John Wick: Chapter 2 (Chad Stahelski, 2017)

This is a rarity in the world of action sequels in that it's actually superior to the first instalment. Unfortunately, since the first film was almost entirely an exercise in monitoring the body count, with only a cursory origin story serving as a respite, this is not high praise. Keanu Reeves has slowed down noticeably in dutifully wading through more and more disposable thugs and it isn't a pretty sight for Neo: jowlier does not always equal more grizzled, and he's always been an actor heavily dependent on how he comes across visually in the absence of any greater talent. It covers its Ronseal non-stop violence remit and finishes open-endedly with Wick even worse off than before, and that is pretty much the sum total of its virtues.

5/10