"John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum" Review
(9/10)
I have never been the biggest fan of the John Wick franchise. I gave both the previous movies a 7/10, but Parabellum brings the title character back to his roots while also offering new twists to where things could go from here, all with the over-the-top, brutally executed action set-pieces fans have come to expect from the franchise. We learn much more of John's backstory here, which reveals some interesting facets to his character, all while also seeing him take one helluva prolonged beating along the way. John Wick is a human piñata at this point and Chapter 3 gets a lot of traction out of seeing him punched, stabbed, kicked, shot, and tossed around. Keanu Reeves once again owns the screen as this most sympathetic of good bad men, providing another emotionally restrained performance even while clearly giving it his all physically. And does he - and this movie - ever deliver in the action department! Chapter 3 offers a relentless onslaught of action set-pieces, each one as bloody brilliant as the one that came before it. There are a million ways to die in this movie, all of them executed in the most visceral, "did they really just do that?!" fashion that fans have come to expect. Each action set-piece builds upon the ridiculous brutality of the previous one, but there's one particular sequence in Casablanca that some gamers may especially get a kick out of for its elaborate staging and immersiveness. Chapter 3 is also visually stunning just like Chapter 2. Neatly choreographed violence has always been the best part of this franchise and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is no different. In fact, it's better. Keanu Reeves dances his way through fights using every object in his vicinity to deal fatal blows. He is equally adept at fighting with a book as he is with a gun. The film is littered with fight scenes and whatever happens in between serves to set up the next one. The sets, cinematography, and lights are as gorgeous as they have been in the other two films. You came to see the action in the first 2, and now with Parabellum you get even better action and a rich story that dives into John Wick's backstory. Combat-heavy pulp of the highest order, this is the most enjoyably over-the-top entry so far.
I have never been the biggest fan of the John Wick franchise. I gave both the previous movies a 7/10, but Parabellum brings the title character back to his roots while also offering new twists to where things could go from here, all with the over-the-top, brutally executed action set-pieces fans have come to expect from the franchise. We learn much more of John's backstory here, which reveals some interesting facets to his character, all while also seeing him take one helluva prolonged beating along the way. John Wick is a human piñata at this point and Chapter 3 gets a lot of traction out of seeing him punched, stabbed, kicked, shot, and tossed around. Keanu Reeves once again owns the screen as this most sympathetic of good bad men, providing another emotionally restrained performance even while clearly giving it his all physically. And does he - and this movie - ever deliver in the action department! Chapter 3 offers a relentless onslaught of action set-pieces, each one as bloody brilliant as the one that came before it. There are a million ways to die in this movie, all of them executed in the most visceral, "did they really just do that?!" fashion that fans have come to expect. Each action set-piece builds upon the ridiculous brutality of the previous one, but there's one particular sequence in Casablanca that some gamers may especially get a kick out of for its elaborate staging and immersiveness. Chapter 3 is also visually stunning just like Chapter 2. Neatly choreographed violence has always been the best part of this franchise and John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is no different. In fact, it's better. Keanu Reeves dances his way through fights using every object in his vicinity to deal fatal blows. He is equally adept at fighting with a book as he is with a gun. The film is littered with fight scenes and whatever happens in between serves to set up the next one. The sets, cinematography, and lights are as gorgeous as they have been in the other two films. You came to see the action in the first 2, and now with Parabellum you get even better action and a rich story that dives into John Wick's backstory. Combat-heavy pulp of the highest order, this is the most enjoyably over-the-top entry so far.