John Wick 3: Parabelum

With this third film, the John Wick franchise continues to be the best American action film series, hand down. While there are a few contenders for the crown (the last Mission: Impossible comes to mind) the level of creativity and execution is nearly unmatched.

The first John Wick released in 2014 and took everybody by surprise, I don’t think many people even knew it was being made while in production. Until then, Keanu Reeves action resume basically revolved around the Matrix series where we all saw his level of dedication (along with the rest of the cast) to fight prep. The Wick series is his continuation of that crazy work ethic. Gunplay far beyond what we saw in the Matrix movies married with intricute fight choregraphy and brilliant stunt work filmed from a distance with long takes. Usually you have to turn to Hong Kong cinema to see that. We all rejoiced to see John Wick get revenge on the punks who killed his dog.

While I’m in the middle of the road for part 2 (I think the original is a better watch) Parabellum is a sight to behold. The plot, John Wick desperately trying to survive a massive bounty on his head after killing a high ranking assassin on sacred ground in part 2, is just there to stitch the action scenes together.

And these action scenes are nuts. Right away, we are treated to a monstrous one on one fight in a library. It just explodes from there, with the first half hour of the movie being almost entirely action. Fights with I think every kind of weapon in existence. Small fights with one or two people, huge fights with waves of baddies and everything in between. Different locales all gorgeously lit and framed. The dance of violence in this movie hasn’t been done since The Raid and The Raid 2 (and the first two John Wick movies).

I’ve seen a ton of action movies so I thought I’d seen it all until Sofia (the fantastic Halle Berry) hits the scene with her two trained German Shepard attack dogs. I think the fight scene with those dogs is somewhere around 8 minutes long and I have no idea how they did it. I mean they had these dogs doing insane stunts, mauling dudes left and right like they were made of Snausages. Some of the most riveting action and stunts I’ve ever seen.

Odds are if you are into action movies, you’ve already scene this so I’m preaching to the choir. This whole thing is just a long way of me saying I love Keanu Reeves and I love John Wick.

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