SPOILERS

While it’s not officially out in Australia until May – who can possibly wait that long?! So, thanks to my sister, she manages to find me a copy online. It’s not a good copy, but it will do for the moment before I am able to go and see it at the cinemas.

However, it is awesome.

It’s much like the first except it has less heart. In the first, John loses his dog – a gift given to him by his late wife. In the second, he is trying to retrieve his stolen car. While it doesn’t have the same impact as losing one’s pet – it kicks off the story with a bang straight out of the gate. From there, John goes to Rome for business and it goes from there.

This leads to some amazing fight scenes – including one in a sort-of house of mirrors (which is incredible!) and some random minor fights (including one where he kills two men with a pencil – “A FUCKING PENCIL” – quote from the original, holla!)

There’s a lot of talk about Keanu being united with Laurence Fishburne (they worked together on the Matrix trilogy) but he’s not in it for long and he doesn’t appear until towards the end of the film. I personally could have done without Ruby Rose, but at least she doesn’t speak a word throughout the film and eventually dies to everyone’s delight.

I always feel in these kinds of movies, plot doesn’t really matter. It’s Keanu Reeves, with long hair in a hot looking suit, shooting people – does it need a story? The plot fleshes out the underground mythology of John’s world and while, dramatic and well written, I just want to see him shoot people. The body count goes up ten fold. So while it’s not as good as the original; I stress it’s still good! It has that same stylised look of the original, but with more packed in. The ending leads into the third installment!

All you need to know is, if you loved the first, you will love the second! Go. See. It.