John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is not only an exceptionally long film title, but the third movie in the increasingly violent John Wick action franchise. When the first John Wick film released in 2014, the story was quite simple. Retired assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is forced back into the business of professional murder when a young Russian mobster kills his dog and steals his car. It was a classic tale of revenge lifted up by some truly fantastic fight choreography. Now, two films later, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum continues the story of this expert assassin on his non-stop journey to double-headshot anybody who looks at him wrong. Let’s see if this third entry keeps the action fresh, or if it’s time to close the book on this deadly tale.
Banished and Beaten
The movie begins less than an hour after the events of the previous film, John Wick: Chapter Two. After a lengthy battle with crime boss Santino, Wick finally ended the mobster’s life in the Continental Hotel, a sort of safe-haven for criminals and assassins alike. Protected by a secret crime organization known as the “High Table”, killing on the grounds of the Continental is strictly forbidden. The result of John’s actions is complete banishment from the services and safety that the High Table allots its underlings, along with a fresh $14 million bounty on his head. As the clock ticks closer to 6 PM (the official start of John’s bounty), he must escape New York City and seek refuge with any friendly face he can find.
John’s escape and his eventual attempt at resolution lead him to a handful of interesting and exotic locations. Despite being surrounded by enemies and would-be killers, John finds solace in a few old friends. This includes Sofia (Halle Berry), a tough female assassin with a pair of deadly dogs. As John makes his journey, it’s spotted with various encounters with other assassins and characters, both new and returning. The interesting world-building and lore established in John Wick: Chapter Two is used to decent effect, but this film is far more about execution and entertainment than furthering the world the story takes place in.
An Eye for an Eye
As always, the John Wick franchise delivers countless minutes of intense action, and the level of violence has only increased since the last film. While it never strays too far into horror territory, some of the death in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is surprisingly graphic. Sure, there is still plenty of the franchise’s signature “gun-fu” on display. Fights are expertly captured with minimal cuts and editing, resulting in highly choreographed brawls that are exceptionally cool to watch. The action is at its best when John is forced to go hand-to-hand with various blade-wielding foes, where fights turn into a sharply-edged dance of death. The gunplay is still interesting and inventive, but I couldn’t help feeling that things grew repetitive as the movie reached its conclusion.
If you enjoyed the action in past John Wick films, you’ll certainly have a good time with John Wick: Chapter 3‘s action. For the most part, action scenes contain enough variety to stay fresh, only growing stale in a few areas. That’s not exactly the fault of the action itself, but the lack of a truly compelling story. John Wick: Chapter 3 shows us time and time again just how deadly John Wick is, but it feels like his motivations lack conviction. This movie is all about Wick fighting for his lifetime and time again, but I never felt like his life was truly in danger. The same can’t be said for his enemies, as the body count rises quickly into the hundreds.
Red is Not the Only Color
John Wick: Chapter 3 also stands out in its visual design, aided by the occasionally exotic settings. Whether in the streets of New York City or a majestic hotel, scenes are often bustling with color and life. There’s a nice visual variety that helps the pace of the movie, as new locations provide a fresh environment for chaos. The costume design is also commendable, as are the neat camera tricks and exciting uses of light. Generally speaking, John Wick: Chapter 3 is a continuous visual roller coaster and one that remains aesthetically pleasing regardless of the amount of action on-screen.
Should You Watch John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum?
If you’ve enjoyed the previous two John Wick films, you’ll definitely have fun with John Wick: Chapter 3. It doesn’t reach the heights of the original film, but it manages to improve over its predecessor in fun ways. The action is intense and exclamation-worthy, the visuals are seductive and sleek, and the story is straightforward and easily digestible. There are a few faults here and there, but I can’t say that I saw any glaring issues with the movie on the whole. Keanu Reeves delivers another stoic yet intimidating performance as the lead man, and Halle Berry also steps up to kick some serious butt. It’s bloody, it’s intense, and it’s very well shot. Seeing as how the action genre has quickly deteriorated into CGI-fests with sloppy editing, John Wick: Chapter 3 feels like a breath of fresh air despite its missteps. In terms of popcorn action flicks, John Wick: Chapter 3 is worth a viewing.
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Movie Rating: 4 stars.
Movie Rating Guide
1 Star = Unwatchable
2 Stars = Cannot Recommend
3 Stars = Great for the Fans
4 Stars = A Solid Movie
5 Stars = Must Own (DVD/Stream Download)
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