That’s what went to most of our minds as soon as we got in the cinema room to watch John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The Triad formed by Chad Stahelski, Derek Kolstad and Keanu Reeves has made this sequel of movies iconic. They’ve managed to established sort of a “Wick Formula”, clear enough to identify, that we’ll unravel later.
In this occasion, we have a great and different cast, and a sort of similar plot, with a closer look at John and his acquaintances, as well as his origins and relations. At first with the Russian mafia, letting us dive into this dark world that the movies have previously introduced us to.
Wick “Formula” and TRIAD
We have to speak about it, and it is true that all action movies have intense scenes and sequences with fights, chases, and shooting. However, it does seem to get a bit out of control when it comes to these movies and especially in this last production.
The extreme shooting scenes and the always intense environment tends to not give us the ups and downs that the previous releases have done. The movie picks up right where it was left, John running away with his dog after being put on a bounty for his head. Wick manages to take his pet to a safe spot, and he goes on to look for resources.
As soon as he’s alone, he starts to face many of the people that are after him. On this occasion, we see how Wick feels like it’s too much for him. After being helped by a doctor, he goes back to the place he came from. In this sequence, we found out a lot about him, that he was born in Belarus and his real name is Jardani Jovonovich.
He gets to Morocco and meets with an old friend looking for help to obtain forgiveness from the “high table”. In this table are the ones that take the decisions and also threatened the continental and are in charge of most stuff in all the dark underworld where John moves.
After this, we start what we call “Wick Formula”, with extra-large sequences of shooting and fighting with more than 5 minutes of it, more intense than a game of football in the NFL Superbowl. The fight in Morocco in which he fights alongside Sofía (Halle Berry), is quite the sequence and the best way to summarize it.
Chad Stahelski did it again as a director of the film well supported by writer Derek Kolstad and has managed to maintain the essence of the first two movies and add a little more, giving it a couple of plot twists that make you fall for the movie.
Special features, and what’s in the future for Wick
We found Wick overrun many times. In said occasions he asked for help to acquaintances he had, including “The Bowery King” (Laurence Fishburne Morpheus in the Matrix Trilogy), making a couple of references about how they “met a long time ago when I was just a pawn”.
The king was one important character giving Wick the possibility to acquire the weapon used in the second movie to commit the act that he’s been chased for in this occasion.
After saving the Continental and himself, fighting every kind of organization among them and even getting rid of Spec ops sent by the high table (recurring again to the Wick Formula), Wick is now face to face with the adjudicator.
At this point they start and negotiate what has been done and the situation, Winston secures his spot as the manager of the Continental and betrays John following the Adjudicator. Wick jumps from the top of the building, and end’s up with the King again. Exchanging a few words, we are hinted that there’s going to be another movie.
The John Wick has a very unique universe, with interesting tints and shadows, a succulent dark and intriguing narrative, a bit too over the top in this occasion when it comes to action part. Still, with Keanu Reeves nailing it in the part, although the whole concept and the characteristics of the movie keep him to silent. The part and how he gives brings him to life it’s just amazing.
John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum has right now quite a positive rating in IMDB, with 8/10. Meanwhile, Rotten Tomatoes is consensual about the overall quality of the flick giving it a 90% score and summing it as “another hard-hitting round of the brilliantly choreographed, over-the-top action that fans of the franchise demand”.
Author: Jorge Ramos
*Collaboration Post*
