After two carnage-filled adventures, audiences know exactly what John Wick is about. The action is going to be beautifully choregraphed, the body count is going to be massive and Keanu Reeves is going to damn near kill himself doing stunts/fights in nearly every scene. So how does this franchise not only maintain the momentum established by its predecessors, but manage to improve in its third go-round? Simple: Add some exciting little flourishes to the mass carnage while also continuing to effectively utilize its established playbook.
A premise centered around a worldwide contract being placed on Wick's head after he broke one of the few sacred rules (no killing on Continental grounds) that brings a sense of order to this assassin underworld at the end of the last movie is the perfect opportunity for director Chad Stahleski and writer Derek Kolstad to dig deep into their creative bag of tricks. By bringing in some elite martial artists (Mark Dacascos, Yayan Ruhian, Cecep Arif Rahman) to help diversify the type of fights Wick gets into and embracing the sense of playfulness that comes with more of an emphasis on martial arts combat, Stahleski and Kolstad stage some very inventive setpieces that are an absolute joy to take in. Within the first 30 minutes of the movie alone, Wick gets into a "quiet" fight in the middle of the New York Public Library, fends off several attackers with the help of a horse in a crowded stable and stumbles into a warehouse that is full of antique weapons and promptly gets into a glass-shattering, knife-throwing duel with the guys who followed him in there. Stahleski, Kolstad and Reeves clearly love making these movies, and the sheer exuberance they display in adding new wrinkles to this exquisite ballet of violence they've created is why the John Wick series remains such a unique, giddily entertaining product.
Gunplay may have taken a bit of a backseat to fists, swords and knives this time around, but I'd be remiss if I went the whole review without talking about the signature shootouts that helped turn the John Wick brand into a word-of-mouth phenomenon. There's two scenes in particular here that are serious contenders for the most chaotic, claustrophobic and badass gun battles of the entire series. A portion of the climatic sequence at a familiar location involving Wick, a shotgun and some poor souls who didn't realize full body armor wouldn't be enough to save them from the wrath of the Baba Yaga is worthy of an over-the-top standing ovation while new castmember Halle Berry gets a chance to display her natural action star prowess alongside Reeves during a lengthy showdown in a Moroccan Kasbah that makes especially good use of long takes. I'd like to think that John Woo is somewhere shedding a tear over the heartfelt homage Stahleski pays him every time he steps up behind the camera to direct a brutal yet beautiful gun fight.
Even in a franchise that has done nothing but excel and innovate since its inception, John Wick: Chapter 3 is a standout. It has electric pacing, an intoxicating style that hasn't lost an ounce of freshness and above all, demonstrates the tremendous rewards that are reaped when a group of talented professionals take the time to meticulously craft action scenes where the viewer can see every single thing that's going on. Throw in a surprise ending that organically sets up a universe-altering battle for the next chapter to top everything off and you have yourself a perfect little action movie sundae. As long as every figure involved with the production remains invested in putting together a diverse, cool and technically-astounding product, I will never get tired of John Wick.
A premise centered around a worldwide contract being placed on Wick's head after he broke one of the few sacred rules (no killing on Continental grounds) that brings a sense of order to this assassin underworld at the end of the last movie is the perfect opportunity for director Chad Stahleski and writer Derek Kolstad to dig deep into their creative bag of tricks. By bringing in some elite martial artists (Mark Dacascos, Yayan Ruhian, Cecep Arif Rahman) to help diversify the type of fights Wick gets into and embracing the sense of playfulness that comes with more of an emphasis on martial arts combat, Stahleski and Kolstad stage some very inventive setpieces that are an absolute joy to take in. Within the first 30 minutes of the movie alone, Wick gets into a "quiet" fight in the middle of the New York Public Library, fends off several attackers with the help of a horse in a crowded stable and stumbles into a warehouse that is full of antique weapons and promptly gets into a glass-shattering, knife-throwing duel with the guys who followed him in there. Stahleski, Kolstad and Reeves clearly love making these movies, and the sheer exuberance they display in adding new wrinkles to this exquisite ballet of violence they've created is why the John Wick series remains such a unique, giddily entertaining product.
Gunplay may have taken a bit of a backseat to fists, swords and knives this time around, but I'd be remiss if I went the whole review without talking about the signature shootouts that helped turn the John Wick brand into a word-of-mouth phenomenon. There's two scenes in particular here that are serious contenders for the most chaotic, claustrophobic and badass gun battles of the entire series. A portion of the climatic sequence at a familiar location involving Wick, a shotgun and some poor souls who didn't realize full body armor wouldn't be enough to save them from the wrath of the Baba Yaga is worthy of an over-the-top standing ovation while new castmember Halle Berry gets a chance to display her natural action star prowess alongside Reeves during a lengthy showdown in a Moroccan Kasbah that makes especially good use of long takes. I'd like to think that John Woo is somewhere shedding a tear over the heartfelt homage Stahleski pays him every time he steps up behind the camera to direct a brutal yet beautiful gun fight.
Even in a franchise that has done nothing but excel and innovate since its inception, John Wick: Chapter 3 is a standout. It has electric pacing, an intoxicating style that hasn't lost an ounce of freshness and above all, demonstrates the tremendous rewards that are reaped when a group of talented professionals take the time to meticulously craft action scenes where the viewer can see every single thing that's going on. Throw in a surprise ending that organically sets up a universe-altering battle for the next chapter to top everything off and you have yourself a perfect little action movie sundae. As long as every figure involved with the production remains invested in putting together a diverse, cool and technically-astounding product, I will never get tired of John Wick.
Grade: A
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