John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum Review

Where John Wick Shoots Up Everything
​(Including the Holes in the Plot)

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum |  Summit Entertainment |  Lionsgate

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum | Directed by Chad Stahelski |  Action |  14A |  2 H 11 MIN

,
​Written by Martin Sroka

Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick for the third installment of the series which amps up the action. However, the film sacrifices its narrative structure as well as a sense of spatial awareness in favor of its action set pieces. This ultimately culminates to a film where it is supposed to be driven by its action, but by the end feels devoid of any real purpose other than entertainment.

The film picks up where John Wick Chapter 2 ended, as John Wick becomes 'excommunicado' and must rely on his own wits and will to survive, without any help from the many services that were presented in the last film. We see some old faces returning: Ian McShane who plays the owner and manager of the illustrious Continental Winston hotel; Laurence Fishburne playing the goofy Bowery king; Lance Reddick playing Charon. New faces enter the frame as well: Halle Berry plays the ruthless yet empathetic Sofia; Mark Dacascos plays Zero, a light-hearted yet also completely opposite assassin to Wick; Asia Kate Dillion plays a calm and collected agent of the high table: The Adjudicator. A fresh new cast coupled with the old helps make this film interesting and full of potential, but proves otherwise.

There is no question whether the action has been taken to another level in this film, requiring more physicality and endurance from the film’s star to play the character, John Wick. However, Keanu Reeves is up for the task and excels at it, but alongside seemingly more talented action stars. Stars from The Raid series, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman make an exciting appearance for anyone who knows what they are capable of. A critical scene with the Indonesian stars and Reeves seemed promising, however the fight really shows how Reeves struggles to keep up. The fight choreography becomes more of a botched WWE match then what could have been something special. Very little has changed in Reeves' performance from the previous installments. He still maintains his cunning but quiet, determined demeanor which were the qualities that made his character so interesting. The film dives more into Wick’s past – even though briefly – and there is a sense that such revelations, or moments of personal importance, could have a had more emotional impact.  The cluttered plot is a prime suspect in this .

Halle Berry as "Sophia," with two good boys
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum |  Summit Entertainment |  Lionsgate

,However, Reeves’ performance is not the only one worth analysis. Halle Berry’s character 'Sophia' – a careful, precise, and powerful compatriot of John Wick – who’s followed by two lovable canines, both well-trained and rabid. What is most surprising is that Berry shows that she is not afraid of matching Reeves in terms of physicality and athleticism. Her training for the film payed off. She showcases amazing control over some of the sequences complex choreography, almost giving the illusion that killing random enemies is a favorite hobby. Unfortunately, we do not see much of it, just enough to show off her prowess for maybe a future installment.

What stood out in the last two films were their basic plots. The first film starts with the killing of a dog, and a car being stolen; the second film begins with a favor that must be fulfilled. From there on, the films were easy to follow. This also clarified John Wick as a character by simplifying his goals; we find him more intriguing. His simple goals bring questions of his character, his thoughts and ambitions. This steady balance with clarity and ambiguity suddenly looses its touch in Chapter 3. It becomes suffocated in so much plot development that it is like they threw two movies together and told the editor “good luck." Now, the film does make sense of everything, but it seems that where the purpose of the last two films was to develop the character of John Wick, and slowly introduce the complex world he is involved in, this third film becomes a set-up for the next installment.

This unfortunately even affects the critical component of the series: the action scenes. They feel both extremely coherent and confusing at the same time. While I can see what is going on in the scene, which punch is thrown, who is stabbed, where the knife goes, whose head is being shot sixteen times, I still have no idea how that shot fits in with the next. The action set-pieces in the last two films had a sense of progression where Wick would make his way through point A to point B. We were offered both the spatial awareness of the characters and the location itself. John Wick 3 sets up its set pieces unnaturally, where it is more important to get those fancy money shots than to include that sense of progression. However, the action set-pieces are mostly harmed from the cluttered narrative which makes each action scene both emotionally empty, and devoid of tension. There are many moments in the film where it is more like watching a video game, rather than a movie.
​
Overall, John Wick 3 is a lot of fun. Though most of my piece criticizes it, this is still an action film that goes far beyond in both quality and entertainment. Any fan of the last two films might be disappointed with the cluttered narrative, yet the action serves as enough of a motivation to stay and enjoy the film. Of course, those seeking to find a compelling story and greater character design will find more of that in the previous installments. The third film is always an important film in a series. It closes out the narrative in a satisfying way where all loose ends are tied. John Wick 3 closes some of those but introduces even more: how does any human being survive a 30-story fall? It is clear there will be a fourth film where hopefully it can live up to this promise.