John Wick 3 – Parabellum (2019)

Beginning immediately after the events of John Wick 2, the sharp dressed and shooting assassin, John Wick, is battling to survive in the New York subculture of killers.  

To those unfamiliar with the franchise – John Wick, played by Keanu Reeves, is a retired member of a global underground subculture of assassins, who is drawn back into a vengeful journey of death and blood after Theon Greyjoy kills his puppy - the final gift given to John by his posthumous wife. This begins a series of events that spirals John into the heart of a world he’d hope to leave behind.

John Wick 3 picks up with John on the run after committing a heinous act, breaking one of the few rules functioning in this chaotic world of merciless death. As a result, an exhausted, broken and gunshot John, has a bounty of his head of $14 million and must somehow make it out of New York alive.

This trilogy has never been one for the story. It’s always been extremely simple and cut throat. What is more enticing about John Wick is the extensive, highly-choreographed fight sequences, this obscure Harry Potter-like world that hides in plain sight, and of course Keanu Reeves in a sharp three piece.

The trilogy pays tremendous homage to the Hong Kong action thrillers with sharply dressed marksman such as Infernal Affairs as well as the brutal, immense choregraphed spectacle of Gareth Evans Malaysian masterpieces The Raid 1 & 2. So much so, two of the stars of The Raid 2 make an appearance in John Wick 3 to set up a spine-tingling confrontation.

However, unlike the first two instalments, which are two stunning hyper-violent spectacles, the third chapter doesn’t quit live up to its predecessors. With a strong opening, reminding everyone of the glorifying horror of John Wick, whether that be sliced eyeballs or flailing axes to the skull, the Oldboy style gratuitousness was back. The film does unfortunately taper off for during its second act in an effort to further expand on the mythos of this world. It expands on it to such a degree that the film begins to meander, rather than continuing the franchises laser focus form of storytelling.

Another small gripe with the film is that of its villain. Asia Kate Dillon is wonderful as the ice-cold adjudicator, assessing the damage caused by John Wick following the closing events of the second chapter – but the main mob boss named Zero, played by Mark Dacascos, falls flat. While I understand his character in theory, in execution it just doesn’t work. His character is such a shift tonally, he comes across as an inbetweener who has taken a crash course in contract killing.

Yet, this is all redeemed in a bone crunching final act. The weighty punches, the repetitive and almost melodic gun shots culminating in a quintessential lengthy John Wick fight sequence. Exhausting, ferocious and stunning.

Arguably the weakest of the three films, Parabellum is by no means a dud. It is a romping, violent journey further into this world of murdering madness. As the bodies rack up, so does the spectacle. Whether it be a pack of motorbike riding Samurai attacking John Wick on horseback through the streets of New York, or two German Shepherds tearing limbs of dead bodies, it’s all deliciously chaotic. And Keanu Reeves proves once again that his wooden acting won’t stop him from snapping an enemy’s neck with his legs while simultaneously killing another with a gunshot to head all in one fell swoop.