Review: “John Wick: Chapter 3- Parabellum” Is The Strongest Film Yet In The Fantastic Action Franchise

“John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum” is the third installment in the “John Wick” series. While the films have been making their mark on the action genre since they first began in 2014, this latest installment is not only the best entry in the series so far; but easily one of the best action films in recent years.

The film takes place after the events of 2017’s “John Wick: Chapter 2.” Wick (Keanu Reeves) has been declared “excommunicado” by a mysterious group of assassins known as the “High Table” with a $14 million bounty placed on his head. As Wick travels through a series of exotic locales fighting everyone who’s trying to collect said bounty, the film partakes in 130 minutes of some of the most creative and well-constructed action scenes since “The Matrix” was first released in 1999.

Retaining much of the crew of the previous two films, director Chad Stahelski retains the same unique spin on gangster films the first two installments had while also giving the film plenty of its own flair to stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape. By keeping the action cohesive while minimizing cuts, he composes a brilliant variety of setups the same way others would work with sheet music or oil paintings. The film’s opening fight in the New York Public Library against a foreign hitman (NBA star Boban Marjanović) is preceded by John leaving his new dog behind, showing the film is able to keep its characters consistent and their motivations clear-cut. The final battle in the Continental Hotel ranks among some of the most memorable gunfights in the last few decades of action filmmaking.

Both the creators and Keanu Reeves have expressed interest in continuing the series as long as people want to keep seeing these films. With this entry having a franchise-record opening of $57 million and considerable critical acclaim (89% Rotten Tomatoes score as of this writing), it’s safe to say that it’s very likely people do want to see more from this series. For now: “John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum” marks another fantastic film from the series and is easily the best entry in the trilogy to date.

Verdict: 5 Stars Out of 5

Review by Steven Pryor

At a Glance:

Directed by Chad Stahelski (Based on characters created by Derek Kolstad)

Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Halle Berry, Angelica Huston and Ian McShane

Rated R