The first "John Wick" was an efficient revenge story, showcasing Keanu Reeves' ability to move well in action scenes and communicate ruthless efficiency, while also sketching in an odd secretive world of hired assassins with their own rituals and ceremonies. The sequel goes further onto both - creating a series of set-pieces for Keanu to continue killing people all over the shop, while also bringing the background more firmly into focus. It's got a great plethora of supporting performers (in particular, Lawrence Fishburne and Ian McShane), and the climactic shootout verges into the abstract.
It's also possibly the first time I've seen an action movie have a hero with ennui - Wick is a character who is clearly tired of the killing business and would be happy to settle down if circumstances would just allow - but of course circumstances don't allow, hence the bodycount. This ends up having a lot more purity and basic simple construction working for it than other contemporary action flicks, which often seem to get ridiculously complicated on their way to serving up the action. It's good to have a stylish palate-clenser to show how the game should be played.
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