Geekscape Reviews ‘John Wick Chapter 3- Parabellum’ In 4DX
In a sea of sequels, shared universes and decades old franchises often dominating the box office, the original ‘John Wick’ seemingly came out of nowhere to become a surprising success. Focusing on an over the top approach to the action genre that relied on creative fight choreography and unapologetic brutality rather than an overabundance of special effects, its charm was in its simplicity. Building on its predecessor, ‘John Wick 2’ exchanged some of the basics for a wealth of world building that broadened the scope of this world of assassins. Picking up immediately after the conclusion of the second film, ‘John Wick 3- Parabellum’ sees the legendary hitman in a state of vulnerability. With only an hour until a massive bounty is placed on his head, John sets to dig deep into his history in order to find a way to undo the hit on him before someone cashes in on his misfortune. Of course, he does this in some of the most violent and exciting ways possible.
Oftentimes, sequels do their best to get the audience caught up on the events of the previous films in case this is the first time experiencing the series. ‘John Wick Chapter 3’ is not one of them. Literally beginning immediately after John broke a cardinal rule among assassins for the sake of revenge at the conclusion of the second movie, it might be hard for new viewers to become fully involved in the events of the third considering how very few of the previously established details of this world are explained. With that said, if you’re fully caught up, (as you should be), what we get is the third chapter of what feels like one extended movie.
If I had one criticism about the second film, it was that it focused so much on exposition that the simplistic charm of the action from the first ‘John Wick’ was not as present. ‘John Wick 3′ finds a happy medium between the two, spending time expanding on John’s past through old associates played by Halle Berry and Anjelica Huston while finding a perfect balance between story and action in between. The film’s pacing is one of its strong points, never focusing on one aspect of the film for too long while keeping the audience on its toes. In that respect, it was fun to see the reprecussions that John’s actions have had not only on himself, but on the associates that helped him along the way. Returning characters played by Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane and Lance Reddick all have expanded roles this time around, interacting with the world of assassins and the ruling High Table in ways we haven’t seen before. Yet, it’s Mark Dakascos’ as John’s main rival, Zero, who steals the show as the leader of a ninja clan who can be menacing in one scene, then laugh out loud hilarious in the next.
More so than any one actor, the action scenes are still the star of the show. Just when you think these fights can’t get any more over the top, ‘John Wick Chapter 3′ consistently finds new ways to deliver. If the delivery of the promised pencil scene in the second film seemed incredible, John has so many more tricks up his sleeve. A horse, a book and a ball biting dog are just some of the creative ways that the hundreds of enemy assassins are taken down throughout the movie, with plenty of Wick’s trademark head shots to go around. Paying homage to Keanu Reeves’ past films, there are also plenty of winks and nods to his most popular work, showing how the fan service goes beyond the violence.
With a film that’s executed as well as this one was, it’s hard to find any glaring complaints. If there was one that I could find however, it’s how much time this movie spends setting up future events that are left as dangling threads by the time the credits roll. Much like the second film, an even wider scope is teased in terms of how much influence these assassins have on the world. For example, Said Taghmaoui’s Elder is shown briefly as someone of great influence, but that influence is hardly felt as he ultimately has no strong effect on the plot. Will we see him and the ever present High Table in future installments? Naturally, especially since the High Table’s presence has been so strong without ever being seen for two movies now. Yet, so much of the payoff isn’t resolved, making parts of the film feel inconsequential for the story being told in this particular chapter. Let’s hope the eventual delivery is worth the wait.
Experiencing John Wick is enough of a ride in and of itself, but watching it in 4DX promised to add to that. For those who are unfamiliar, 4DX is a film format, sometimes in 3D, where the theater itself moves and responds to the action on screen. Much like an interactive video ride like ‘Star Tours’ or ‘Transformers: The Ride’, each bump, gunshot, sharp turn and punch John takes is felt in the theater via rocking and moving seats. Hits in the back meant the seat would respond in kind, and scenes with water had light mist and rain coming down on the audience. This made for an even more exciting time, making it feel like the audience was in the movie at points. One problem though, is that the rides mentioned are about three to five minutes long. Will this experience hold up for a two hour film? That idea was exemplified by when the immersion was broken when the seats would sway when nothing was happening. The opening scenes when the camera would pan around landmarks or buildings, resulting in the seats rocking, was a glaring example. As the saying goes, less is more. With that said, 4DX was a great way to watch ‘John Wick’, but with the premium price tag and the chance that all the movement could distract from the film for the amount of time it’s active, this format feels more like an acquired taste. However, if you’re like me and love interactive rides, it’s definitely worth checking out. With a movie like ‘John Wick’ where there’s no shortage on action, you’ll be sure to get the most out of the experience.
On paper, ‘John Wick’ is a really basic concept. What makes the series so memorable however, is its complete willingness to lean into how over the top action movies can be and getting the most out of it. ‘John Wick Chapter 3’ knows exactly what it is and never tries to be anything more than an insane action movie. Yet, it manages to get more and more ambitious as the film progresses with its trademark violence and nearly mute hero. With plenty of setup to steer us towards the already announced fourth chapter, all of the beats it hits throughout are an absolute blast to watch. If you want to shut your brain off for two hours and watch an all-star cast fight off hundreds of goons in some of the most creative and violent ways possible, then there’s no better theater ticket to buy than one for this third film. At this point, it’s hard to imagine how much farther the envelope can be pushed. If ‘Chapter 3’ is anything to go by, it’ll be a high bar to clear.
FINAL SCORE: 4/5
