You know us, we like to create our own personalized categories of films or series, outside the algorithmic selections of platforms from elsewhere. This is why, alongside the well-stocked category of "watchable then forgettable", there is also that of "sequels that no one asked for". A classification that could have easily fit Mr. Wolff 2, the second installment of a 2016 production seeking to ride the John Wick wave, with a little something extra.
However, just because this new film wasn't particularly desired doesn't mean it was going to irremediably fail. Well... the American box office took care of that (65 million dollars, compared to 86 million for the first one), which is perhaps why it automatically landed on Prime Video in our country without going to the cinema box. Too bad, because in many ways, this sequel surpasses its model.
The synopsis of Mr. Wolff 2
A private detective is murdered, leaving behind a simple message: find the accountant. Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), deputy director of the US Treasury and former colleague of the missing man, decides to take the case in hand and manages to obtain the help of Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), a meticulous killer suffering from disorders.
When the case becomes complicated, Wolff contacts his brother, Brax (John Bernthal), with whom relations are strained. They will quickly alienate an entire human trafficking network.
1 / We take the same...
If you liked Mr Wolff, the film will put you in your shoes, since it is the entire 2016 team that finds itself reunited. And although the feature film of the time suffers from many, many shortcomings and a certain lack of originality, there were / still are some great people. Gavin O’Connor (Warrior) directed, Bill Dubuque (Ozark) wrote the script, and Ben Affleck was involved in both production and on screen.
Which is far from being a detail since the action scenes, while not out of the ordinary for the genre, are well-packaged, despite a lack of generosity. We even get some complete nonsense, like in the good old days when the script allowed for the most outright improbabilities. Mr Wolff may have been likeable, but his room for improvement was significant enough that a second installment wouldn't be enough to save all the furniture.
2 / … and we're not starting again
Nevertheless, Mr Wolff 2 has the merit of having absorbed the qualities of the first opus and not nonchalantly spitting them out at us, with no desire other than economic. On the contrary, this sequel moves far enough away from its “John Wick” side to further emphasize a comedy side that suits it like a glove. Just look at the introductory sequence of our killer, whose stated intention is to make him much more sympathetic.
Far from its past coldness, this second installment puts a lot of heart into it by emphasizing the relationships between characters and doesn't hesitate to make fun of many scenes, including its own violence. Mr Wolff 2 doesn't copy his recipe; he develops his universe and continues to move forward by exploring other directions, showing a lot of pleasure in doing so. The execution can be clumsy and there is nothing concretely exceptional to the point of giving it a lasting reputation, but overall it is infinitely amusing, with the appropriate lightness. We didn't know what we were going to eat and in the end, we get caught up in the game with the desire to have some more.
3 / The Défoncetout Brothers
Mr. Wolff 2 is all the more enjoyable because of the excellent chemistry between our two main actors. While Ben Affleck and John Bernthal shared few scenes in the first installment, the brotherly relationship is the real theme of this sequel. Even if it means putting its main protagonist more in the background to ensure an equal share of screen time. The best moments are no longer to be found in the intense gunfights, but in those moments when the two men find themselves, share, argue, understand each other and above all... have fun!
Why watch Mr Wolff 2? Because Affleck dances to the rhythm under the proud gaze of Bernthal, and to return the favor, there's nothing better than provoking a little fight... Two distinct personalities, complementary, who push the film forward. It must be admitted, without them, this production would certainly not have the same flavor.
This sequel turns its thriller side, accentuates its comic side and offers its two actors all the leisure to have fun together, in joy and brawl. The feature film may not go down in history, but it still has the merit of assuming its role, of putting desire, heart and of ensuring entertainment. We had almost forgotten the first one, now we wouldn't say no to a third part.
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