How is it these movies just keep getting better? Legit, I thought the first one couldn’t be topped. Then the second one did just that. Now the third one did the same thing again! This series just refuses to dip in quality!
Picking up right where Chapter 2 left off, Parabellum sees our titular protagonist making one last mad scramble before hell breaks loose. Now excommunicated from the one safe place he had left, and with an bounty worth a fortune on his head, he can be attacked by anyone from anywhere at anytime. Meanwhile, the High Table moves to punish all those whom John called an ally. The order of the world is beginning to crumble, with John Wick right in the middle of it all.
The sheer amount of tension in this movie is absolutely fuckin’ nuts. Literally anyone could attack John at any time. In the first ten minutes alone, he’s got to deal with three separate attacks from just as many groups! Even his few allies are barely willing to help him. All the while, the damage and exhaustion slowly pile up higher and higher.
As a result, we get some of the most insane action scenes in the trilogy. The fight with the knife collection, the boss-rush at the end, the fucking horse scene! Man legit found a way to kill a guy by slapping a horse’s ass! Choreography wise and special effect wise, these fights are amazing!
Although some of them outstay their welcome. The final battle in particular goes on for just a little too long for me. Sure, John Wick going toe-to-toe with multiple different ninjas on multiple different floors like a video game is cool. But by the time we got to the last ninja, I was starting to check out.
But then the ending pulled me right back in. Once again, this film delivers a twist that genuinely took me by surprise. At the same time, it set the stage for Chapter 4 perfectly. It’s nuts!
Visually, this is just as good as the other John Wick movies. The action choreography is amazing, the special effects are strong, and the cinematography and editing is wonderful. We don’t get a scene as visually mind-bending as the hall of mirrors in Chapter 2, but this is still a gorgeous film.
Of course, the performances are a highlight. All the returning actors do a wonderful job as their parts. We also get some standouts from the new characters, such as the delightfully evil Asia Kate Dillon as the Adjudicator and Halle Barry as Sofia.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum is yet another banger entry in this series. If you enjoyed either of the previous entries, you’re guaranteed to enjoy this one. It can be a bit exhausting, but god damn was it worth it!
As much as I want to hop straight into Chapter 4, that is unfortunately not an option. Mainly because the pandemic has ruined movie theaters for me forever.
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