John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum Review!

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum like the previous films assaults you like gunfire; rapid, shocking, and startling with thudding blasts. The film is directed Chad Stahelski who directed the John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) and is known as a stunt coordinator. It is written by Derek Kolstad who also wrote the first John Wick (2014), Shay Hatten, and Chris Collins, writer and executive producer of Sons of Anarchy. It expands on the shadow world of assassins operating in the night streets of New York. The John Wick series started with John (Keanu Reeves) as the assassin known as Baba Yaga.

He loses his wife and was caring for a puppy that is shot by Russian gunmen. Wick returns to his life as a killer. It also introduced the Continental Hotel which is neutral ground for assassins. The Continental is operated by Winston played with suave efficiency by Ian McShane. He is Mr. Wednesday in the American Gods series and was also in this year’s Hellboy. Wick does find a bulldog which he protects. Also, there are rules we have to catch up on like the markers (looking like ancient coins) in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017). In that film, Wick refuses a job from a crime boss, Santino, and part of the High Table organization.  

Another ally turns up, The Bowery King, played by Laurence Fishburne in an almost Matrix-reunion. Fishburne is of course Pops in the Black-ish comedy series and was in Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018). Wick pursues Santino to the Continental and breaks its cardinal rule. This film is directed by Chad Stahelski who co-directed John Wick (2014) with David Leitch and directed John Wick: Chapter 2. The story is by Derek Kolstad who was also part of the screenwriting team of Marc Abrams, Chris Collins, and Shay Hatten. Chapter 3 picks up with John Wick in a rainy New York night with an hour before he is made “excommunicado” by The High Table. 

A $14 million bounty is put on his head.  He will face all of the hired killers in New York and around the world. Keanu Reeves brings an almost vulnerable killer who is relentless at his fights.  He of course is known in action movies like Speed (1994) and trained with swords in 47 Ronin (2013), but may be best known as Neo in The Matrix (1999), but this is less a superhero messiah and more a very much human assassin in a “hyper reality” (as described by Reeves). Wick heads to the New York Public Library and is sent to a section with a special book. Inside is a hollowed out section where he finds a photo with his wife, some markers, a locket, and a crucifix.  

One of the assassins, a tall man (Boban Marjanovic), decides to jump the clock and attacks him. It is a brutal fight with some kinetic camera work by Dan Laustsen who was also director of photography for John Wick: Chapter 2. We get the reactions of the people who know John Wick, Winston, and The Bowery King. The time until the “excommunicado” is count down by the Operator (Margaret Daly) who seems like the old fashioned phone operator, but in a techno-style as is the other operators working for the High Table.  

Wick is stabbed during the fight and goes to the doctor (Randall Dae Kim) for medical attention.  He treated Wick in the first film at the Continental. Kim was The Keymaker in The Matrix Reloaded (2003). The Doctor stitches Wick’s wound as time runs out. Entering the Continental is a new character, The Adjudicator, played Asia Kate Dillon. She starred as Taylor Mason in the drama series, Billions, and also Orange Is the New Black. Her character is implied as dangerous, but smooth and unfazed by other characters. The concierge of the Continental, Charon (Lance Reddick), recognizes her as The Adjudicator. She was sent by the High Table to investigate Wick and all of his associates. 

John Wick is followed by a score of assassins and heads to an antique shop. He finds a gun and modifies it to take bullets. Then, he is faced with the killers and ends up in a knife fight unlike anything seen before. Wick finishes the fight and heads to a theater showing his crucifix for entry.  This is a ballet company that is watched over by The Director played by Angelica Huston. She won the Academy Award for Prizzi’s Honor (1985) and starred in several Wes Anderson films including The Darjeeling Limited (2007). There is a certain prestige that Huston brings to the role as a director separate from the High Table, but respecting their power.  

She mentions John Wick's Belarusian background as Baba Yaga, a figure out of Russian folk tales.  Wick shows her the crucifix and asks for passage to Casablanca, Morocco. The Adjudicator has investigated and tells Winston he has seven days before he has to step down since he gave John Wick an hour before the “ex communicado.” She heads to the sushi shop of Zero (Mark Dacascos) to send him after Wick. Dacascos was of course the lead in The Crow: Stairway to Heaven tv series and he was also in Only the Brave (2006) where he played a former military officer turned inner city teacher of capoeira, recommended.  

Zero is ruthless with his Shinobi when they are put into action. Later, he also shows some humor in his rivalry with John Wick. One of the Shinobi is played by Yayan Ruhian who was in The Raid: Redemption (2011), an action film that is unmatched by all others. Cecep Arif Rahman plays the other Shinobi, he was in Raid 2 (2014), which is another great action movie. John Wick reaches Casablanca and still has to face assassins, but manages to get to the Moroccan Continental. He shows the locket and requests a meeting. Wick meets with Sofia played by Halle Berry. She was of course Jinx in the James Bond film, Die Another Day (2002), and Ginger in Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017).  

Her training for the film is impressive as well as Sofia’s pair of attack dogs. The action scenes are intense, including the attack dogs which is stunning, and chases with a horse and motorcycles that are innovative. It seems like The Adjudicator, Sofia, and a character played by Saïd Taghmaoui (who was Sameer in 2017’s Wonder Woman) are important in this film. The meaning of “parabellum” in Latin is “prepare for war” so I think the war is yet to come. The kills had me recoiling and taking time to get over, but John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is a thrilling race with guns and fists on a horse and motorcycles!  

Four Markers out of Five! 

  

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