Out of all the film franchises out today, the "John Wick" franchise has got to be one of the best. Surely these franchises are vastly commercial, and with that, they are typically formulaic and predictable--at least the characters are predictable. However, ever since I've seen the first installment, I've been hooked on how John Wick will succeed, and with this, "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" is yet another installment that will keep you glued.
In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin's guild , the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado by The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon), and while others that helped Wick namely Winston (Ian McShane), Sophie (Halle Berry) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) are threatened by The Adjudicator, Wick simply does what he does best and comes back fighting his way back. And through his trek, the world's most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.
Others to round out the cast are Mark Dacascos as Zero, Lance Reddick as Charon, Tobias Segal as Earl, Angelica Huston as The Director, Said Taghmaoui as The Elder, Jerome Flynn as Berrada, Randall Duk Kim as Doctor and Margaret Daly as Operator.
This was directed with the same amount of grit and adrenaline as with the first two installments, Chad Stahelski ("John Wick" '14, "John Wick: Chapter 2" '17). Like the film "Speed" '95, also starring Reeves, this franchise is as adrenaline-ridden and as tense and gritty as with "Speed" which makes this a vehicle that demands one's attention. The frantic situations the characters are fraught with seem incredibly realistic that it becomes easy to empathize with these characters. Reeves certainly is treading on familiar territory which makes it easier to convince the audience. If you like his brand of directing, his "Kill or Be Killed" has been announced. It was written with non-stop force by Derek Kolstad ("The Package" '13, "John Wick" '14, "John Wick: Chapter 2" '17, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins (TV) and Marc Abrams ("Zip" (TV movie) '07) plus TV, based on a story by Kolstad which is based on characters created by Kolstad. I am a bit puzzled why there were four writers that wrote this scrpt considering that Derek Kolstad was one of the writers and he wrote the other two installments by himself. Did he really need the other three writers? Without negating the expertise of the other writers, when a film typically has more than two writers, the plot can be watered down and confusing--too many hands in the pot. Fortunately, because Kolstad created these characters and was the pivotal writer here, this film was just as fresh and 'fun' as its predecessors. Oh, and will there be a Chapter 4? Trust me, it is as obvious as a wart on a witch's nose. When the credits start rolling, you're expecting it to continue, so, yes--there will be another one. Other than a couple of very small places of jumpiness, this script was amazing.
Surely, if you liked this films' predecessors, you will certainly like this one. It's got everything a summer flick can offer: adrenaline, action, grit and pure escapism. You know this franchise is getting popular since the first two installments were released in February and this one was released in May--the busy summer season. The stunt coordinators are as much the stars as the stars themselves. It's a real roller coaster ride for sure!
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 131mins.
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