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Since audiences were first introduced to John Wick in 2014, the legendary assassin has gone from one mission to another, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. All he really wants is to be left along with his dog—and he continues his quest in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
The third John Wick adventure once again stars Keanu Reeves as the deadly assassin, who once stepped away from the world of contracts and killing for love, only to be brought back in out of a need for revenge. After breaking a sacred rule of assassins in Chapter 2, he’s given an hour to run before he’s marked as excommunicado with a $14 million bounty placed on his head. With every ruthless killer in the world tracking his every move, John sets out to make amends while the High Table sets out to punish anyone who’s helped him.
What follows, then, is a nearly non-stop free-for-all of action and sound and extreme violence. This third installment wastes no time with recaps or flashbacks, starting instead with a little bit of tension and a whole lot of action. From the early battle in the New York Public Library to an unconventional sequence involving a high-speed horse chase to John’s race to evade every last killer in the city, the action once again leads the film. The fights are frequent and imaginative, using different styles and different weapons to keep things from feeling monotonous. And even though they’re often painful to watch (and you may never look at a hardcover book the same way again), they’re not without their own touches of humor, too. Yes, it’s ultra-violent, but it’s sometimes so cleverly done—and Reeves makes such a likable hero—that it’s hard not to get caught up in the outrageousness of it all.
Meanwhile, if you’ve forgotten what happened in the previous two installments, there’s really no need to worry; you’ll be able to piece it back together along the way, through the occasional hints and references. And while the story isn’t necessarily the film’s strong point, it still provides just the right amount of globe-trotting suspense and drama to frame the action within this fascinating world of cordial killers.
If you’ve finally recovered from Avengers: Endgame, and you’re ready for another fight, you definitely won’t be disappointed by the non-stop, over-the-top action of John Wick: Chapter 3. It’s one wild ride that’s sure to leave you feeling nearly as exhausted as you’d be if you were actually the one doing the fighting.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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