(For those wondering, the dog remains safe.) He has little time to relax when he finds Santino D’Antonio ( Riccardo Scamarcio) on his doorstep, asking him to make good on the blood oath he made years prior that allowed him to retire from his deadly profession. After all, what else does he have to live for? The sequel picks up shortly after the end of the first film Wick is still reeling from the death of his wife, Helen ( Bridget Moynahan), failing to adjust to a new life even with his adorable, unnamed pitbull steadfastly by his side.

It’s easy to believe, as commented on by others in the film, that he’s addicted to the vengeance he dishes out with such panache. “John Wick: Chapter Two” is truly wondrous, but it wouldn’t work without Reeves, who has a sincere love of this genre. For all its great craft, the movie is ultimately a showcase for Keanu Reeves, who returns as the titular assassin, proving his greatness as an actor and action star. In many ways, it’s the platonic ideal of an action film: operatic yet colored with fine-tuned details, blisteringly visceral yet tinged with pathos. It’s also surprisingly hilarious, wringing humor from physical pratfalls and dry wit in unexpected moments. “John Wick: Chapter Two” is a more audacious film, bolder and more violent than its predecessor. Have you ever walked out of a film so struck by awe and wonder your skin is abuzz? Has a film ever left you so joyful and drunk on adrenaline that it made you more hopeful about the world? Has a lead performance in an action film ever had such balletic grace it made you marvel at the possibilities of the human body itself? This is exactly how I felt watching “John Wick: Chapter Two,” the sequel to the surprising 2014 action hit.

John wick 2 blu ray issues