John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum picks up right where the sequel left off, with Wick being excommunicated from the assassin underworld. The bounty is set at $14 million and Wick has an hour to escape the city before his former associates come to collect. While the plot might not be as strong as the sequel, it continues the same story points seamlessly. This film feels more like a continuation of larger narrative spanning across franchise, rather than separate semi-connected story like the first two. This film is bigger than the last, with vast and diverse landscapes for Wick to create havoc in. The lore of world is expanded showing us more of the assassin leadership and how the chain of command works. All of the new additional characters worked well and were integrated into the story perfectly. The action is picked up a notch, creating some of the craziest sequences I have ever seen on the screen. The fight inside of the knife shop was insane, it left me with my mouth literally dropping to the floor. It is one of my favorite action sequences in any film. One thing I particularly liked is the sense of desperation and isolation that surrounds our main character. We see John Wick tested to the extremes, pushing the boundaries resulting in creative stunts and tactics to fight off multiple assassins at a time. It was really fantastic. The cinematography was incredible here as well. This film shows that with good choreography and a wide shot, you can create gripping scenes that do not require fifteen different jump cuts. The motorcycle chase has got to be one of the most breathtaking and seamless action sequences I have ever seen. The acting quality sees a significant increase in quality when compared to the first two entries. Keanu Reeves is still Keanu Reeves, delivering a fairly cheesy and awkward performance, but that is what you come to expect and cherish about this franchise. The addition of Halle Berry and Asia Dillon were fantastic as the both added some serious dramatic acting beats that raised the quality of the film immensely. Berry and Wick had some great chemistry together. Overall, this film is excellent and if each entry can build upon the last like history has shown, the sky is the limit for this franchise. Score: 87% Verdict: Excellent