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doomonfilm · 5 years

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Review : John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

If you’d have told preteen me that ‘Ted’ Theodore Logan of the Wyld Stallions would one day be a top tier action hero, I probably would’ve laughed long and hard. Yet, here we are, nearly three decades removed from the Bill & Ted series (which is apparently getting a final entry in the near future), and Keanu Reeves not only has several action films (standalone and series) under his belt, but he is creating a new icon in the form of his John Wick character, who has recently returned to the big screen in the form of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves), fresh off the kill of newly appointed High Table member Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), is declared excommunicado with a $14 million bounty on his head. Every assassin in Manhattan is on his heels, and WIck is doing all that he can to avoid them in hopes of passage to Casablanca, where he can seek absolution in his continued quest to separate himself from a life of being a literal ‘angel of death’. Meanwhile, the High Table has appointed an Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon) to punish Winston (Ian McShane), the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), the Director (Anjelica Huston), and anyone else who aided Wick in taking D’Antonio’s life. The Adjudicator also doubles down on her mission by hiring Zero (Mark Dacascos), an assassin with a small but dedicated pack of followers, to exact the revenge she issues while seeking Wick in hopes of killing him. After seeking a favor from former friend Sofia (Halle Berry), Wick is pointed in the direction of The Elder (Said Taghmaoui), the one man above the High Table, but Wick learns that the absolution he seeks will come at a great cost.

As the third film in a series, some (like myself) would probably assume the scope of the film would be bigger and grander, but with the premise of the film being the world closing in on John, the film is quite reserved in terms of the use of locations. The feeling of ‘eyes everywhere’ does carry over from the previous films, however, being enhanced to the point that it becomes an aesthetic, especially in New York. Parabellum is also a meditation on choices you can’t take back, what it means to face the consequences of those choices, and how one makes difficult decisions to survive, sometimes at the cost of those you love. Seeing that Wick is hoping to escape his past life, the stakes continue to grow from film to film in regards to his ultimate choice : die, or continue to be an instrument of death.

Maybe I just never paid attention to the timeline of the previous two films, but I was surprised to learn the actions of the first two films took place over the course of a week, making Wick a fresh legend in this film that has recently proved capable of taking on all comers. As we’ve learned in previous films, everything is a weapon in the hands of Wick, and this film continues the innovation of using the unconventional in unconventional ways that play completely logical upon reflection (for the context, anyway). The ever growing presence of The Table is sown throughout the film, including the classic line ‘everything is under The Table’, which is setting them up to be a formidable foe for the continued series. I really enjoy how even in such a chaotic world, honor is a mandatory code (for most, anyway), order is respected, and the rules of engagement are always in effect.

The latest film doesn’t waste time with a recap of previous events, opting instead to pick right up in the story, hitting the ground running, and blasting through the finish line with promise of more race to come. The highly stylized violence makes brilliant spatial use of each environment, providing us with easily the best collection of fight sequences thus far in 2019. Balancing Wick against Sofia gives us insight into Wick’s calculating and efficient style, as it plays well against her passionate and aggressive style (her two dogs are a nice touch as well). The set design for all locations is amazing as well, especially Winston’s glass office.

Keanu Reeves was born to play this role, with his focus from his martial arts disciplines meshing perfectly with his eerily consistent youthful, handsome looks, with just a splash of humor to take the edge off. Ian McShane plays the eye of the hurricane well, clearly reveling in the convenience of being the centerpiece of most frames he is in. Laurence Fishburne gets to play lighter than normal, and he dives headlong into the task, setting up what will more than likely be an epic vicious turn in the next film. Mark Dacascos nearly steals the film away from a stellar cast, with some truly humorous standout moments that manage to elicit memorable laughs, but not at the cost of the film’s tension or style. Asia Kate Dillon exacts a calculating stillness as the Adjudicator, opting to let her presence and the weight of having The Table behind her carry the threat. Lance Reddick comes on with his normal reserved, dignified demeanor, but gets to put on his action hat for the final third of the film, to much audience delight. Strong appearances by Halle Berry, Anjelica Huston, Said Taghmaoui, a surprisingly reserved Jason Mantzoukas, and a host of martial artists and stuntmen round out the cast.

It seems clearly obvious that this story will continue, as the ending scene plants HUGE seeds for a continuation. In all honesty, I’m all for it, and hope that the new movie comes sooner than later, because based on the aforementioned seeds planted, the John Wick saga is only just beginning to unleash the madness.