In 2014, the action film John Wick was released to little fanfare but quickly became a cult hit thanks to its intense action and entertainment value. After three years, the sequel John Wick Chapter 2 was released and once again impressed audiences. Now, Keanu Reeves returns as the titular character in John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum. With a huge bounty on his head, John Wick is on the run from the High Table and its associates.
As expected, Parabellum delivers nonstop action from beginning to end. The fight choreography is top-notch and the inventive camera work keeps the action visually exciting. However, the sense of familiarity starts to set in as the movie progresses and the midsection drags. The idea that John Wick is indestructible begins to wear thin by the end.
Keanu Reeves is once again convincing as John Wick and Halle Berry has an entertaining cameo. The gritty, noir aesthetic of the film and the soundtrack by Tyler Bates are both highlights. However, the writing feels like it has widened the lore too much and this takes away from the intensity of the previous films. While it's still an enjoyable action-packed film, it doesn't quite reach the heights of the previous John Wick films. Despite this, John Wick on a horse is still pretty cool.
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En 2014, la película de acción John Wick se estrenó con poca fanfarria, pero rápidamente se convirtió en un éxito de culto gracias a su intensa acción y valor de entretenimiento. Después de tres años, se lanzó la secuela John Wick Capítulo 2 y una vez más impresionó al público. Ahora, Keanu Reeves regresa como el personaje titular en John Wick Capítulo 3: Parabellum. Con una gran recompensa por su cabeza, John Wick está huyendo de High Table y sus asociados.
Como era de esperar, Parabellum ofrece acción continua de principio a fin. La coreografía de lucha es de primera categoría y el ingenioso trabajo de cámara mantiene la acción visualmente emocionante. Sin embargo, la sensación de familiaridad comienza a establecerse a medida que avanza la película y la sección media se arrastra. La idea de que John Wick es indestructible comienza a desgastarse al final.
Keanu Reeves vuelve a ser convincente, ya que John Wick y Halle Berry tienen un cameo entretenido. La estética arenosa y noir de la película y la banda sonora de Tyler Bates son aspectos destacados. Sin embargo, la escritura se siente como si hubiera ampliado demasiado la tradición y esto quita la intensidad de las películas anteriores. Si bien sigue siendo una película divertida llena de acción, no alcanza las alturas de las películas anteriores de John Wick. A pesar de esto, John Wick a caballo sigue siendo genial.
The franchise keeps getting better
With Chad Stahelski back in the director's chair for the third time, as with the previous films, Parabellum is built on the foundation of Sir Keanu of Reeves's zen-like stoicism, a quality he can deploy to make a violent sword fight look about as stressful as sleeping on silk linen with "Fur Elise" playing in the background and a cat gently purring on the pillow beside you. And although this third entry in the franchise does flirt with a few themes amidst the mayhem (honour, fealty, destiny), it's not trying to be something it isn't, well aware of its own identity as a completely over-the-top orgy of violence. This is a world wherein even the most innocuous of items can be rendered lethal, and where the endless deaths by gun, knife, fist, dog, horse, motorbike, sword, pencil, and book of 18th century Russian folklore, are so excessive as to transcend any possible accusations of irresponsibility or glorification of violence. In short, the film leans into its status as basically a live-action episode of Itchy and Scratchy. Sure, it can become a little repetitive at times, and there's next to no plot or character development, so if you want to be reductionist, you could argue that it essentially gives us more of the same, except bigger, louder, and more elaborate. But that's to ignore how aesthetically accomplished it is, how funny it is, how compelling it is, and how unapologetically entertaining it is.
For my complete review, please visit: https://boxd.it/IBWgV
THIS MOVIE IS FRICKIN AWESOME AND THE SET PIECES THROUGHOUT THE FILM ARE JUST JAW DROPPING. THIS INSTALLMENT IS DEFINITELY THE BEST OF THE 3. WOW..JUST...WOW..
AFTER 3 INSTALLMENTS AND A 4th AND 5th IN PRODUCTION WE DON'T NEED A HEAVY STORY
ARE EVEN A REASON WHY,
JUST JOHN DOING WHAT HE DOE'S BEST. HUNT.
SPEAKING OF, THOSE FIGHT SCENES WERE SIMPLY BREATHTAKING AND SPECTACULAR AND BRILLIANTLY CHOREOGRAPHED, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED HOW YOU COULD SEE EVERY SINGLE MOVE BEING MADE, IT REALLY GETS YOU INVOLVED IN THE ACTION SET PIECES UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.
OF COURSE WITH ANYTHING LIKE THIS YOU HAVE TO GET THE BOYS IN FROM
THE RAID 1 AND 2
JUST AWESOME HAVING THEM IN ON THIS ACTION AS THEY ARE AT THE TOP OF THEIR GAME, LIKE BEST IN THE WORLD FOR THIS TYPE OF THING.
EVERYTHING WAS JUST BIGGER AND BETTER AND WAY MORE EXCITING THAN THE FIRST 2 MOVIES THE GUN-FU WAS MUCH SLICKER TO AND NOW HAS A
HEAD SHOT FINISHER,
WHICH IS FRICKIN AWESOME. LOVED ZERO BEING A FANBOY FUNNY VERY FUNNY, LOVEJOYS A DICK. AND I LOST IT WHEN JOHN GAVE A MATRIX REFERENCE.
I NEED GUNS,
LOTS OF GUNS,
I LOVED IT 3000.
BUT OF COURSE THE ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS THAT SCENE WITH JOHN AND HALLE AND THEM TWO ATTACK DOGS.
HOLY SHIT MY MOUTH WAS ON THE FLOOR AND I WAS IN TOTAL AWE.
THAT WAS PHENOMENAL AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN A SCENE LIKE THAT ANYWHERE ELSE.
THAT WAS FRICKIN AMAZING, WHAT A
SET PIECE, DEFINITELY MY FAVOURITE PART JUST AS THIS 3rd INSTALLMENT IS. WHAT A FUN THRILLING ENTERTAINING MOVIE THIS IS AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE
4th/5th INSTALLMENT
COS NOW HE'S PISSED
YEAH........
10/10 TOTALLY NINJA
The cinematography keeps being amazing, the action great, the cast, fantastic, the assassins keep assassinating.
This series just keeps giving and giving, doesn't it.
"art is pain, life is suffering" ... yeah, that's exactly what ballet instructors would say. :nauseated_face: I'd like him to shoot her in the head just for that thanks :upside_down:
Also, more puppers! What a perfect way of applying Malles in an actual setting on screen. We should get more of this perfection. Simply beautiful. And love how she gives the dogs almost all the water in the desert :grimacing: Sofia and John must be soulmates but I guess he fucked up somewhere in the past.
I find all their rituals quite interesting. I don't mind at all that they're not really being explained. But now I'd wish they'd put someone with a lost finger into one of the previous parts. Maybe they have and I didn't notice then. Should rewatch. Wondering how many rings he's collected. Wouldn't think that many had to go to such lengths, but since there's a ritual for that, there must have been.
RE motorcycle chase... why go for the rider when you can go for the ride instead? Should be more effective. :upside_down:
Not sure why this franchise gets so much hype.
This particular installment has nothing that makes me go: wow, great action movie.
That's not because there's no action in it. Quite the opposite, yet the action is just dumb.
The dialogues are stupid. There's basically no story whatsoever, no plot other than "John Wick survives the most absurd stuff".
It's very often quite absurd without being selfaware - with a few exceptions, like the opening knife fight. That was entertaining in its hilarious absurdity. That was the only thing entertaining, though.
Fight choreographies are ridicolous overall. You can see the "enemy" actors holding their position, arms, legs, ect. for Keanu to do his part instead of reacting to the actual fight. Most of the time they are simply way too passive.
Maybe that's more of an issue with the cut, though.
Weapons are conveniently unlimited ammo when (film)shots need it, while in other situations Wick loads for example a shotgun with two round but can fire like 5-7 times. Overly brutal killings of enemies with headshots when they are already down. Usually with surprisingly atrocius CGI gunfire. The opening knife fight? CGI and gummy knives everywhere.
This movie is just more of the same without any merits. It goes the same direction as the Underworld franchise.
Just that this movie is quite nonsenical all around in addition. And for what? A fourth installment, of course!
The only good thing for the 4th movie is Wick working with King to bring down this assassin's guild as it seems. That seems to be at least some plot to be had in the future.
Firstly I do have to say how does this film get so much love out in the world? Is it because the genuine nice chap Keanu Reeves is in it? It mystifies me.
I don’t like action films. So when I saw the first John Wick I was amazed I liked it so much, it was action-packed but John Wick was just good at his job but got hurt and if he had a weapon he used it and though patently daft it was not that daft. It was certainly entertaining and different enough for me to enjoy it.
Then we got John Wick 2 (QPR 3) which was ‘quantum baby’. It was ‘very silly baby’ if I’m honest, The preposterousness of it was cranked up to 11 and it was beginning to look like a superhero film rather than a tough assassin gig. A bulletproof jacket, more baddies CGIing to death, in fact more deaths than World War 2 it seemed. It wasn’t good.
Now we get the last-minute equaliser, John Wick 3 (QPR 3) and if you are a football fan it felt exactly like a last-minute equaliser, upsetting and putting a downer on your day.
In what seems almost a parody we get nearly everyone in world being a member of the assassin’s guild, except how did they get to be the these assassins as they are all to a man and women completely crap at killing people. I mean really bad. None of them can kill John Wick, he’s only one man and most of the time he has little in his armoury and is wounded. Then again John is indestructible as shooting him, stabbing him, throwing him into walls or through glass hardly breaks his stride. Even running him over has no effect. It’s is silly but in fact, in reality, it is pathetic, Is it a kid's film/story? I sincerely hope not because more people die anonymously and willingly too (they are after all working for the ‘Guild’) than have done in any film I think I’ve ever seen.
There is barely a story but mainly loads of excuses for action set pieces which after the first one you’ve seen them all and tend to blend into the same thing. It is truly tedious – and it does not need to be as the first film ably proved.
The film reminded me of watching a video game walkthrough with actors cameoing their way through cut-scenes. I like video games, they generally do not make good films, with a few exceptions. Some of the next ‘baddies’ for John Wick seemed all too reminiscent of next level bosses it was that poor.
I know being green is an admirable and sensible thing in the world today but did the makers of John Wick 3 need to recycle so many set-pieces and action farts? There is a feeling that the ideas well is running dry.
A lot of the acting is a risible with Halle Berry clearly feeling that that next Raspberry could be hers, either that or she just could not be bothered. Jerome Flynn, why is he in this? The boss of the Guild pointlessly lives in the middle of a desert, I could not figure out why he was boss of the Guild it does not even make sense if you run it by your brain for a few scant seconds.
John Wick 3 might appeal to action junkies who are not worried about story or realism but I feel even some of these people might get quickly bored and frustrated.
For me John Wick 3 is where this little foray into killing scores of people for no real reason should end. I feel there will be many more victims in the near future. Mind you why would you work for the Guild? If the John Wick franchise is anything to go by you are definitely going to die and not necessarily in a quick or pleasant way.
Guess what? I did not like John Wick 3 in any way shape or form.
I haven't had such fun in my living room for a long time, which is both sad and happy at the same time.
Random thoughts throughout the movie:
• it's always rainy in NYC.
• Poor Bronn won't f@ck anybody anymore. He would have, he's just physicaly can't.
• Apparently, Catwoman was a dog person all along, and her movie was bad because of cats(?)
• Daaaaame, this Casablanca palace fight scene with doggos as CO-OP. Sweet, sweet stuff.
• Ninjas are a cat people, because cats are also quiet and you can't see them until it's too late and your life is ended near a dumpster.
• When someone is going through the desert he's not that interested with shade, because if he does he could go in the shadows casted by those huge dunes.
• The man above the table is younger than JW? and he also enjoys all his power just by knowing he has it, unless the dude has a camel-express from the "place you get when your about to draw your last breath and then keep going" to everywhere else.
• John Wick Assassin's Creed corss over confirmed - in chapter 4 John finds out that Altaïr is on of his ancestors, and that it's a family tradition to cut a finger for the hidden blade.
• Hashish smellers, that's nice.
• Knives are one of the loudest weapons, especially when drawn.
• John Wick 4 and the Matrix 4 are to be the same movie, because guns. Lots of guns.
• Sharon. but you pronounce it like Sharona without the 'a' at the end. Which is how it sounds when you speak Hebrew, so... that's nice too.
Some random thoughts:
- I like how John Wick's signature moves stop to work in this movie, how his enemies start to know how to counter him. And how he has to get more creative - which means kicking his foes' balls. Well, whatever works...
- Zero (Mark Dacascos) (Japanese fanboy / wannabe-nemesis) is practically saying "Recognize me, Senpai" and I'm stunned that no one has made a meme. What's up, internet?
- Seeing Charon kick ass is awesome! Guess you need some Killing 101, if you want to stay in the business.
- Sofia (Halle Berry) and her two killer dogs are overpowered. But now I really get why they were wearing body armor. Still, I would have thought that John would be more sympathetic towards Sofia's dog being almost shot to death... Maybe he's angry he didn't think of body armor for his dog?
- Regarding the organization: It's basically Assassin's Creed without the Gods and somewhere along the way they finally got rid of the Templars? In my opinion (and therefore it is fact) is John Wick an alternate timeline for Assassin's Creed.
- And how could I forget the follow-up to the classic pencil kill: the book kill or book fu. Also: horse fu.
Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. This is a movie you watch for the action and not much less. But then, that not really a surprise is it?
The movie takes off literally minutes after the last one ended. John Wick is on the run and that’s the story for most of the movie. Well, not entirely. He does have a plan but first he has to escape the many assassins trying to cash in the 14 million dollar bounty on his head.
This movie is all about action. The movie is R-rated although I honestly do not understand why. Sure there’s lot of action and a lot of killing but still, I wouldn’t say it merits an R-rating and apparently the French ratings organisation didn’t either since here in France it France it got a 12+ rating. That is, it is only restricted for those younger than 12 years.
Anyway, as I wrote above, this movie is all about Keanu Reeves and action. Lots and lots of action which usually ends up in one or more persons getting killed by John or some of his remaining friends.
Is the story and the action realistic? Hell no! But it is fun to watch even though most of the bad guys shoots as accurately as imperial storm troopers. Most of the time at least.
Towards the end I did think it got a bit silly. The fight against Zero and his last two students was pretty rubbish. It was kind of kick, hack and slash for a few minutes and then stand of and wait until the other guy got up again. Then rinse and repeat. Silly indeed.
Also, they could really tone down on the ludicrous survivability of John Wick. I mean, come on! He gets hit by cars and walks away. Not to mention the final scene were he falls something like six seven floors, bounces (and I mean bounces!) off a fire escape and a trash container and apparently survives.
I probably should rate the movie a star less for that kind of stuff but I wont. This is something as refreshing as a Hollywood movie apparently meant to entertain and nothing else. There’s really no political or social preaching or any other such nonsense which is really rare today. That alone gives it a few extra stars in my book.
The movie has a 7.7 rating on IMDb at the time of writing this which is well deserved, even a bit low. Even the rubbish SJW site Rotten Tomatoes claims the movie is “fresh” which is surprising given what I wrote above.
Of course there is a whole bunch of “reviews” that claims it is so bad and so on and so forth. Some of these reviews are actually repeated several times. That really pisses me off since these people seem to write reviews just to complain. It’s the third movie in the Franchise for Christ sake! You knew what you were getting yourself into. Don’t watch the movie if you do not like these kind of movies. Claiming there is no story is bullshit since the first one didn’t really have much more story but then the concept was bit more new of course. Some “reviewer” claimed it was the worst movie he had ever seen. He cannot have seen many movies then. What a load och bollocks!
Bottom line, this was two hours of great entertainment.
Lacks story and consistency. Sure you can say you don't watch this movie because of the story but only because of the action. But in my eyes the first two parts are clearly superior to the third one. John Wick was "a man of focus", all of is actions had a certain goal and were inherently consistent. Not so in this part, John is left as a confused old man without any clear path to follow, he's straying around, grasping each straw, using up all favors that several people in the world owe him, one after the other, leaving only scorched earth and loads of dead corpses (as of course expected).
Although, John is not always aware of the consequences of his actions (e.g. when refusing the marker in part 2) and in his fighting behaves like an instinctively controlled predator, he has is moments of great foresight and strategy (planting weapons used during the escape after killing Gianna, or consider the many stashs filled with weapons, coins and personal belongings). I really hope John will find his focus again in part 4 otherwise it will space out into the dull shoot-out which the movie, when viewed objectively, actually is.
As to be expected the action is phoneomeal, but expecting great action dosen't even begin to describe some of the action and fight scenes in this film it's truly amazing. Now im gonna get into somewhat {spoiler} territory because as great as this film is and as phoneomeal as the action is this film has flaws. The movie is quite long and as entertaining as it is most of the time it can drag at times. That being said while the movie was going on I was thinking I hope they wrap this up in the third even tho I enjoy all 3 John Wick's they all take place in a short spand of time so the story does seem to standstill a lot of times so the action can take place which can be annoying. Although im sure i'll watch John Wick 4 and probably really enjoy it it's time for this franchise to wrap up it's getting to the point where it's been 5 years since the first movie and we've seen about 2 weeks worth of events happen and it still feels like were not very close to the end. This one in particular did probably the worst in storytelling due to action being the only thing really keeping the storyline moving. Don't mean to talk this negative about the film because I did enjoy it I just don't really like the way the franchise is going it seems the studio would rather get another paycheck than tell the story correct.
Gun Fu, Gun Porn, Stylized Ultra violence, call it whatever you want, but, one thing is certain, John Wick 3 delivered it all, and then brought you second and third helpings. Tom Cruise gets a lot of cred for doing his own increasingly elaborate stunts for each M.I. installment, but I'll see you EVERY stunt the couch jumping Mr. Cruise has done his ENTIRE career, for the first two action sequences in this movie ALONE! Also, Keanu Reeves isn't just harnessed to a plane or rappelling down the side of a building and leaping across roof tops. Reeves weapons handling and combined intricate fight sequences aren't the result of Steven Seagal style quick cuts, Fast and Furious edits, post SFX, or tricky camera angles to disguise whats actually happening. It's VISCERAL, because the camera lingers on the mayhem so that the viewer can savor each strike, slash, stab, and gunshot, and ALL the accompanying carnage. Not in Sam Peckinpah slo-mo, but in real time, yet, somehow, one is still able to take it all in, and then the sequence would end, just about the same time you remembered to BREATHE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=20&v=nrawit53W7s
Yes, it's over the top, but this is the world John Wick inhabits. A culture of hired assassins, an entire society, existing just beneath the surface of the one you and I can see, the one the rest of us inhabit. A society with rank and file members, management, service, and executive classes, and RULES. And it is the rules, which have kept order from devolving into chaos for hundreds of years, that have made them "different from the animals".
For the love of his deceased wife, a car, and a puppy, John Wick reached his proverbial "last straw". (John Wick 1) For his loyalty to a blood oath, which was broken, he violated a cardinal rule, and was marked for death. (John Wick 2) Yet, using those same rules and oaths, (and his particularly unique set of skills) he was able to braid for himself a life-line, tenuous as it was, but a life-line nevertheless. The powers that be cannot allow that to happen, and seek to intimidate, punish, and if necessary eliminate each of those who extended him a thread of that line, even if they technically only "stretched" the rules. What they have failed to realize is that John Wick's reputation as the "Baba Yaga", the proverbial Boogie-man, is not only well earned, but, if anything, it is UNDER stated.
Those who were paying attention saw that we actually DID get quite a bit of origin/back story on the eponymous Mr. Wick, as well as a glimpse into the world of the contract killers, as to how the contracts are put out, and the hierarchy that pulls the strings behind the scenes. I look forward to seeing this expanded upon in future installments
Kudos and Props this installment to Iron Chef Mark Dacascos and a host of other Asian Martial Artists as the closest thing John has to true competition, yet, they are at the same time fanboys who geek out at getting a chance to fight him.
To Halle Berry, for NAILING her fight sequences, then being a trooper and not quitting when her scenes cost her a couple of broken ribs. Her character obviously has some issues with the menfolk, considering how many she shot in the "kibbles and bits. Also props to the trainers of her two pups, and the stunt men for allowing same said puppers to gnaw precariously close to their kibbles and bits until she shot them. OUCH!
In case you doubt me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=66&v=xa2RJPrY2Og
To Laurence Fishburne, for making sure that Neo still has Morpheus as a Mentor, even if you "sometimes have to cut a Mo Fo".. All we need now is Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity to show up in the inevitable Part 4, and all will be right in the Universe. (make it happen writers)
10 out of 10 - Best of the 3 so far IMO
Review by r96skBlockedParent2023-02-19T01:02:32Z
How much smashed glass is too much smashed glass? Asking for a friend...
'John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum' is my favourite of the three films from the franchise thus far. It's longer than any of the preceding two, yet I found the pacing in this one to be absolutely spot on. Apart from that, and one or two other things, it is similar to its two predecessors - and that's most definitely a major positive. The look of the films are stunning.
The manic fight scenes remain just as entertaining as before, though I feel like here there's more creativity in using the enviroment around the characters - e.g. with the dogs. It felt like more of the fights had a start/end, whereas before it seemed all rolled into one - to me, anyway. Not that the latter is a bad thing, mind.
This entry I think has my favourite scene of the entire franchise, and it's the near the beginning with Reeves' John and Randall Duk Kim's Doctor. So well shot and edited, made me laugh too! There are many good moments in these films, but that's the standout for me.
Class again is Keanu Reeves, I have nothing more to add to what I've said previously - perfect actor for the role. Elsewhere, cool to have Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne again, while newcomers Halle Berry, Mark Dacascos and Asia Kate Dillon are all pleasing additions to the series.
There isn't a major gap in-between these films in my mind. I gave the other two 8/10 ratings, but this 2019 release is only narrowly ahead of the flicks from 2014 and 2017. More importantly, though, the franchise as a whole is great fun. Bring on 4 & 5 - and that Berry spin-off, heck gimme the 'Nobody' crossover!