Screw Avengers:
Endgame. This is the movie I've been looking forward to
seeing in 2019! John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the
latest instalment in what I consider to be the best new action
franchise of this decade. The previous film in the series (reviewed
February 2017) utterly blew me away and its ending gave this third
film plenty to work with as far as story goes. So did Parabellum
match the high calibre of its predecessors or has this series fired
its last bullet? Let's take a look.
Chapter 3 starts
off right at the end of Chapter 2, with hitman John Wick on
the run from countless assassins due to his actions in the previous
film. With badguys coming at him from all sides John desperately
tries to clear his name with the High Table. It's a plot that
continues the world-building we saw in Chapter 2. We meet a
few more important characters and we learn a lot more about how the
whole secret-society-of-assassins works. For example, being a hitman
apparently requires you to frequently mutilate yourself in front of
your bosses. We also get some insight into John's origin as well as
his real name.
We're also presented
with a load of action scenarios new to the series, such as a chase
scene on horseback, a knife fight in the middle of a knife
store/armoury, and (basically) ninjas. It's the good old over-the-top
action we've come to love about this franchise, and while it doesn't
go as far as slapstick territory the film definitely has a sense of
humour at times as evidenced by the abundance of attacks to the
crotch. The only thing I wasn't too keen on was how it was unclear
whether killings in full view of the public were being noticed or
not.
Keanu Reeves returns as
the title character and he's in as good a form as ever. However I did
notice that the character of John Wick seems a little less
sympathetic this time around. All the trouble that he's now in: he
brought that upon himself and now he's dealing with the consequences.
It's also unclear what his motivation is. In the previous films he
was out for revenge or he was doing things that he was obligated to
do, but in Parabellum it isn't all that convincing or clear of
what it is that he's got to live for. Familiar characters have
returned from the previous films – yes, even the dog with no name.
Lawrence Fishburne is once again the Bowery King, hamming it up and
loving every minute of it. Even Charon, the concierge, gets to kick
some ass this time. There's also Halle Berry who plays one of Wick's
old assassin buddies. Her acting is merely OK, but at least she's
pretty good in the action scenes.
And when it comes to
John Wick movies that's what people go to see isn't it? Yes,
the series trademark action makes its triumphant return with its
spectacular choreography and breakneck speed thanks to returning
director Chad Stahelski. The fight scenes and shootouts are
exhilarating: close up and not too shaky, unlike the viewer who will
be trying their best to not blink! The rest of the movie has that
familiar, modern visual style the series is known for. Even visual
elements such as lens flares – which I usually dislike – are used
to heighten suspense. Parabellum's sound design also deserves
a lot of credit. The thunderous gunshots, the explosive shattering of
glass, and the enhanced punch/kick sounds all serve to make the
action scenes that much more visceral and impactful.
And that about sums up
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. It's
an intensely fun experience that ups the ante in terms of action
spectacle, and a worthy addition to this great franchise. If you
didn't care much for the other John Wick
films then this one probably won't win you over. But for everyone
else, prepare to have your socks knocked off yet again.
Grade:
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