John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum Movie Review

The following is a movie review “John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum” by Marc Primo.

Release date: 17 May 2019 (USA)

Director: Chad Stahelski

Language: English

Production Companies: Summit Entertainment, Thunder Road Pictures, 87Eleven Productions

Producers: Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee

Since audiences first saw Keanu Reeves as John Wick in 2014, the explosive film franchise has amassed quite a fan base. Action devotees all over the world have followed the ex-hitman‘s journey since he came out of retirement, to avenge the death of his beloved dog at the hands of crazy Russian gangsters. This year, we revisit John Wick as he brings more brutality onscreen armed with the craziest action sequences ever filmed.

There’s no doubt that stuntman turned director Chad Stahelski, who helmed all three movies of the franchise, wins again with John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum. Stahelski kicks the action meter into overdrive and earns more respect from viewers as he further polishes stunt sequences for this third installment. Blood and gore fans won’t be disappointed and will find the creatively woven transitions enjoyable as Wick is relentlessly chased by hitmen of the High Table led by Zero (Mark Dacascos).

The film picks up less than an hour after the previous one as Wick becomes a marked man upon the orders of the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon). With a $14 million bounty on his head, he finds himself from action set to action set in both New York and Morocco where he comes across a gamut of interesting characters, including a theater director (Anjelica Huston), a hotel manager (Ian McShane), and a crime kingpin (Lawrence Fishburne). The ride also introduces Sofia (Halle Berry), Wick’s former ally who now manages The Continental in Morocco.

Those who have followed the John Wick series know that surprises are always part of the package. Stahelski effectively integrates elements that border between the ridiculous and the vicious, ultimately resulting in entertaining action. The opening scene sees Reeves in one wild action sequence where Wick dispatches his pursuing assassins with nothing more than a hardbound book; and where else but in a public library. The action then proceeds to some of the most intense knife throwing sequences you’ll ever see on film as Wick retrieves a set of blades and uses them with pinpoint accuracy.

Perhaps the only flaw in this third outing is the lack of script elements that would have made it truly engaging. After moviegoers have been desensitized by the onscreen violence, they will surely start looking for something else to latch themselves onto. Among the obvious loopholes are the strange disappearance of Berry’s character after her scenes in Casablanca, Morocco, as well as Wick’s unbelievable survival from his desert dilemma. As if that were not enough, writers will ascertain by the end of the film that Wick can somehow cheat death more times than John McClane, Ethan Hunt, or James Bond combined. That said, we might as well suspend disbelief and accept that for as long as there is a huge following for the film franchise, there is also a clear indication that Wick will resurrect for more sequels that will probably let violence do more of the talking than the main characters themselves.

However, Stahelski deserves an A+ for how he orchestrated his battle scenes. In the final fight, we see Wick in a furious exchange that can make audiences feel every punch and kick to the senses. The creative execution uses new techniques that emphasize each detail: swords cutting through glass and how reflections can play with our visual susceptibilities. Every movement is sleek and fluid like a well-choreographed dance that truly deserves applause. Sadly after all the fancy action, we are left with nothing much else. John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum promotes its main character into a killer virtuoso who uses carnage to entertain rather than just disengage opponents. With another chapter lined up, the franchise may just as well put more development into the film’s characters before all its violence becomes the very reason why the franchise eventually implodes.

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