Year: 2019
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Now deemed 'excommunicado' for breaking the rules of the Continental Hotel, John Wick must fight off scores of assassins looking to cash in on the big reward for his death. Meanwhile, an adjudicator arrives in New York to judge and punish all who helped Wick along the way.
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| "Come down off your high horse and go fuck yourself." (Image Source) |
"John Wick" is a franchise that has built its following entirely on word of mouth from fans who praise it for its sleek style and unusually astonishing action. It might seem that a movie about the world's most badass assassin getting revenge for the murder of his beagle puppy would wear out its welcome pretty quickly, but that hasn't been the case thanks, in large part, to the expansive world of a secret society of international assassins created by writer Derek Kolstad. "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" (2019) is directed by Chad Stahelski, who has helmed all three "John Wick" films in this increasingly successful franchise. "Chapter 3" picks up right where "John Wick: Chapter 2" (2017) left off with John Wick (Keanu Reeves) declared excommunicado from the secret society of assassins, which makes his life 'forfeit.' Now, with a $14 million bounty on his head, Wick must fend off killers from all over the world looking to cash in on his death. He must find a way to survive long enough to discover a way to make things right with those in charge of this mysterious world.
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| "You honor me by bringing death to my front door." (Image Source) |
We love the "John Wick" series. "Parabellum" is loaded with everything we've come to expect from a film like this: brilliant action scenes shot with impeccable style, and a terrific performance from Keanu Reeves. This third installment continues to expand upon the world of assassins far beyond that of New York and the Continental Hotel to a more global level that shows how elaborate this mysterious society of criminals actually is. It adds layers to the rules this society lives by as "Parabellum" continues to explore the mythos of Wick himself. It's a world with so many interesting characters that we could see it expanded beyond just John Wick. We would love to see this franchise explore many of the other fascinating personalities who populate this world. It would be awesome to see more of our old favorites like Winston (Ian McShane), the manager of the Continental Hotel, and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), whose name is self-explanatory, and learn about their backstories. Series newcomers like Sofia (Halle Berry) and her attack dogs, and The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon), a new villain who is judge and jury when it comes to the laws of this world, could lend themselves to some superb cinematic offshoots. Of course, this film revolves around but one man, the baddest of them all, and it appears that Keanu Reeves has not missed a beat since this series started in 2014. Where there was once great trepidation with Reeves' casting, there is now supreme confidence as he is still fantastic as the titular character. This time around, director Chad Stahelski has allowed John Wick to get creative with the way he takes out those who have come to kill him. "Parabellum" is bloodier and more extreme than ever before. One of the big standouts in the movie is Mark Dacascos as Zero, an assassin hired to take out John Wick and punish those who helped him. The best thing about Zero is not just his badass skills but his fanboy attitude towards Wick. Dacascos and Reeves have some marvelous and hilarious back and forth banter prior to and during their showdowns, which adds a bit of levity and fun to an otherwise violent, action-heavy film.
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| "The path to paradise begins in hell." (Image Source) |
Much like the films that came before it, Lionsgate's "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" (2019) is fantastic. We can remember seeing the original "John Wick" in theaters opening night. There were only five other patrons in the screening with us. Now, this series is a fan favorite. People cheered, hooted, and hollered when we saw this movie. We thoroughly enjoyed this third entry in the series. We could have used a bit more Halle Berry and Anjelica Huston, but hey, it was amazing to see them in such a capacity even in a smaller dose. This is one of the most consistently entertaining original properties around, and we cannot wait to see what happens in the fourth chapter in this exhilarating, badass franchise.
BigJ's Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB's Rating: ~8.2/10
RT Rating: ~89%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!
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