Lets contemplate about components of perfect action movie for a moment- What makes action movies special. Is it it's characters, is it ability to create fantastic choreography or maybe new, shiny special effects. Is it sound design or perhaps a good story ? What will elevate action movie to a new heights? What you need to do to create an instant classic? John Wick 3 creators might not have found all the answers but they definitely created something special and unique.
John Wick Parabellum is a direct continuation to the previous movie. It picks up just after 2nd movie finishes, just when John Wick is about to be made excommunicado. The first 20 minutes of the movie are really special and I enjoyed it immensely. John Wick needs to escape from the never ending wave after wave of assassins who try to collect very large bounty put on his head. In a city filled with assassins controlled by secretive yet very powerful and feared organization this is not an easy task. Assassins are everywhere here, on every corner of every street, which actually begs a question. Are there are any normal people left in the world?
The stunts from the start to finish were really special, some of them really unique and brutal. People were gasping in the cinema, me including. The sheer unfiltered violence and constant fight for survival, this movie does this well. There was even a fantastic sequence featuring German shepherds, the scene with the dogs added more excitement to brutal showcase of John Wick's and Halle Berry's gun skills. It felt like a continues shot, maybe even it was. When camera was rolling and following dogs attacking army of villains, this was very fluid and kept me on my toes from start to finish. Let me tell you this again, this movie does this sort of action really, really well.
Where it falls short is the actual story. There was an opportunity here to do more with the story, unfortunately it took a backstage here or maybe even left the fast moving Wick's car and stayed on the side lines as what we got here is a predictable plot with predictable twists and really not that interesting main character. Even Polar has better story than JW. John's motives are confused here, his choices do not make much sense and his strategic thinking leaves a lot to be desired.
It does not work for John's benefit, it makes him rather not so special - a flat and shallow character, apart of amazing survivability skills he has nothing else to offer. Is he really just a blunt weapon, tip of the spear, instrument of destruction. What is the whole point of this destructive adventure? We have here this faceless organization, their cruel motives and ways, their world dominance. Movie fails to explain this to us more. The story and subsequently the movie is lacking depth !
Remember that this is a pure action movie, however special it is, misses this final piece of the puzzle in its attempt of becoming instant classic and is sadly just punching above waist, becoming average movie which will definitely entertain you but will leave you begging for answer and more, more sense and more emotions. I will keep it simple for you, If action is what you are looking for, you will not be disappointed here.
