John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) Movie Review

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM (2019) MOVIE REVIEW

2014's John Wick was a much needed breath of fresh air for the action genre as it delivered a compelling protagonist alongside enthralling fight sequences and choreography. As a result it became a near instant hit and a great film to kick off a brand new film franchise. Thus we would be introduced to the 2nd instalment which like a good sequel should, upped just about everything from the first by exploring Wick's story and characteristics further. Now we arrive at Parabellum which ups the ante for our protagonist in terms of action though at the cost of exploring the man behind the madness.

We begin where the previous left off. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has committed a hanus crime amongst the assassin's guild by killing a member of the High Table. Now he has a $14 million dollar bounty on his head and with little to no help, John Wick must avoid hit men and women looking to claim the reward. John Wick films have had the good fortune of being able to have simple plot lines of the surface but making up for that by exploring the world surrounding the assassin. Starting off in the bright lights of New York City, we are soon introduced to new sceneries including ballet theatres, exotic countries and even the desert plains. All of which are welcome to the franchise and all are incorporated flawlessly into the story and never feel out of place. Perhaps the best thing Parabellum does as sequel is that it explores the world of John Wick drastically as not only are we shown new locations but new story elements and characters which is handled well as world-building. 

As the film goes on, we are introduced to many new and old characters in the franchise. One of the more notable additions is Sofia (Halle Berry) who does a fair job in this movie and while they do give her minor motivations, they aren't fully flushed out and unfortunately seem like they needed a reason for Halle Berry to be in the movie. While she does serve an important role, tweaks to the script could easily write her out of the story and little to nothing would change. But I'll honest, her dogs were adorable. Other stand out characters include Winston (Ian McShane) returning from the previous instalments who serves as an ally and friend to John Wick and is one of my favourites as they do explore his motivations drastically in this story. Another new character introduced who plays the role of her name is The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) and does a good job of progressing the story and serves as good opposition to John Wick's almost rebel role by being all business all the time as her screen name implies. Unfortunately this conflict isn't explored further and John's emotions and character takes a back seat to all the new elements introduced and although we learn little things hear and there about him, we never truly learn how he feels about all this happening. This of course being a result of his character which while a great one, feels like he is just a passenger in this journey. 

Overall John Wick 3 was a great ride. If you are looking for a film that has great fight choreography and action or just a well-done sequel, this is the one for you. Even with very minor flaws including Wick's character and some story elements, Parabellum will leave you wanting more and by the sounds of the ending, it looks like thats exactly what we are going to get. And I couldn't be more stoked to see more of this ballet of blood. 

OVERALL

8 / 10