I told you I’d watch John Wick Chapter 3 eventually, and hey presto! What can I say? You can count on me.
One thing Parabellum does that is extremely rare is surpass its predecessors. Other than Toy Story 3, there are few ”threequels” that manage to outshine what came before it. (Just for the record, Toy Story 2 is my favourite, but many see the third instalment as the superior one). For instance, The Godfather Part III is notoriously considered to be the worst of that trilogy, but this movie is the complete opposite. Not to compare the legendary Godfather series of films to John Wick, but you know what I mean.
Some of you might remember the extent to which I completely slated Ruby Rose‘s character in Chapter 2 (click HERE if you don’t!), but this time round there’s a sizeable improvement in the way the film uses its ”token female” character. Halle Berry completely shines in her role here, taking on stunts and combat scenes that very few other actresses could execute. There are very few people who I could imagine standing side-by-side with Keanu Reeves in fight sequences and not looking completely out of place (with the exception of Carrie-Ann Moss of course), but Berry is the perfect fit here.
What’s more is, the plot in this chapter is far more substantial and complex. Whereas the first two movies were mere pieces of entertainment, this one succeeds in establishing a higher level of storytelling alongside said entertainment, making this the more thematically sound piece of narrative.
As usual with the John Wick franchise, I was absolutely floored once again by the choreography in Parabellum. There’s really not much else quite like Jonathan Eusebio‘s style of movement, and I continue to be more and more impressed every time I see it.
All in all, I definitely wouldn’t recommend completely skipping the first two movies – they are really entertaining in their own right. Not only that, but you’d probably feel a bit ”in the dark” if you jumped straight in with Chapter 3, as a lot of the plot follows on from events that happened in the previous movies. However, I would certainly use the first two features as a kind of ‘set up’ for you to get excited about this one. It is definitely the best one in the franchise. (And John Wick Chapter 4 is due to hit screens in 2021… but is still pending any rescheduling requirements due to that Corona bitch).
Anyway the best dog in the world is back and that’s enough to bring me back again and again!
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is available to stream on Netflix UK.
TQR Category Ratings:
Performance: 
Cinematography:
Soundtrack:
Costume & Set Design:
Plot:
Overall Rating:
The Quayside Review 