Movie Review: John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum opens Friday

As a fan of the first "John Wick" movie I gotta tell you I didn't think any sequel would top it but boy, was I wrong! From the opening scenes 'til the end, it's non-stop action with a body count higher than the number of politicians wanting to run for president of the United States. “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum” picks up where number 2 left off as Wick is a worldwide wanted man: wanted by every assassin with a $14 million on his head. Keanu Reeves reprises the role that he was born to play (sorry "Matrix" fans). Wick is a man who just wanted to retire but is forced back into the game first after some bad guys stole his beloved 1969 Mustang and then killed his puppy in the first installment. He not only got revenge folks but a sequel was needed so he could continue to carry out his wrath producing even more carnage! Wick acquired a new pet and was going to retire but broke one of the golden rules governed by the rules-obsessed High Table, a society for criminal elite assassins when he killed a man at the Continental, an exclusive Manhattan hotel that is its own neutral ground zero for high-class killers. Think of it as the Switzerland of hotels where everybody is on equal ground. The Continental is run by Winston (Ian McShane) who strictly enforces that golden rule that there will be no “business conducted” at the Continental. Wick broke that rule and is now 'excommunicado' that means all of his rights and privileges are stripped away. However, because Winston likes Wick gives him a one-hour head start before everyone and their mother pursues Wick.

In “John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum” we're introduced to a whole new array of characters who reluctantly offer Wick assistance (which is bad news for them via the rules of the High Table). We meet Wick's onetime mentor, The Director (Anjelica Huston) and Sofia (Halle Berry), a onetime killer who now runs the Morocco branch of the Continental and owes Wick for a past favor. I might add that Sofia's has a couple of badass dogs of her own that hold their own very well when it's time to take down more baddies. As a dog lover, I wanted more screen time for Sophia's dogs (and Halle as well who put a huge smile on this dog lover's face). We're also introduced to the upper management of the High Table in the way of The Adjudicator (played by Asia Kate Dillon who plays Taylor Mason in "Billions") who arrives in New York to set things in order and punish both Winston and The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) for offering aid to Wick. One of her utility killers is the charming Zero (Mark Dacascos) who's also a great sushi chef.

So, in addition to the 11 million assassins out there who want to kill John Wick he now finds himself fighting those who want to kill his friends in-house.

As mentioned earlier the action is non-stop with extremely well choreographed, ala John Woo stunts that literally kept me on the edge of my seat. Maybe that's why director Chad Stahelski was so perfect being at the helm of this film. Chad is a former stuntman who also directed the previous 'Wick' installments. But there's also humor in this high octane movie. Granted it's very dark humor but well placed. Who would have thought there'd be humor coming from a ninja killer with a sword embedded in him trying to get the last word out to an exhausted John Wick? Oh, and let's not forget the younger ninja killers who are honored at the thought of being able to kill the legendary John Wick and want to thank him before killing him. Now that's respect!

“John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum” won't win any awards for its dialogue but as any fan of the John Wick franchise will tell you, it's more about the action and getting revenge in the most heinous ways than trying to pretend to be Shakespeare. And yes, by the looks of it folks the Wick franchise won't be a trilogy. That's all I'll say other than go see this movie and if you're a newbie to franchise see parts one and two first. This movie is rated R (don’t pretend you don’t know exactly what to expect either) with a running time of 2 hours 10 minutes.