Hello and here we are with a long awaited review of the latest installment in one of premier action franchises of the last decade. Now if you remembered I actually did review the first two John Wick movies all the way back in May of last year in the lead up to the release of this third entry so if you want you could go check those out if you haven’t. Now obviously I was unfortunately not able to watch this one out in theaters, but I was able to check it out on HBO so I could eventually round out this mini series of reviews. I’ve stated many times that I absolutely love this franchise, its one of my favorite action series and it has cemented itself as one of Keanu Reeves’s defining, and most iconic roles. Thankfully this third entry continued to prove just why that is as it truly turned out to be one heck of a ride!
Leaving right where Chapter 2 left off, John Wick is now on the run after killing High Table member, Santino D’Antonio, on Continental grounds, thus breaking the rules. He’s got about an hour before he is officially declared “excommunicado” in which he will lose all access to any resources related to the underworld. In that time he gets what he needs, and tends to his wounds, while also figuring out how to get through the night what with every assassin in the city of New York out to get him. He’ll need all of the help he can get as even the High Table is after him with an adjudicator, and fellow assassin, Zero, on his tail. Luckily there a few that will aid him on his venture to find the leader of the High Table in order to redeem himself. But with everyone around him seemingly against him, and those who aided him in the past facing the consequences of his own actions, will the Baba Yaga be able continue fighting on and survive all of this?
As you can tell from the short, and basic summary the plot here is pretty simple with John Wick on the run from everyone around him while also trying to get to the head of the High Table (there’s obviously a little more but this is the driving goal through most of the picture). But while it may be simple it is still very effective in terms of execution. This is a true experience here as there’s rarely a moment to breath, and it feels like you are on the run with Wick, and you feel every single punch thrown his way making the movie thrilling throughout its runtime (even though the action climax while awesome, does go on a little too long). Heck I’d go so far as to describe the film as physically exhausting at times and that is certainly a compliment. It also continues to expand on one of the highlights of this series which is the world building on display. Here we get to learn a little bit more about Wick himself, and we get to learn a little bit more about how this criminal underworld works specifically how the High Table functions and we even get to go a little international and see how things work in Casablanca. I also continue to appreciate how John seems to have this shared history with different characters he meets as you get a sense of how he feels towards another despite never having seen them interact in another movie which I think is great as the movie doesn’t get bogged down in needless exposition, and flashbacks to get a point across. Another aspect that it carries over from chapter 2 is the questions of morality it subtlety touches upon as it asks if John Wick really deserves to live given the problems he’s caused, and how everyone that seems to aid him face grace consequences and are essentially collateral damage (all that started with the death of a puppy no less). It gives the movie some interesting subtexts and gives the proceedings a good deal of substance as well. While I wouldn’t call the story is a great as the others, it still more than gets the job done as a narrative and works as a clothesline for all of the spectacular action sequences on display.
Speaking of such which this movie is indeed a masterclass in action movie film making and craftsmanship wise its probably the best of the 3. Chad Stahelski is once again at the helm and he once again does a phenomenal job of shooting the many creative sequences as each one feels different from the last and are equally riveting, and brutal in equal measures (I don’t think I’ve seen so many brains get shot so many times…) with the stunt work being some of the best I’ve seen (makes a case for a category dedicated to it at the Oscars). My favorite one would have to be when Wick is finding all of these guys in a place where there are a variety of weapons on the walls around them (you can figure out what happens next…) but the shoot out in Casablanca, and the climactic battle in the Continental are also stand outs and I like how each of them take advantage of the environment they are in. The cinematography by Dan Lausten is also once again top notch as this is a gorgeous movie to look and is extremely well shot as well. It almost feels looks, and feels like an art-house flick at times and I deeply regret not seeing this on the big screen at the time as it would’ve been a sight to behold. Also nice to hear Joel J. Richard, and Tyler Bates’s score once again and its weird how I don’t see many people talk about it as it is really intense and captures the tone of the movies extremely well. There was also a little bit of classical music utilized in the climax which is nice because to me big action, and classical music are one heck of a combination that works in spades. With how good technically the movie came out I’m genuinely curious to see how Chapter 4 will top it.
Of course this wouldn’t be John Wick without Keanu Reeves as the titular character and he is better than ever here. He brings great gravitas to the role and slips in easily as the assassin, while also kicking butt when needed in the action scenes. Like I said before in my Chapter 2 review, Wick may be skilled but he still bleeds, and gets injured which makes the proceedings even more urgent, and intense and makes the character still feel human and the movies have done an excellent job portraying this. And just like I said before you can really feel this shared history he has with some of the other characters despite this being the first time we see them interact and franchise regulars like Ian McShane as Winston, the Continental Hotel owner, Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King, and Lance Riddick as Charon, the manager, also get a good deal more to do this time around and in the case of Charron even getting in on the action. This also applies to some of the new players as well like Angelica Houstan being elegant as the Director of the Ruska Roma, and Halle Berry who gets to kick butt as Sofia an old friend of his who also has a thing for dogs (who also get to show what their made of). Both have some fun interactions with Wick and are both interesting enough to make curious about their own respective backgrounds. As for the villains this time around their are really only 2 of note which are Asia Kate Dillon as the cold hearted Adjudicator (who I never once saw blink) and Mark Dacascos as fellow assasain/John Wick fanboy, Zero, who is a stand out of the feature. He is just such an energetic presence and I like his motivations and his desire to top Wick just made for some great stuff to watch. Heck this might actually be the one where the rest of the cast gets a lot more to do than usual, yet even then the focus is still on the Baba Yaga.
John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum is a remarkable achievement in action film-making and is easily the best full on action movie of last year in my opinion. It contains all of the terrific stunt work, set pieces, production value, performances, world building, and more that we’ve come to expect from these movies and its just a thrilling ride that is a true cinematic experience when all is said and done. To be honest I love these movies so much that its a coin toss as to which one I would consider the best (I still think its 2 by a hair) and it is one of the best action franchises running today. I have no idea how 4 is going to turn out but if the consistent quality of this series so far is any indication, we’re in for one heck of a ride in 2022. Bring it on Baba Yaga!
Rating: A
Leave your thoughts down below in the comments and see you guys later!
Review Time 