The film follows former assassin John Wick on the run after a huge bounty is placed on his head. Assassin after assassin try to kill John Wick as he leaves New York for Casablanca to try to get his excommunicado status waived.
Now, I really enjoyed the first film in the series but I actually have not seen the second movie yet. The first movie caught me off guard with how well done it was and how good Keanu Reeves was in the film. Going into this movie however, I had an idea of what to expect. This movie delivered exactly what I expected it would, killer action.
The film starts off with action immediately and doesn’t let up until the credits roll. This non-stop action approach typically doesn’t work well in most cases but it actually turned out fairly well for this movie. Much like “Mad Max: Fury Road”, the fact that you already know the character from previous installments already gives you a sense of investment in them and makes you care what happens to them at the end. The film doesn’t have to give you room to breath as a result (although it doesn’t work as well as a stand-alone movie as a result).
What makes the John Wick movies feel so special is that Hollywood doesn’t really make action movies like these anymore and when they do, it is usually a sequel to an 80s franchise with an aging star. While Keanu Reeves isn’t a young man, it doesn’t look his age at all and he is still a good decade or so younger than someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone. The film also embraces elements of noir films in it’s visual style. This helps set it apart from many other films because it literally has a unique look of it’s own.
Keanu Reeves once again returns to the franchise as John Wick and delivers another great performance. Joining him on his adventure this time is Halle Berry as a woman who owed John Wick a debt that he cashed in on. Berry does a very good job creating a character you relate to in a short amount of time. Also joining the cast is Mark Dacascos as the main assassin after John Wick. Dacascos’ character of Zero is both threatening and amusing because he is a bit of a John Wick fanboy and sees himself as a mirror of John Wick. It is good to see Dacascos in a more prominent role since “Brotherhood of the Wolf” and the tv series “The Crow: Stairway to Heaven” seem like forever ago. Stuntman Chad Stahelski directed the movie and his love for in-camera stunt work is front and center in this movie. Interestingly, Stahelski was Brandon Lee’s stunt and body double on “The Crow”, meaning that he and Dacascos essentially played the same role in two different projects. Rounding out the cast are returning “John Wick” stars Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick. All three men help elevate the project from a standard action film.
“John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum” delivers on the action and leaves you on the edge of your seat until the end. You more than get what you paid for with this movie ticket, that’s for sure. While I didn’t think this third chapter was as good as the first movie as far as the story, it was still a thrill ride best seen on the big screen.
Grade: B-
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