"John Wick: Chapter 3" is a Non-Stop, Violent Theme Park Ride for Two Hours, and it's Brilliant
By: Keaton Marcus
DISCLAIMER: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 16, YOU MUST ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!
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85/100 “sweet”
Are you ready for the splitting of heads, the unrelenting sound of gun-fire, bad-ass one-liners...and of course, dogs, lots of murderous dogs. That may be the basic template for "John Wick: Chapter 3", the third installment to the critically acclaimed franchise. Keanu Reeves has become the internet's love interest in real life, in films like "John Wick", or "The Matrix", he's a bad-ass hero that shoots whoever he pleases. Superior to its simplistic predecessor, "Chapter 3" delivers an A-list cast, and excellently directed action sequences, almost making it a theme-park ride of non-stop violence. If you are the person deeply affected by loud noises, and blood--stay away from the film--however, if you're a fan of first-person shooter games, or maybe even the first "Deadpool" film...this will be your paradise. Sure, it's short on story and dialogue--but, it's a "John Wick" flick, there's no need--as long as Reeves is wielding a gun--or even a katana, in this case, it works.
The basic plot that kicked off the franchise was a generic revenge story, the ads for the original looked like a run-of-the-mill "Death Wish", or maybe "Die Hard" sort of schtick. You learned that John, played by Keanu basically goes on a killing rampage after the Russians killed his dog (his dead wife's last present), and stole his 1969 manufactured Mustang. Of course, he makes more, and more enemies on the way, setting up for more, and more films. The plot may sound shallow, but that's how it is supposed to be, the point of the "Wick" franchise is to entertain with violence, not intellectual storytelling. In "Chapter 2", Wick kills Santino D'Antonio in the Continental Hotel, which is considered a safe haven, a place where no "business" will be conducted. In the third picture, after the rule break, John becomes an excommunicado--and gets a large 14 million bounty to his name. The rest of the two hours is literally cocky assassins of all different shapes and sizes going for Wick, and Mr. Reeves on the run. Say what you may, but it's hysterically entertaining to watch.
The cast is also top-notch, led by a brutal lead performance by Keanu Reeves. After "The Matrix" trilogy, which grossed a massive 1.6B worldwide--Reeves went into acting limbo, failing to sprout franchises with "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Constantine", and "47 Ronin". Critics loved the original "Wick" film, but the box office was more skeptical--and audiences never could have predicted that it would sprout into a franchise. "Chapter 2" did some business, but "Chapter 3" is one of Reeves' biggest films, and features one of his best performances. The action sequences and the consistent thrills may outshine his character development, but the brutality and realism in his performance help audiences care almost as much about the characters than the incredible violence.
The final verdict is: "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" delivers another two-hour theme-park ride of artful violence, with a compelling Keanu Reeves playing the title character, and consistently excellent direction by series veteran Chad Stahelski...$PLURGE IT