In 2014 John Wick was unleashed and ever since the phenomenon of Mr. Wick has taken over the cinematic action world. Even the creators, who knew they had a good movie on their hands, never anticipated what the Wick franchise would become. Through word of mouth about the wide angle, steadicam shot action sequences to the motivation of the titular character, audiences everywhere wanted to know just what made Mr. Wick tick. And now here we are on the verge of Chapter 3. This is a purely fan service franchise and I mean this in the greatest way possible. They know what we want and how we want it and are more than willing to give us exactly what we’re demanding. For those not in the know, we want action and violence in droves through a style that can only be described as an action movie wet dream. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the third film in the Wick franchise and is quite possibly the best installment yet.
Keanu Reeves is fifty-four years old, let that sink in for a minute…
Take this into account as you watch this man flip and swing and hit and shoot and jump and just generally speaking lose his shit on those silly enough to think they can take on the Baba Yaga and survive to tell the story. He is nothing short of amazing as this character and with each new addition to the Wick world it’s clear his goal is to entertain in ways we have never really experienced before. With him and the creators, they have come together to collectively say that shaky-cam, heavily edited action sequences have to be a thing of the past. The care they have for their craft is all over the screen. Not many franchise creators can say that each new entry is better than the last.
What they have realized with these movies is that bigger is better but not blindly so. The stakes must be raised but the characters must never be lost in the spectacle. Wick’s motivations are still clear as ever and his cohorts are all given their time to either speak their support of disdain for Wick and then a truth is given to their convictions by allowing them to carry out their principles by physically expressing it. Every new character is either there to collect the bounty or to prolong the legend of Wick. It’s a toss up which makes every new encounter so exciting.
The creators are also fully cognisant of the fact that we are three films in, things need to be kept fresh and unexpected. A great way to achieve this is take what we’ve seen before and flip it on its head. For example, we all know Wick is more than proficient at headshots so what if the opportunity for headshots was removed from the equation? It’s so much fun to watch Wick adapt and survive. Even in the moments of pure chaos you can see a development in character as he changes his approach to doing what he does best. You can see the character learning and becoming even more efficient which is a terrifying thought for anyone in his path.
After each new entry I have this thought that there is no possible way to top what they’ve already done but I also know deep down that simply isn’t true. These are masters of action spectacle and without fail each new entry is far more viscerally charged and unbelievably paced. After a while you begin to see any new characters as Wick cannon fodder soon to be firmly six feet under.
Imagine an action film so beautifully executed in every regard that it literally makes you giggle in approval and I give you John Wick 3. It is everything promised it would be and so so much more. It lives up to the hype by completely crushing the hype into oblivion. It’s such a rare experience to leave the theater in complete cinematic euphoria but after two hours of John Wick handling his business you too will be a believer. It’s just as rare to have a discussion with anyone you saw the movie with about which scene is the best only to come to the mutual conclusion that the film itself is the best scene. This is the best action film since Mad Max: Fury Road, hands down.
The choreographed fight sequences meshed with everything from motorcycles to horses to insanely awesome, ferocious dogs, Chapter 3 is a missile of absolute intent with the singular goal of making jaws drop and it hits the target, absolute bullseye. Let’s all hope for Chapter 4.
Rated R For: pervasive strong violence, and some language
Runtime: 130 minutes
After Credits Scene: No
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick
Directed By: Chad Stahelski
Out of 5 Nerdskulls
Story: 5/ Acting: 4.5/ Directing: 5/ Visuals: 5
OVERALL: 5 Nerdskulls
Buy to Own: Yes
Check out the trailer below:
For more info on comics, video games, movies and anything else nerd, check out Nerdlocker.com, a place for your inner nerd.
Also check us out on:
Nerdlocker Shop: http://www.nerdlocker.com/store
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/nerdlocker
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nerdlocker
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nerdlocker
Podcast: iTunes
Email us at: info@nerdlocker.com
