Movie Info
Movie Name: John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum
Studio: Lionsgate
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Release Date(s): May 15, 2019 (UK)/May 17, 2019 (US)
MPAA Rating: R
Well…I guess you can bring knives to a gun fight
John Wick is on the run. Injured, weaponless, and with a $14 million dollar bounty on his head, Wick is in more trouble than he ever experienced. Breaking the rules of the Continental has consequences, and Wick and those who help him like Winston (Ian McShane), the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), and the Director (Anjelica Huston) will pay the price when an Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) is sent by the High Table to collect. Wick finds himself going overseas and seeking out Sofia (Halle Berry) for a chance at finding a way out…but even John Wick can’t make it through what he’ll face unscathed.
Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum (or simply John Wick 3) is an action-adventure thriller. Following John Wick: Chapter 2 in 2017, the movie was well received and the highest grossing entry in the series.
I like John Wick. I saw the first one in the theater and loved the all-out craziness of the movie. The fighting was both nonsensical and extremely smart at the same time. John Wick: Chapter 2 opened up the story more and actually progressed the events instead of simply making John Wick again. John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum continues the story, but doesn’t seem to have the same impact.
I call my dog “Crotch-Biter”
The movie starts immediately after John Wick: Chapter 2 with Wick having one hour to get himself in order to go on the run. Through the course of the movie we learn more of the working of the High Table and some “secret origin” aspects of John Wick’s character. The problem with this entry opposed to the other entries is that the story’s pacing is a little off. The Morocco portions of the movie kind of slow, and the sword fight at the end goes on too long since there isn’t a lot of variety to it. It is problematic, but still an entertaining action film.
Keanu Reeves continues to bring it in the movie. He grumbles and groans and takes a beating (multiple times), but he of course (kind of) comes out on top by the end…or at least he lives. Most of Reeves’ supporting cast returns like Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, and Ian McShane. The film probably introduces too many characters with Asia Kate Dillon, Anjelica Huston, Jerome Flynn, and Saïd Taghmaoui. Mark Dacascos plays the big baddy, and it feels like Halle Berry is set-up for a spin-off or at least the sequel.
Yes…I have the sword…again
Like previous entries, the action is one of the biggest draws for a John Wick movie and John Wick: Chapter 3 doesn’t disappoint. The fighting is still smooth and natural and the opening sequence fight has a lot of variety. The type of fighting drags a little at the end, but the look and the feel of the movie remain strong. I do like that the movie got out of New York City, and the desert looked fantastic, but part of John Wick is that dirty, gritty NYC scene that propels the movie.
John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum won’t really disappoint fans of the series, but I feel it is a slight stumble. The cliffhanger ending of John Wick: Chapter 2 was a shocker, but this cliffhanger feels a bit more expected. John Wick will return, but it seems like upping the ante each time will be difficult. John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum is followed by John Wick: Chapter 4 in 2022.
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