‘John Wick: Chapter 2’ is a bad habit already and it could get worse because this film ends with a possibility of more mayhem to come.

The so-called scary moments are so wearisome that they grate on your nerves. The young talent here is also not interesting enough to put your money on.

…the writing doesn’t allow for much attachment. And having a white man save the day for the Chinese is certainly not pluralism the way we’d like to see it.

The action sequences are breathlessly vicarious but it all appears too rote to be enjoyable. The pace is relentless. The action is never-ending so there’s little understanding of what is happening other than the Heroine’s continued survival even under the most vicious of circumstances. And at the end of it all there’s a suggestion that a new beginning may well be proffered –given that the cloned Alice assumes the place of the real thing!

‘Return of Xander Cage’, as the name suggests, returns to stunt-CGI-action to provide it’s adrenaline rush. This is basically Diesel’s show and he is well aided by the stunt choreography, CGI action and editing speed. But don’t go by looks. There’s not much energy in the telling here and the confused narrative totally sidelines logic

For the video game fans, this may be just what the doctor ordered, but for cinema lovers, it’s just another convert (like ‘Mortal Kombat’, ‘Dungeons And Dragons’ and whole lot of other illegitimate spawns) that doesn’t quite work!

The film has an interesting idea, but the way the feints are played out, you will feel suckered. There are far too many damaged people around and the methods employed for cure appear unethical and impractical. The script doesn’t manage to get one emotionally involved. The performers are the saving grace, though.

Screenplay writer Christina Hodson obviously did not have a clue as to how to connect the big idea with a credible story. So every attempt at generating thrills and scares appears fake. It’s also obvious that the mechanics have been ripped-off from much more assured material . There’s no compelling story here and neither is there any involvement. But for the heightened atmospherics, and the presence of Naomi Watt and Jacob Tremblay, this would have been an imminently forgettable experience.

The movie feels underdeveloped, the jokes aren’t laugh worthy or clever for that matter and the treatment doesn’t have a consistent tone or temper to make the experience thrilling. Not quite the Cruise comfort we were looking for I say!

‘31st October’ is why fledgling inept filmmakers should stay away from history-invoking true stories, else such heinous acts might well be wiped out from the collective conscience for want of a skilled and able raconteur!