summit entertainment | The Cinema Score

Published by: Anthony Wallace

The boogeyman returns as Keanu Reeves stars in the sequel to Chad Stahelski’s action hit ‘John Wick‘ (2014). The original film was a huge hit amongst moviegoers; although it wasn’t a box-office smash, Summit Entertainment moved forward with the project and leads us to ‘John Wick: Chapter 2‘. Director Chad Stahelski returns to the chair and helms the brutal carnage that made it the success that it is. The film also sees Common, Ian McShane, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Lawrence Fishbourne.

When John Wick refuses to take the mark by Santino D’Antonio, Wick’s life turns upside down as he is thrust back into the life he’s so desperately tried leaving behind. But with no option he carries through with the order and that’s when he is double-crossed and that leads Wick to fend off the enemies and tries to get revenge and return to the life he so cherishes. But the further he’s pushed may be all little too late.

It’s been a long while that fans of the original movie were anticipating a sequel to probably one of the most unexpected films of 2014. With the combination of Keanu Reeves and non-stop action with guns and knives being wielded left and right, there was just nothing you could’ve asked for. So going into this movie I anticipated nothing but the same fun that we got the last time around. And ‘John Wick: Chapter 2‘ doesn’t disappoint. Not only is it more of the same but it flows effortlessly as the movie travels from one location to the next and delivering an adrenaline punch at best.

What you got from the first movie is what you’ll get in the sequel but a new plot thread arises and leads John Wick into uncharted territory. Another great performance by Keanu Reeves as he continues to take the pain and punishment while kicking ass and making you regret you ever came face to face. Another mention goes out to Common who is the protector of one of the main villain’s sister. He had some great chemistry along with Keanu and there were brutal fight scenes between the two of them that on their own could have made the movie. The supporting cast all around did their job and although they weren’t breakout performances they did what they needed to do and carried the movie along.

You could easily say that the carnage we get in this movie is over the top compared to the previous film but it’s so much fun to watch that you forget about it. I mean who ever knew the damage that could be done with just a pencil. Yes the pencil makes an awesome return and even a deadly weapon if one were so inclined to use in self-defense. There are many sequences to mention but that wouldn’t be fun to divulge as it should be experienced in its full glory on screen. Could this movie outdo the greatness of the original? That’s a tough argument considering you can look at these films as art and trying to discern between the two can get complicated. But never-the-less they are exactly what they’re intended to be.

Seeing as how the movie ended it is safe to say that the studio could go for another sequel and may be the case if the box-office is any indicator. There are many directions the John Wick franchise can go and it’ll be interesting to see how the studio plans to move forward from here. Definitely one the best action films we’ve seen this year with a star-studded performance by Keanu Reeves. Let’s get Chapter 3!!!

Rating: 7.5/10

Are you looking forward to ‘John Wick: Chapter 2‘? What are some of your favorite Keanu Reeves films? Comment below and share your thoughts.

Published by: Anthony Wallace

When Horus is about to be crowned King of Egypt, his uncle Set turns on his fellow brother to take over and rule the land. As the Gods are hunted down one by one until Set is the only King, a mere mortal in Bek sets out to help Horus and return Egypt to greatness. The film is directed by Alex Proyas and stars Gerard Butler, Brenton Thwaites, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Going into ‘Gods of Egypt‘, Alex Proyas is known for having success with ‘I, Robot‘, ‘Dark City‘, and even ‘The Crow‘. Those films had visual appeal that going into this movie I was looking forward to another showcase. If one were to find out this movie had a production of $140 million* you would be in disbelief. How or where the money went to produce a poorly edited, poor effects, and a lackluster script made ‘Gods of Egypt’ a big budget mess.

The opening of the movie was eye catching as the narrator introduces us to the groundwork. It’s here we find Gerard Butler as Set confront Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) after the death of Horus’s father. With exposition in place we are led on a long and treacherous journey where the movie ultimately fails. With actors like Butler and Thwaites we’d expect a decent experience where entertainment would be a given. So much effort was put on the special effects that there was barely a script to follow. The dialogue from some of the actors must have been hard to muster because it didn’t make any sense nor was it funny when it wanted to be.

With performances aside the money grabber is on the effects. Yet with so much invested the outcome is horrendous. Where things went wrong is something Director Alex Proyas would have to explain because there wasn’t a justified effect that stood out. The only effect that would have worked had it been done right was how the Gods were depicted when they transformed from human form to shielded giants. If the special effects were spot on the action scenes would have been amazing; especially the fighting sequences between Set and Horus.

Along with a bad script and poor effects, we also get a 127 minute runtime that isn’t justified. The movie could have easily been cut down to 90 minutes as there were countless scenes of dialogue or action sequences that were put in the script for the sake of keeping audience’s attention. It’s to no surprise an embargo was put in place with no early screenings for critics that ‘Gods of Egypt‘ was doomed upon release. This is a huge let down from Summit Entertainment that sees Alex Proyas with a less than stellar entry to his portfolio.

Rating: 4/10

What do you guys think? Are you planning to watch ‘Gods of Egypt‘? Comment below and share your thoughts. And click the like button if you enjoyed reading this post.

*Source: Box Office Mojo