Make sure to watch previous movies in the franchise and then come back to this movie once you’re all caught up.
By Chetan Mehrishi
So our old friend John is at it again. Running away from everyone, taking headshots after headshots like it’s nobody’s business and leaving a pile of corpses in his wake.
But is all the running and killing really worth it?
Or is his unique universe being plunged down a hell of non-creativity (like the final season of a TV show I’m not supposed to mention here)? Let’s review the latest installment in the hitman universe, John Wick Chapter 3- Parabellum and find out.
What’s The Story Morning Glory?
So Parabellum picks up right after the events of the previous movie where he is on the run after killing Italian mafia boss Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) on Continental grounds— seemingly the only place in New York where murder is strictly prohibited, or at least disapproved of.
And now he’s declared “Excommunicado” as he somehow seeks to survive an international contract of $ 14-15 million, which basically implies that he will fight off every unassuming soul in the city and outside, who all are strangely henchmen in disguise.
He’s got the guns, knives, bikes horses, Halle Barry and her dogs. All he needs to do now is what you’ve been doing since his last film… RUN!
On the Upside
Well let’s be honest nobody really comes to watch a John Wick film to delve into a deep, though provoking story, WE’RE HERE FOR THE HEADSHOTS! And surely Parabellum has a chock a block full of those neatly choreographed action scenes.
Ian McShane & Lance Reddick reprise their roles as Winston & Charon respectively, with the latter doing a lot more than merely serving guests at the concierge.
Halle Berry as Sofia, a dog-lover and John’s old friend has been a delight to watch. Director Chad Stahelski, who also directed John Wick 2, has done a respectable job putting the movie together.
On the Downside
The sad part about this movie is the story and poor character development. Like in the first film of the franchise, where they killed his dog and took his car.
We understood John’s rage and connected with him. But now after two more films, we don’t see the motivations behind his killing spree anymore and fail to fathom why doesn’t he just quit all this the way he did before the events of the first film.
Secondly, John is the top dog in this world of hitmen and everyone else is a rookie to him. So when a bunch of henchmen are coming to get him, we know they’re gonna lose. In a nutshell, this movie lacks a strong antagonist. As a result we don’t see ourselves feeling sympethatic or being scared for Ol’ John.
All in All
The movie is big on action but lacks the relatable characters that the previous films had. Although the action scenes are beautiful and breathtaking, but there’s nothing more to look forward to in this film.
I’m giving Parabellum 3 out of 5 stars. Yet I’m pretty sure action movie fans won’t miss it anyway.
