By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars
With how many different action franchises there are out there now, it can be really tough to separate yourself from the pack. Often, it's easy to delve into the cliches, make a quick buck, and be done. This has not been the case for the "John Wick" series. This series has gotten to the level of popularity of something like the "Mission Impossible" or "Bourne" series. I think that popularity has been well-deserved. I love the first film. It's a great revenge story that does a good job at making its titular character mysterious and interesting. I like the second movie almost as much as the first one, but for different reasons (I feel like it will be better to talk about those reasons once we get into the meat of this review). I was definitely excited going into this newest film, especially with the incredible cliffhanger that ended the second film. So, what do we get out of "John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum" (bit of a long title, don't you think)?
This movie begins right where the second one ends, with John being "excommunicado"- in other words, he no longer has any type of protections/services from the High Table and it is open season for anyone to kill him. Winston gave Wick an hour before people could come after him to escape. After the initial time of Wick getting ready, the first parts of this film are pulse-pounding and non-stop action. The third movie has some of the absolute best and most creative action sequences out of any film here. Just like in the second movie where we actually saw John use nothing but a pencil to kill someone, here he uses a book. It is a scene that is both funny and impressive to watch. That's what I've always appreciated about the Wick movies: they embrace the ridiculousness of their premise, and always to their best to have a lot of fun with it. This movie is for the John Wick diehards more than any other. If you aren't familiar with the lore of this franchise, then it's guaranteed you're going to be a little confused. But for those who have been paying attention and have been curious in hearing more about the odd criminal underworld that John lives in, they're going to be rewarded. The action sequences are moments I could see almost anyone enjoying however, because they work incredibly well and always put a smile on my face. It also helps that you have people in this movie like actor Mark Dacascos who can do their own stunts. The choreography work in this movie is jaw-dropping and out of this world, giving this movie a real martial arts feel to it that the other two movies don't have. That makes the action here feel a little more gritty and realistic. I like that the movie made the action so detailed. Showing things as simple as John Wick reloading his gun makes the tension and excitement feel all the more palpable. The final sequence in this movie is particularly incredible, being right up there with the night club sequence in the first movie. That's quite a hard scene to match up to. If there's anything you should come out having immense praise for in this movie, it's the action.
That's not to say that no other elements in the film are without merit, far from it. Pretty much every performance here is strong. Now I think there's no denying that Keanu Reeves is not the strongest actor out there. But because he is a likeable personality, and is basically able to play a strong, silent type, John Wick is a great fit for him. Reeves doesn't have as much emotional content to sink his teeth into this time around, which can make it hard to entirely attach on to Wick, but it is still very fun to watch John taking down everyone in his path. Even though Reeves is not a great actor, his clear passion for playing this character is what makes Wick feel convincing. I really like Keanu in this role despite any weaknesses he might have, and if anything, some of his awkward way of saying some lines can be justified because Wick is a man of few words as well. Like with "The Matrix" series, what helps make Reeves look even better is the actors surrounding him. While I do wish Halle Berry was in this movie a little more, I still liked the new energy she brought here. Her and Reeves have an intriguing chemistry that works well for the movie. I almost think the movie could've been stronger if more were done with their relationship, but this series has always been more concerned with what Wick can do on his own. My favorite part of the series continues to be Ian McShane as Winston, who you can tell just loves playing this role. He relishes every moment he gets to play this duplicitous hotel manager who is really only in it for himself. I love watching him; he's just so intriguing, and it was nice to see him get a little more time on screen. Lance Reddick continues to be great as the concierge Charon, and he gets to have some cool moments here that I won't spoil for you. Mark Dacascos plays Zero, the main antagonist of the film, and his portrayal of this character really works. There's some interesting places he takes this character that I wasn't expecting. The only performance I don't really care for too much here is Asia Kate Dillon as The Adjudicator, a character who works for the High Table. While her character helps in the world building, she isn't too interesting and doesn't do a whole lot.
My main criticisms for this film come in its plot. This film tries to have a lot more plot arcs going on, which ultimately makes it feel a little jumbled and confusing. The first film benefits from having a honed-in focus on John's one purpose: to kill the man responsible for killing his dog. The second movie does well at balancing world-building while still focusing on the main plot thread. For the first parts of this movie, I felt like director Chad Stahelski and the screenwriters had a bit of a hard time writing themselves out of John Wick being on the run from practically everyone in the criminal underworld. It leads to them having to take Wick all over the place and meeting all sorts of different characters. Like I mentioned earlier in the movie, for the fans who liked the world-building the second movie did, they'll probably like this one even more. The main problem for me is that some of the reveals here are almost a little too ridiculous for my taste. This series has never been super-realistic in the first place, but I did feel there was a sort of grounded feel to John Wick's world. Now, it almost is starting to feel a little too mythical and fantastical. Some people are sure to like that aspect of it, though.
Even considering those criticisms, I still enjoyed "John Wick 3" immensely. There is so much that works about this movie. Sometimes, I enjoy going into a film where you don't have to think about things too much and can instead enjoy some hyper-stylized action and enjoyable actors hamming it up on screen. This series knows what it is, and it relishes in taking as many creative liberties as it can, all the while making Keanu Reeves look incredibly cool. If you liked the other John Wicks, then you're sure to enjoy this one. I know I did!
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