Super-assassin John Wick returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild,...
Whoever decided to put the IMAX reel of the movie in the theater we were seeing it needs an award stats. Or a promotion boost. Or whatever thing exists in job promotions today. Okay,the review.
Out of all the movies I’ve seen in my career of reviewing them (whether it’s a classic or not),this may be the one that is deserving of the Taglines they put up.
“Every Action has a Consequence”
“He’s going to need guns. Lots of Guns”
Because John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum is,so far,the most fun you’ll have at the movies this Summer,and I truly mean it since this phrase was used for *insert early 2000 movie name here*. A third chapter that shares the same things a Set-Up Movie does,and makes those things enjoyable to watch:The fair share of villains,the big action sequences,lack of an actual story that is more used for exposition (although there’s really little to no exposition in this one…) and the ending that sets up a big universe or the next movie (intentionally done by director Chad Stahelski,so that Lionsgate can have its own “Marvel Cinematic Universe” of sorts. Especially with a Spin-Off show made by Amazon coming up).
As John Wick is now on the run from a malicious $14+ Million bid put up by The Continental Hotel,we see throughout the course of the movie that he is just a retired assassin who wants some rest,but can’t,because he always has to be on the loose.
Also,it’s not the big fat (and almost frustrating) Action Sequence that we had in Chapter 2. Sure,there’s action in it,but it never serves as a distraction from the main story.
And,as always,the amount of Camera work and Stunt work makes all those Action Sequences,once again,all the more enjoyable to watch,whether it’s John Wick throwing blades at the next person he meets or Halle Berry’s dogs murdering people while she shoots almost everything. They even make some fun advantages with the Horses in the movie,trust me. How disappointing that there was little of Keanu Reeves riding a horse while shooting people in the face.
Some of the villains and assistants,while threatening,can also be really funny to see on-screen and they make great advantage of them. I never knew I could hate a female villain just as much as how I hate Drago Bloodvist in HTTYD 2. Kudos,Derek Kolstad.
But OH HELL,if this movie has some big issues…
First off,I hate the action scene in Casablanca (the one with Halle Berry and the dogs). For as much enjoyable as it was,it was getting annoying really fast. How many henchmens are there?!? The whole Country?
And just like Chapter 2,the Action Sequences were almost as long,even if in this one they don’t take the spotlight too much. Somebody fire the guy who edited the trailers RIGHT NOW. Most of the 3rd Act is in that trailer and it’ll almost ruin the experience.
But overall,John Wick Chapter 3 is probably just as good,if not,great as the first John Wick,and it shares the title of “Best Set-Up Movie” alongside Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse. The ending is something you don’t want to miss,believe me.
P.S. Man,so much for these Set-Up movies nowadays… I guess the lesson here is “Don’t trust Universal when making these kinds of movies”? If it’s that,then FANTASTIC! :-D
