Assassin extraordinaire John Wick comes back to the big screen for a thrilling third part to his story. Aptly named Parabellum, Wick (Keanu Reeves) prepares for war against fellow assassins after the High Table declares him ex-communicated and places a $14m bounty on his head. Amid the fire and blood (hey Patty are you alright?), his former allies assist him regardless of the possible costs to their lives and businesses.
So far, the franchise has not disappointed with the release of its third installment. It still elicits the same adrenaline rush, maybe even more, as the previous two movies did. What I particularly like about the movies is how very diverse settings contributed to the overall flow of the story, from the streets of Manhattan, to the elegant Continental Hotel, to The Director’s ballet theatre, to the inconspicuous Bowery, and the classic Casablanca, and back. It also helps how the music sets the mood for either a moment of introspection, desperation, or a gun fight (e.g. Winston putting an orchestral record before the Matrix-like lobby fight began).
What also contributes to the effectiveness of the movie is its cast and their proficient acting. New characters such as the Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon), the assassin Zero (Mark Dacascos), the Casablanca Continental manager Sofia (Halle Berry), the Ruska Roma Director (Anjelica Huston), and the High Table Administrator (Robin Lord Taylor, who actually played as the Penguin in Warner’s Gotham) give more depth, clarity, and contrast to John Wick‘s story and personality. In the process, they also help reveal the convoluted system of the assassins in that universe, complete with a their own form of government, economy, favors management, and business fronts. Meanwhile, old favorites Winston (Ian McShane), hotel receptionist Charon (Lance Reddick), and the King of the Bowery (Laurence Fishburne) evolve together with John as they all work together to thwart threats against him while showing their own power.
But, in all honesty, we all know the good puppers in the movie are the best actors, with Keanu being the goodest doggo. Hehehe.
With the movie concluding in a cliffhanger which obviously screams “SEQUEL,” John Wick 3 leaves the audiences grossed out by the gore, awed by the show of fire power, and invested on how his story will conclude.