John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Review

The original John Wick was a huge hit back in 2014 and a cult favourite amongst action junkies. The second sequel ups the ante even further.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum picks up where the previous film left off – John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has been marked excommunicado but he has an hour head start before the $14 million bounty is enacted. He uses every favour and hidden resources he has to escape New York and find a way to lift the excommunicado order.

When John Wick came out in 2014 it was a breath of fresh air. It was a throwback to violent action films from the ’80s and ’90s, making it stand out in a sea of PG-13 action flicks, superhero films, and an over-reliance on shaky cam. It was a well told, simple story with its tongue in its cheek. And each film makes even bigger action scenes.

The openings of each film serves as an example of the escalating action. The first film had a slow start as it established John Wick’s grief and the second had a quick action sequence where the assassin gets back his car. The first act in the third film was one long chase and fight and it was glorious! It was wild – Chinese assassins and John Wick threw knives at each other, John Wick was able to use horses as weapons, and he fights a giant of a man. It appealed to my primal lust for blood.

The action is the biggest selling point of these films and John Wick: Chapter 3 delivers. Director Chad Stahelski worked as a stuntman and stunt coordinator and he has come up with some of the inventive action sequences in recent cinematic history. Some of the most creative and brutal sequences were when John Wick was in a stable and the battle in the middle where Sofia (Halle Berry) used her dogs as a part of her arsenal. This is a film which will please many action junkies.

As well as being violent and creative with his action Stahelski follows a basic rule of action cinema – clarity. Because of the success of Paul Greengrass’ Bourne films many directors have used shaky cam, quick editing which make action scenes incompressible. Stahelski allows the audiences to follow the action with continuous shots which requires a lot of staging and choreography for it to work. Audiences want to see the hits, stabs, and gun battles and the John Wick films gives them the opportunity.

Stahelski and the writers showcase some of their influences during the film. The first arc was a bit like a Western where John Wick goes to an underground doctor to get treatment and rides on a horse as he is being chased. There was a nod to The Good, The Bad and the Ugly when John Wick has to manufacture a handgun from various gun parts. The final arc was a combination of Assault on Precinct 13 with John Wick had to fend off armoured assassins, and Game of Death where John Wick has to fight his way up a number of floors to face the big boss at the end. There were also elements of 2012’s The Raid due to the way the fights were shot and crafted.

After the first act the film does slow down for the plot. Here the film introduced The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon), a high table member who has to punish all those who assisted John Wick. She was cold and efficient. And the film does expand on the world and character backstories. When John Wick does get to his first boss it hints at the assassin’s past and upbringing. Sofia and John Wick have a backstory that could work as a prequel or a spin-off.

Mark Dacascos as Zero, the main henchman was a fun presence. He had a comedic delivery, especially when he gets to meet John Wick yet he is physically a great threat. Plus Lance Reddick gets to show off his bad-ass credentials in the third act as The Concierge.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum gives fans wants – bloody brilliant action and will delight any action fan. It will be a great year if any other action film tops this one.