John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum Review

For such a simple plot, the third "John Wick" film has an excessive name- was "John Wick 3" too convenient? I suppose there is some stylistic choice behind it, as the flick is so packed with style that it's supple, soaked in the thickest technique that it is almost always great to look at, if you can past the absolute excessive violent bloodshed; at one point the title hero shoves then slices a man's neck down a stationary blade- "Subtly" will not likely be the obligatory fourth film's subtitle.

This is the first in the franchise I've actually seen, but why? Well, I don't have a particularly strong reason, except that Keanu Reeves has never been my favorite actor- he probably wouldn't even crack my top 100 favorite actors. But everyone and their dads keep recommending these movies, probably because I'm a pushover for material like this (the plot: whoever kills John Wick gets 14 million dollars, and he doesn't really want to die). So I went in blind, and before I knew what happened, he was pounding a book into some tall villain's mouth (talk about "eating your words"). And wouldn't you know, I had a blast, in a sort of sick, visceral way, one you're not exactly proud of, but give into anyway. This is the best time, in that sense, that I've had at the movies in a long time, rivaled only by "Cold Pursuit" earlier this year, although I found my smile to be a bit wider during that one.

There isn't as much of a movie to review here but more like a serial of fights, all choreographed, all polished, and all grittier than they have any right to be. Whatever the budget was, you'd be sure that more was spent on stunt doubles than acting lessons. There is a healthy mix of swordplay, hand-to-hand combat, and shootouts, although the gunplay is certainly the least interesting of the bunch (even the low-rent actioners can often competently show actors firing fake guns). But the rest is top-notch, starting at "over-the-top" and never going back, playing out like the best James Bond movie if they traded the sex, smoking, and espionage for violence, violence, and more violence.

The biggest regret here is the actual plot, which gets in the way of action and halts the momentum the film is so keen on keeping. There are far more secondary characters than there should be (and I'm not just talking about the various thugs who try to claim the bounty), and any time John puts down his fists (or knife, or sword, or gun, or... ), all the steam is lost. Once words are minced things get just as intense as they were before, but with a plot so oversimplified here, why bother with one in the first place?

But what can I say about Reeves, who has about as much dialogue in the film as a background character? He's convincing in the action pieces, I've read that he does a vast majority of his own stunts, and it shows. Acting more with his face than his words, he's adequate at showing some level of emotion, even if it's the same "ohhh Imma kill you" feeling, aside from one or two showcases of sorrow. Will "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" make me want to run out and buy all of Keanu's other works? Doubtfully, but I wouldn't mind checking to see if the first two installments are on Netflix.