By Bill Friedell
One of the best theatrical experiences of the summer was found in John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (Chad Stahelski, 2019). The John Wick series has raised the bar for action films with gritty, well choreographed action sequences and simple worldbuilding. Chapter 3, like its predecessor, it raises the stakes and scale of the story, while also maintaining the quality of the action and spectacle as well as fleshing out the world of John Wick.
To sum up the plot, John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum follows the titular John Wick (Keanu Reeves) as he fights for his life, now having a large bounty on his head after breaking the rules of the Criminal Underworld at the end of Chapter 2. Without the services and privileges his former life afforded him, he fights his way to survival so that he may live and remember his deceased wife.
As per usual in this series, Keanu Reeves is doing some of the best work of his career. Reeves and Wick are an actor and character match made in Heaven. Reeves wonderfully portrays the desperation and physicality that John Wick requires in this film. His physical performance in the action sequences are nothing short of exceptional. Halle Berry also gives a good performance. She gives an attitude and intensity that leaves a mark despite not having a lot of screen time.
To sum up the plot, John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum follows the titular John Wick (Keanu Reeves) as he fights for his life, now having a large bounty on his head after breaking the rules of the Criminal Underworld at the end of Chapter 2. Without the services and privileges his former life afforded him, he fights his way to survival so that he may live and remember his deceased wife.
As per usual in this series, Keanu Reeves is doing some of the best work of his career. Reeves and Wick are an actor and character match made in Heaven. Reeves wonderfully portrays the desperation and physicality that John Wick requires in this film. His physical performance in the action sequences are nothing short of exceptional. Halle Berry also gives a good performance. She gives an attitude and intensity that leaves a mark despite not having a lot of screen time.
John Wick (Keanu Reeves) rides a horse through New York to escape the city.
Every action sequence brings a new element or fighting style, keeping the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats. Whereas previous entries focused on a mix of gunplay and hand to hand combat, the situations John finds himself in calls for new ways to fight enemies, such as throwing knives found in a weapon’s store when he doesn’t have a gun or utilizing a library book as an improvised weapon. Whether it be an all knife fight, a firefight involving attack dogs, horseback chases, and motorcycle sword fights, the film gleefully and skillfully juggles lots of different balls in terms of its action set pieces and does this brilliantly.. The brutality is also ramped up, intensifying the already intense action and furthering the enjoyment. All the stuntmen and crew deserve praise for what they accomplished. The only complaint I have with the action is that the final action sequence is comprised of three different stages of opponents. While in of itself, the action sequences are well done and have wonderful choreography and character moments, it begins to feel its length as it goes on for so long.
The thematic throughline line of consequences forces John (Keanu Reeves) to confront the entirety of the criminal underworld.
The aesthetics of John Wick remain as strong as ever. The city of New York at night with its neon lighting in the rain perfectly reacquaints us with the series’ world. The Neo Noir aesthetic uniquely characterizes New York as a foreboding threat as he is hunted down by various assassins. And as the story leaves New York, we get a variety of locales, from Casablanca, to the wide, empty desert, and all the way back to New York, uncovering new facets of the criminal world of John Wick. The underworld of John Wick is expanded, showing where John Wick was trained, the Casablanca Continental, and the manufacturers of the gold coins used in the underworld.
Thematically, John Wick Chapter 3 is about consequences and the choices we make. As introduced in Chapter 2, the elite criminals known as High Table demand John Wick’s blood for breaking the rules of the underworld. Everyone who had a part to play in John’s actions is being punished. Through John’s journey in this film, despite his more than capable ability to survive, John has effectively ended the life he wished to have away from being an assassin. By showing the depths John goes to to find a path forward, the furthering lore of John Wick’s world thematically develops the idea of fighting a system vs bending to it.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum maintains the high standards of its predecessors while raising the bar for its quality of action. The world building nicely complements the themes of the film as well as continuing the themes of the previous entries. The acting and stunt work are superb and the direction is some of the best action directing of the 2010s. If you are a fan of good action, John Wick Chapter 3 is a must-see experience.
Thematically, John Wick Chapter 3 is about consequences and the choices we make. As introduced in Chapter 2, the elite criminals known as High Table demand John Wick’s blood for breaking the rules of the underworld. Everyone who had a part to play in John’s actions is being punished. Through John’s journey in this film, despite his more than capable ability to survive, John has effectively ended the life he wished to have away from being an assassin. By showing the depths John goes to to find a path forward, the furthering lore of John Wick’s world thematically develops the idea of fighting a system vs bending to it.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum maintains the high standards of its predecessors while raising the bar for its quality of action. The world building nicely complements the themes of the film as well as continuing the themes of the previous entries. The acting and stunt work are superb and the direction is some of the best action directing of the 2010s. If you are a fan of good action, John Wick Chapter 3 is a must-see experience.
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