Often times, I would say that it’s pretty dangerous to get yourself too excited for the release of a new piece of entertainment. Simply put high expectations necessitate a high rate of return, and most pop culture objects simply can’t measure up to the amazing creation we form in our head. And yet time and time again, we build up these movies, games, or TV seasons to be the-end-all-be-all of entertainment perfection — despite what Larry David has taught us, we just can’t learn to curb our enthusiasm, can we?
That being said, John Wick: Chapter 2 is one of my most anticipated films of 2017, and probably the most excited I’ve been for an action film since The Raid 2. And if it ends up being a disappointment, I will have lost all faith in the concept of excitement, Keanu Reeves, and movie making in general. So stakes are high, is what I’m saying.
Thankfully the trailer for John Wick: Chapter 2 kicks a ton of ass, and already looks to be a good amount of fun. The good thing here is that the bar isn’t particularly high for this sequel to succeed: while John Wick was a great action movie, it’s not like it revolutionized the genre or anything. As long as Chapter 2 features enough slick action and well choreographed set pieces, I will be a happy man.
And at the very least, it will have Laurence Fishburne. And no project in the history of time has suffered from that presence.
John Wick: Chapter 2 is shooting its way into theaters on February 10, 2017. Will it be the Bourne Supremacy to John Wick’s The Bourne Identity, or merely a lackluster Jason Bourne? I’m hopeful it will be the former. After all, the future of entertainment rests on it.
-Matthew