Glistening with neon and led by Keanu Reeves, Chapter 3 is the biggest and best chapter in this franchise due to it’s unforgettable action and commitment from it’s leading man.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, is directed by Chad Stahelski, written by Derek Kolstad and Shay Hatten, and stars Keanu Reeves as the titular John Wick.
As soon as John’s second chapter in this story ended, we knew we were going to be in for it with the follow-up. Little did we know it would be better than we could have ever imagined. Toting nothing but his injured self and his dog, John makes quick work to give himself some ground to work with the second he becomes ex-communicated. In an instant, Tyler Bates’ pulsing score sets the stage for Stahelski and Reeves’ performance over the next two hours. The action gets the most love in the Wick franchise, but it wouldn’t come to life the way it does without Dan Laustsen’s cinematography. Using the skyscrapers of the bustling New York as a backboard to allow for it’s neon forged skyline to come alive with a rumble in it’s underbelly. Easily making local nightclubs feel like a midweek Bunko get together by comparison.
It isn’t too far in where the first action sequence comes into play, and it may be the duo’s (Stahelski and Reeves) magnum opus. In terms of choreography, sound design, editing, mixing, and physicality, it may very well be the best conducted action scene of the decade. It moves with a graceful fluidity that may bring a tear to your eye due to the level of passion being poured out onto the screen. Considering that it’s almost always Reeves in the frame, it adds another level of tension to the film. Where most blockbusters bloated with action have to hide the stunt double, John Wick 3 is able to exist freely without the creative handcuffs of relying on a stunt double. This means that the camera can operate with free will. Framing it’s action with an elevated sense of confidence and without worry of having to hide the tricks up their sleeve, it’s hard not to be in complete awe at the level of craft put on display.
Outside of it’s riveting action that I’ll touch more on in just a bit, the world building of John Wick has always been a high point. For myself (and seemingly many others), the reason why the action garners our attention is because we become so invested in the rules that the films play by. They’re simple, never overcomplicated, and the boundaries it wants to work within are set. Of which then opens up the action to do as it pleases with it’s minimal guidelines. The lore and world building that continues to be heightened with each sequel runs into a few bumps here. It definitely slows the pace down, but at the same time it introduces plenty of interesting characters and roles apart of the John Wick universe. Before I get into the dilly dally of minor negatives that are apart of this movie, the role of the Adjudicator is quite brilliant. The role makes total sense in the world, and it works as a tether between the world we’ve become used to seeing, and the yet to be seen. Unfortunately, it is played woefully, even if it yearns for that cheesy 80s vibe that has been apart of the Wick D.N.A since 2014.
This is Asia Dillon’s first role, and her first at-bat was unforgettably bad to say the least. The role, again, is brilliant, but the way it’s performed is teeth grindingly annoying. It wavers between unbearable, to unintentional goofy that it nearly fumbles the emotional tension the film is going for. Maybe this was a Stahelski decision, but I can only imagine how much more enjoyable this could have been had the performance not been so putrid. The character adds another branch of lore which opens up John Wick to cover more ground to set-up for another follow-up, but the movie kind of botches it’s pacing at the same time. Not an uncommon issue for this set of films, but one that has yet to be perfected. The story is great, and constantly engaging. The action wouldn’t be as good as it is without it, but some of those nuts and bolts could be tighter.
Overall, John Wick 3 is...unreal. Most franchises are plagued by its third film being the weakest, and Chapter 3 is this franchise’s strongest. Boasting incredible set piece after incredible set piece, set against the backdrop of a neon soaked production design that could resurrect Jordan Cronenweth from the grave. The neon infuses a level of noir to the franchise and it invigorates it’s action with electrifying life. Giving each set piece their own unique identity with jaw-dropping, book smashing, bullet laced, horse kicking madness that ranges from toe-tapping ballet, to a full-on EDM concert. John Wick 3 is a beautifully staged opera that showcases a dance with action. Seamlessly rolling out the next backdrop for this entire team to continuously evolve the action from simple hand-to-hand combat, to the equivalent of a one man army. I still don’t know how they managed to pull it off. Reeves’ physical commitment to this role is a miracle, and a performance that rivals Tom Cruise’s in Mission: Impossible - Fallout. Keanu Reeves is there every step, punch, bullet, and kick along the way, and the camera exists unafraid of showing it’s hand. This movie is unforgettable, and nothing can prepare you for the level of precision that is put on display here. Keanu Reeves joins Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible), Iko Uwais (The Raid), and Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) as a representative of their respective franchise as a chiseled face on the Mt. Rushmore of action films. See this movie in theaters. If you don’t, you’ll cheat yourself out of a truly special experience.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum gets a 92/100