogical. That doesn't stop the action from delivering though. I'm not sure how I feel about scenes like the one where a fight leads to the combatants falling down a comically large flight of stairs straight out of a slapstick comedy, but there are moments such as the duel of silenced shots being traded in a crowd of people without alerting any of the bystanders that stand as some of my favorite in the entire genre. I love the increased amount of blood effects from the headshots and they even gave Wick a pair of similarly skilled rivals to battle in the form of rapper/actor Common and Ruby Rose. The latter of whom I particularly enjoyed. Sure, Mark Dacascos and Daniel Bernhardt will likely get the nod from others due to being more formidable (one of them even kicking John's butt in the prior outing), but for me Rose is the most memorable of Wick's foes to date. Overall, this a worthy follow-up that provides the return of the spectacular, stunning thrills we all wanted more of. And oh my goodness, that ending! The conclusion makes you excited for the third entry not only because of what it lays the groundwork for, but also via the strength of everything you just witness beforehand. So although admittedly more flawed, the second John Wick sits alongside it's predecessor as the peak of Western action cinema nonetheless.