Keanu Reeves is back as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 2 and believe it or not, he’s better than ever. From the opening scene to the final credits, this sequel amps up the action, the mind-blowing stunts and everything else you can think of for the second journey of our favorite assassin living in a world of killers that we never knew about until Reeves’ first film landed in 2014.
This time out, Wick is trying to enjoy his retirement. But, those around him are not too keen on letting him go quietly into the night. The film starts moments after the first film ends, and finds Wick being visited by another member of the underground we learned so much about in the first film. Seems Wick owes him and cannot retire until this debt is repaid. This will involve killing someone and that action will force a reaction that will permeate throughout this Wick world, from all corners of the globe.
What is also so terrific about the Chad Stahelski-directed second film in this series is it greatly opens up the universe of assassins as we learn that this community isn’t just simply in Manhattan. This is a global underworld and Wick has become target number one.
We caught up with Reeves at the press day for John Wick: Chapter 2 where he dished getting into shape for the sequel that raises the bar on the action front and reuniting with his The Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King, a wise man who aides Wick on his journey. Reeves also dishes his favorite action scene to shoot, as well as the most difficult and how those sometimes can be one and the same.
Q: What about this character and story appeals to you? How has it been hearing from fans since the first film arrived?
Keanu Reeves: I think I speak for everyone in the sense that you hope to do good work and that you hope they have a chance to be seen and be responded to. For me, specifically to John Wick, it’s really cool since the opening of the first one through today to be here [for the second], is that everyone has so much affection for it. It’s very rare that that happens. For me, it’s pretty rare … so it’s really cool.
Q: You have many action films under your belt. In real life, are you adept at martial arts?
Keanu Reeves: I don’t know any real jiu-jitsu, judo or anything. I do movie kung-fu. But with that, you can fake a punch, but you can’t really fake a judo throw! You can get help from the person you’re throwing with, because they can kind of launch themselves. [Laughs] Thank you, Common! Also at the same time, Common got really good at throwing me too. It’s really cooperation, but in the real world I don’t do any of that.
Q: The action is such a ballet, what was your favorite scene versus what was the most difficult to shoot?
Keanu Reeves: Those sometimes intersect. The most difficult can become the most fun. All of the action is difficult, and all of it is a lot of fun — like after when Common hit me with the car, we had that little impromptu gunfight. We cooked that up there. I think the Cassian/John fight before we crash into the Continental — that was the most difficult fight technically because we didn’t have all the jiu-jitsu experience. It had the guns and we had to go through that process of just learning how to walk before we could run in a way.
Q: Sounds like Common was a great “dance” partner.
Keanu Reeves: That Cassian/John fight in Philadelphia — the intimacy of it. Chad also cut out the audio, the soundtrack of the music. So, it was just mano a mano. That was part of the development of the fight. In that fight, he was choking me and dragging me backwards and I’m trying to do a reload. You have to understand that this is cooperation. Like how you called it a dance. It’s a partnership. You really can’t do it without the other person. You have to cooperate.
Q: What aspects of the sequel most excited you?
Keanu Reeves: The Bowery King, Laurence, and Common. We open up this world of assassins and also with Ian (McShane, plays Winston) where his purview opens up and we learn a little bit more about Winston. The world expands.
Q: What was it like to reunite and collaborate with Mr. Fishburne?
Keanu Reeves: I asked him, “How did you like John Wick?” He loved it. I was like, “You did? I’ll talk to Chad because I think there might be something there.”
Q: Laurence’s character is so wise… did your scenes feel at all Matrix-like?
Keanu Reeves: I didn’t have that experience. You think that [he knows something I don’t], but I know something he doesn’t.
Q: Lots of people were killed in the first John Wick, but only one dog, and people flipped out about it, and it helped the audience identify with your being driven by revenge. What was your reaction to that?
Keanu Reeves: “I love the movie, but I can’t watch that scene!” seemed to be the reaction people had. They were really affected by what happens to the dog and with John. I get it, and in the second one that was the thing, “I can’t wait to see the movie, you don’t kill another dog, do you?” We don’t. [His new dog] is integral to the story, because it’s part of what’s going on in his life. It’s symbolic. He’s responsible for the beast and so they have a little journey together. It’s not a man and dog road movie, though!