So despite the crap shape Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) is at the end of the first film, he gets rescued, saved, and rehabilitated. In fact, Nik (Golshifteh Farahani) retires him to Austria in a little cabin by the lake, but when an unnamed man (Idris Elba) shows up and offers him a job, one with a personal connection, Rake gets pulled back into the fight.

Written, once again by Joe and Anthony Russo (who also served as producers) alongside Ande Parks who wrote the original graphic novel, Ciudad, on which the series is based, director Hargrave delivers another solid action film that is bound to entertain.

Outside of the ‘this time it’s personal’ thing that gets the story going (it actually has a nice emotional payoff for Rake at the end) the film is a very worthy successor to the first film, giving us more of what we liked in the first film, and telling a story in the hopes of advancing the characters.

This time out, Rake has to slip into a Georgian prison to get a family out that is being held there to keep them under the control of their patriarch who is serving his time there. What should always be an easy in-and-out procedure goes sideways very quickly, and Rake and his team find themselves in a run-and-gun to stay one head of the crime family, the Nagazi, who are eager to exact revenge on the mother, Ketevan (Tinatin Dalakishvili) for her perceived betrayal in running with her daughter, Nina (sister Miam and Marta Koviashivli) and son, Sandro (Andro Japaridze).

Led by Zurab (Tornike Gogrichiani) the Nagazi seem to be unstoppable and have countless resources in their hunt to track down Rake, Nik, and the family. And it’s going to be a bloody and brutal ride.

Once again there is one big action sequence that is made to look like a continuous shot, and it’s intense, smartly choreographed and has action and film fans looking for the cuts.

The whole film races to its conclusion, pausing to take a bit of a big breath before the final action sequence, which in all honesty pales when compared to the rest of the action sequences in the film, but it tries to have a bigger emotional resonance, and it kind of works on that level.

Hemsworth is awesome in the role, personifying his version of a John Wick-type character, and seems to be throwing himself into the part. Sure, there’s a personal cost to the character this time around, as well as to his team, but I was going to swear off the film series (they are obviously gearing up for a third with the way this one came to its conclusion) if they killed off Nik – she’s a complete badass and is nothing short of awesome.

I like that film is expanding the world of the first film, opening it up, and I will be very eager to see where the story goes from here.