Our take on... John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum
The word “Parabellum” is translated from the Latin “para bellum” which means “prepare for war”, which is as much a warning for the character of John Wick as it is for the audience as this film is wall to wall action.
Picking up just minutes from where “Chapter 2” left off, we see John Wick on the run after being excommunicated from the Continental Hotel (the neutral ground for assassins) with a $14million dollar bounty on his head. As a result, Wick has to call in some of the favours he has accumulated over the years, as well as make some sacrifices along the way to survive.
What sets “John Wick” apart from most other action films doing the rounds nowadays is that it is taking its cue from Asian action cinema in the way it’s shot. Unlike the “Bourne” movies, fight scenes aren’t cut to pieces and hard to follow. Everything flows exceptionally well and each fight is different enough to stand out. The imagination on show in the fights is nothing short of amazing and it’s much helped by the fact that Reeves does a lot of the fighting himself.
He’s really well supported by a diverse cast who are clearly buying into the outrageous premise, but not hamming it up. Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne return as the owner of The Continental and the Bowery King respectively. New cast members include 90’s action star Mark Dacascos (who’s having a blast), as well as a great turn from Halle Berry. In addition, we get some members from the cast of “The Raid” who are used much more effectively here than they were in “The Force Awakens”.
The usual rule with sequels is that the quality of each film dips as the series moves on, but that’s not the case here. “John Wick Chapter 3” is the strongest of the franchise so far, for me. The action is more spectacular, the deaths more imaginative, and the world the characters inhabit grows more and more with each film. With a possible fourth film on the way, as well as a spin off TV show, there’ll hopefully be plenty more John Wick to come, but it they don’t happen this film is an excellent way to cap off the trilogy.
These are the honest and intelligent words of our Kevin Dillon, @kevinwritestuff.
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum is available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K-UHD at goldendiscs.ie and in all Golden Discs stores nationwide.
