Stylized: John Wick 1 + 2

I've had a chance to watch some John Wick with the first two being on television. They're well received and I say it deserves the accolades a little bit. Pretty good. Not sure I'd say they're great, but solid films.

My thoughts on the first is simple. It builds up the momentum. Starts off slow and like a different movie. A bit more suspenseful as the title character vows revenge on the Russian mob for taking his car and killing his dog, a gift from his late wife. Once he gets back to the job he gave up for love, it does not let up. Plenty of bullets, kills, fist fights. Times where Wick finds himself in plenty of trouble, but finds a way to finish or outsmart the bad guys. Very flashy, and plenty of shots that go for five to fifteen, maybe twenty shot takes. No multiple cuts, especially when multiple killings occur. Some complaints include a bit louder audio in a number of scenes, and a plot that drags a little bit in the middle. Still, it's worth checking.

Chapter 2 is not a full rinse and repeat movie. They start off with frantic moments before slowing down a little bit. Wick now has a job to assassinate a guy's sister so he can take over a seat for a group. Some of the stuff is similar, but there is more than enough to not consider it a rehash. Not as much flash, but it is noticed towards the second half of the film. Plenty of action throughout, but the film knew when to slow down and when to get back into the fray. Still a lot of shots that go anywhere from five to twenty seconds. The end shootout struck me as an interesting idea and both sides trying to outsmart another. It was rather nice. A bit of double crosses and working for various sides, the job of an assassin does not end. Louder audio was still an issue, but not as bad compared to the first. Other than that, it doesn't drag as much. I'd say better than the first.

As far as acting for both films, it's well done. The scripts are given a bit of thought. Quite a bit of foreign language for a few scenes. Plenty of violence, but not much swearing. You don't need a bunch of F-bombs to be R rated for films like John Wick. It has me a bit curious about the third one that just came out. Kind of sad I missed out on the first two when they released. Give them a watch. You will understand a lot more from watching them in order.

Chapter 1: 7 out of 10
Chapter 2: 7.5 out of 10