One term that I always hear come up in discussions about the John Wick franchise is “simplicity” used both as a compliment and critique in equal measure. Returning once again as director, former stuntman Chad Stahelski’s approach continues to be straightforward, but that doesn’t make John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum any less mesmerizing.
The violence and action is overwhelming at points, but it’s so artfully executed and with such sophistication that it rarely ever takes you out of the film. Not to mention the story always has an undercurrent of humanity and intelligence to it.
All three movies in this series so far have felt much more subversive and polished than their contemporaries, which is why it continues to stand out and do so well with audiences. Unfortunately for Wick, to keep the excitement level high, this means he still has a ton of trouble coming his way- as do many of his enemies in the process.
After making the (understandable) mistake of killing the mobster making his life hell on the grounds of the Continental Hotel during Chapter 2, Wick is declared “excommunicado” by the mysterious high table, and now every low life in Manhattan wants to axe him and get their hands on $14 million. He battles his way to a woman known as The Director (Anjelica Huston), who has information about John’s past we haven’t been introduced to yet.
Showing considerable vulnerability for such a vicious protagonist, Wick implores for a safe passage to Morocco in order to find the authority who can lift his bounty. But the stern Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillion, extremely intimidating in this role) is not happy about the actions of the Continental’s manager Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) in the last movie, and she recruits an elite assassin named Zero (Mark Dacascos) to gain control of the hotel. Wick’s then forced to make decisions that put both his honor and future survival odds on the line.
As seriously as John Wick 3 treats itself, it’s also just plain fun. Many of the fights have a sly undercurrent of wit and humor, derived from Wick’s creativity as he dispatches with wave after wave of hitmen after his head. It’s an action movie that knows exactly what it wants to do with its cast and doesn’t detour far from that. Reeves’ performance as the lead, still mourning his wife and first dog (there’s a sweet moment early in the film when he creates a safe getaway to the Continental for a new fuzzy friend) is both badass and sympathetic. He makes the legendary Baba Yaga feel multi-faceted while using a minimal amount of dialogue.
Normally I don’t enjoy Halle Berry in action-oriented roles, between her disappointing outings in Die Another Day and Catwoman. But I’ve always been a fan of her acting overall, and Stahelski directs her role as Wick’s friend Sophia extremely well, allowing her character to shine. Helping Wick in his quest to meet the mysterious high Elder (Said Tagmaoui) in the desert, she more than holds her own in fast-paced gun battles through the streets of Casablanca, aided by a pack of friendly dogs. (There’s more animal-themed heroism when Wick mounts a black horse through a furious street chase.)
The only true glaring flaw of Parebellum is that its hyper-focus on combat comes at the cost of building up some of the interesting side characters. Dacascous is drolly entertaining as Zero, and I would have liked to learn more about the Adjudicator’s background outside of simply serving as the High Table’s voice- but maybe we’ll get those answers in the upcoming forth film in the series. Without spoiling much, it builds to a surprising climax that will certainly up the stakes in the next chapter of Wick’s tale.
Outside of that, it’s another giddily brutal entry in what’s proving to be one of my favorite action movie franchises period, and I can easily recommend it for adult audiences as it’s not for kids by any stretch.
In the hands of different creators, John Wick could be pretty lowest-common-denominator, but much like the last two entries, Parabellum provides the charm of a classic pulp comic in a modern context, executed with style and grace. If you’d seen it and have an opinion, al always hop on @Official_FAN at Twitter and feel free to share it with us!