Originally published on FilmInquiry
Don’t mess with success. It’s easy enough to say, but harder to follow. Many sequels have taken a great formula and gone astray by trying to change what they are. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is proof that John Wick will never go that route. It raises the bar for the series and cements the franchise among the all-time action greats.
You may remember, at the end of John Wick: Chapter 2, Wick is ex-communicado. Chapter 3 picks up exactly where the previous left off. In a decision that will prove costly, Winston (the ever charming Ian McShane) gives John Wick (Keanu Reeves, who’s as good as ever), one hour to get out of New York. Of course, Wick does not go out quietly.
While the series may not be for everyone, existing fans will undoubtedly fall right back in love with the character and world. Chapter 3 raises the bar in body count, kill creativity and overall pacing – it’s action at its finest. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the best film of the series so far, and proves there is no better action series this decade. Yeah, he’s back. And Wick has never been better.
Nobody has more creative kills than John Wick
Each chapter of the John Wick saga seems to up the ante. It’s not an easy task when the legend of John Wick is that he killed a guy with a pencil. Yet somehow the third chapter manages to up its creativity. Perhaps my favorite kill of all three films comes early on in the film when Wick kills a guy with a book.
Allow me to repeat that.
John Wick. Kills a guy.
With.
A.
Book.
I cannot recommend this movie in stronger terms than that sentence.
In case you thought they were out of ideas after that, they follow it up with a five minute knife fight battle in an alleyway. I say knife fight, but really what it turns into is knife throwing. It’s absurd, glorious and too perfect for a series that has mastered fight choreography.
As someone who is generally apprehensive towards action movies, it really stuck out to me that the action scenes never felt stale or repetitive. It is a testament to the training and performance from Reeves and how perfectly he embodies the character. One features knives, another horses and swords, the next has dick-biting dogs. It’s a testament to the partnership of Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves.
A closer look at the High Table
Stahelski said in a press conference that he doesn’t want to turn the series into a franchise like the MCU or Star Wars. Yet, the John Wick universe is a world that’s worth exploring – the rules and structure and characters of The Continental (which is getting its own TV show) and the High Table are fascinating enough. And maybe that’s because we just get a taste, but I always want more.
Luckily, John Wick: Chapter 3 adds that depth and mythology for us. We see more of the old-school, back room operations system. A chalk board features all the current prices on different heads, calls are made with rotary phones and updates made with computers straight out of the 1990s. It feels too perfect for such a buttoned up underworld. The rules and principles are laid out for us more clearly, and the consequences of crossing the High Table are made even clearer. The underworld of assassins has never felt more rich or vibrant.
Very welcome additions to the cast
Parabellum adds three stellar performances to the cast. Mark Dacascos is perfect for his role as Zero. He’s a chef/assassin who also happens to be quite the fan of Mr. Wick. It’s a great dichotomy that plays out in some of the films funniest moments. Halle Berry stars as Sophia, an old friend of Wick running The Continental in Casablanca. She’s as fierce as they come, and her dogs are even more-so. The training Berry did prior to filming shows. Not just for the fight choreography, but her work with her two dogs. They’re very good boys.
The performance that stood out the most however was Asia Kate Dillon as The Adjudicator. Their performance is so intimidating and brings such a sense of doom, but at the same time they’re so incredibly calm. It’s a cold look, a stoic professionalism that has no fear of the city’s baddest men and women. The Adjudicator is one of those characters that could have their own spin-off and I’d be there opening night.
It’s worth noting and celebrating that the film didn’t just cast Dillon, a non-binary actor, but they gave them a non-binary role. For an action franchise of all of them to take this step for representation and, at the same time, have the character elevate the film is really great to see.
Like a gritty graphic novel brought to life.
After the first John Wick, they weren’t sure if there was going to be a sequel and it was successful as a standalone. The second clearly set up the third, and the third sets up a fourth installment perfectly. The series, structurally, is starting to feel like a graphic novel in the best ways. It lets the plot stay simple to facilitate the action rather than trying to fit action into an overly complicated story a la Atomic Blonde.
The simplicity, cliffhangers, mythology, mystery, lack of CGI and the color palette all add to that graphic novel feeling. The set pieces are bigger, better and feel like they could only live in the John Wick universe.
But it’s also the action. The choreography is so good, it feels like they could pull off anything. Choreography alone isn’t enough. The cinematography and editing elevate the feeling of watching a graphic novel come to life. We don’t cut away to make it easier – we stay on Keanu Reeves‘s face.
John Wick Chapter 3: Cool humans doing cool things
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum doesn’t reinvent the action movie, it just does it better than anybody else. Stahelski sums it up best when he describes it as “cool people doing cool things.” It sounds much simpler than it is. With the most creative kills anywhere, a deeper mythology, and great additions to the cast, John Wick only gets more deadly and more enjoyable. The series is beginning to feel more and more like a graphic novel brought to life. It’s astonishing just how well the team has been able to explore Wick’s story.
What is your favorite action series? Are you a fan of John Wick? Sound off in the comments below.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum hits theaters in the UK on May 15, 2019 and the US on May 17, 2019. For all international release dates, see here.