Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

With every glory and money hungry assassin on his tail, the only thing Mr Wick can do to stay alive, is prepare for war.

The Synopsis
As a next chapter intends, John Wick Chapter 3, picks up right where Chapter 2 ended; with a $14million bounty placed on Mr Wick’s head, ready to be taken into effect when the clock strikes 6:00pm.

Declared excommunicado, all benefits are suspended and at every turn, there is someone waiting to take him down.

However, Mr Wick (Keanu Reeves) isn’t the only one penalised for his transgressions against the High Table. Dragged under scrutiny by the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) all those who have helped him, too must pay penance.

We get a peek into Mr Wick’s past and travel across the globe in order for him to seek help and clemency – but all of this, and much much more comes at a price, that Mr Wick has to first be willing to pay in full.

The Good
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum wasted no time in getting going, and I loved that it picks up exactly where its predecessor ended. In fact, that movies one to three all take place within such a small amount of time adds to the overall intensity and seamlessness of the (so far) trilogy.

The Adjudicator was a nice touch to the movie – bringing in an objective third party to make sure all the mess is properly cleaned up… sometimes by making an even bigger mess…. and putting them above everyone already involved. I thought Asia Kate Dillon played her role incredibly well on that front.

In all honesty, there are a lot of fight sequences in this movie – which is completely fair and understandable, though it can be easy for them to blur into one another. Gladly John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum didn’t have this problem. My top fight sequence is the one that featured Mr Wick alongside Sofia (Halle Berry) and her dogs. The dogs especially. They added a new dimension of weaponry to the sequence and also showcased their usefulness, loyalty and obedience. It made the whole sequence feel so smooth that I can’t stop thinking about it.

Shout out to my favourite scene in the movie: The ballet dancers – pirouetting to hip hop while the reverse shot showed guards being slain with swords. Beautiful.

The Bad
Can we please start a drinking game where you take a shot every time Mr Wick falls into glass? I have to say it happens so bloody often in this movie that it just became annoying to watch.

Compared to some of the stunning imagery for the promotion of this movie, I wasn’t all that impressed with the overall cinematography. There were a few great shots, and I think they played with light really well throughout the movie considering the bulk of it takes place in darkness – but my hopes were higher than what was delivered.

The story for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum really wasn’t very strong. Listen, don’t come for me: I enjoyed this movie for what it was, I really really did – but analysis of story and character development is kind of my thing so hear me out: Nothing happens.

He doesn’t want to die, so he does everything he can to live. And even then his reason for living, was very weak. I thought we were going to get a little bit more when we were introduced to The Director – but we were teased, given the idea of something instead of the thing itself. I wish they had gone just a little bit more into his past and for it to have at least weighed into the movie as a whole, but it didn’t. The movie had no depth, even the momentum from which spurred the first movie was completely gone for me.

The Conclusion
From what I last heard – and this information may very well be out of date; but after John Wick Chapter 3, the franchise is (was? )being transferred to the small screen. If this is still the case then I would be a lot more satisfied with the ending of this movie. If not and there is going to be a “Chapter 4” then… well I suppose just remember what they say: Good things come in threes.