Title – John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)  

Director – Chad Stahelski (John Wick)

Cast – Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Lance Reddick, Angelica Huston, Saïd Taghmaoui

Plot – With a $14 million dollar price tag on his head, world renowned assassin John Wick (Reeves) enters into the fight of his life to survive.

“Nothing’s ever just a conversation with you, John”

Review by Eddie on 17/05/2019

If you thought super-assassin, man of few words, dog fan and one man punching bag John Wick had run out of energy after 2 weeks of carnage across John Wick and John Wick 2 then think again, as Wick (aka 54 year old Keanu Reeves) is back bigger, badder and madder than ever to wreak havoc across New York City (and the world) in the Hollywood action romp of the year, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

It’s incredible to think of where the Wick brand has come from, from the surprising success of the first film that no one thought would be worth much of a look, through to the more excessive and large-scale 2^nd installment that expanded the lore and universe that Wick is a part of, to now full-scale Hollywood budget and flair, John Wick just keeps getting bigger and better.

Re-teaming with stunt-man turned director Chad Stahelski, Reeves and his directing partner have ensured that Parabellum (a title that will make sense once you watch the film, trust me) is a film like no other with its completely over the top and highly unbelievable antics needing to be seen to be believed and if my cinema experience is anything to go by, prepare to be wincing, laughing and clapping your way through their gloriously energetic and thrill infused imaginations.

With more headshots than a police database, more devilishly entertaining acting turns from a returning main cast plus new additions such as Halle Berry (and some bloodthirsty canines), Angelica Huston, Saïd Taghmaoui, Jerome Flynn and a scene-stealing Mark Dacascos and a collection of actions scenes that involve such things (as I kid you not) classic novels, underwater fights, motor cycle chases, shotgun rampages and horse riding through a busy New York street, there aren’t many films like John Wick or many that could even dare to be it.

Starting out much the same way as the 2^nd installment in the franchise, Parabellum begins in breathtaking fashion with its opening 20 – 30 minutes stanza some of the best your likely to see in 2019 and while it’s hard for the film to maintain this hyperactive energy over a two hour plus runtime, it’s great to see Stahelski and his leading man maintain a relatively consistent pacing throughout that despite some mid-section slow down, ensures that as it turns the corner into its endgame, we won’t barely get a moments respite from the action delights coming our way.

At the end of the day everything that happens in Parabellum is unbelievable, silly and often outrageous but John Wick embraces this and runs with it, it knows what it is and is proud of it and this beautifully shot, carefully choreographed and often thrilling exercise is the best example of a Hollywood action film your likely to get, with enough gas left in the tank to suggest that a 4^th John Wick adventure is a more than an appealing proposition.

Final Say –

Once more anchored by a great Keanu Reeves turn and elevated by some incredible feats of action ballet, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is an absolute blast from start to finish that further solidifies John Wick’s placing in the very best action film franchises of all time.

4 library books out of 5