John Wick and Batman go toe-to-toe in this week’s new Blu-ray releases. We also have those other “doobie brothers,” Cheech and Chong, as Next Movie makes its high-def debut, plus other notable titles now on Blu-ray!
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2
When the first John Wick flick (man, I just love alliteration) came out, I don’t think audiences knew what to expect. The movie was action personified as stunt coordinators turned directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski serving as conductors to a blood-soaked, bullet-strewn symphony with Keanu Reeves in the title role. Now comes John Wick: Chapter 2, which goes further into Wick’s past as he’s pulled out of retirement by a former associate who wants him to do a “job” so he can usurp power and get a seat at the high table of an international assassin’s guild. Much like the first installment, the sequel ups the body count (and head shots) as Keanu becomes a marked man when Common comes for retribution.
JW:C2 is easily one to the best movies of 2017 on entertainment value alone. Adding Laurence Fishburne to a cast that already includes Ian McShane and Lane Reddick (stars of American Gods and The Wire, respectively) was a nice touch as you got a little Matrix reunion. Arriving on Blu-ray and 4K UHD, the release comes cocked and loaded with director Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves holding court on an audio commentary, plus several featurettes about the success of John Wick, the shadow underworld in which Wick operates, and last but not least, the number of kills.
