When the first John Wick released in 2014, nobody expected it to be the major franchise that it is now. Keanu Reeves, still riding off the success of The Matrix films all those years ago, has finally come into his own as the Baba Yaga himself. In fact, this might be Reeves' most defining role since Neo, and deservedly so - because John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, even as the third movie in the franchise, continues to set new standards for what every action movie should aspire to be.



John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum picks up directly after the events of Chapter 2, which saw John Wick becoming ex-communicado from his line of work - secret assassins operating in plain sight. He's now on the run as assassins from every corner of the globe seek to kill him, and claim his massive $14 million bounty. Returning characters also include Laurence Fishburne as the underground boss, Bowery King, and Ian McShane as the head of The Continental, Winston, among others.

Reeves is, once again, back in top form, showcasing his ability to perform a large majority of all his own stunt work that honestly puts Tom Cruise to shame at this point. The man has proven to not just be a sympathetic actor that we can latch onto, but a terrific physical actor as well, capable of many forms of martial arts and impressive gun combat. He's perfectly suited to the role of John Wick, and steals every scene that he's in by principal of his intimidating character alone. The stunts he's required to do in Chapter 3 borders on the ludicrous - any sane actor would find a stunt-double - but Reeves boldly tackles the challenge and pushes himself as an actor and martial artist on many occasions. Colour me impressed.



However, John Wick: Chapter 3 doesn't have the most profound story to tell, but that isn't the reason anyone sees these films anyway. The big exception, of course, is the superb world-building that's always at the forefront of the story. The shadowy league of assassins operating in our daily lives is a scary thought, and one that seems almost comic book-ish in the way it conveys them - specifically in Chapter 3, where we get to see, and understand, a lot more about the origins of the assassins and how they actually fit into the larger pieces of the puzzle. There is one element of the story that seems a tad bit far-fetched, almost supernatural, and stands out considering that the previous two films tried their hardest to ground the series in some grit and realism.

The big exception, of course, is the superb world-building that's always at the forefront of the story.

Thankfully, this is the action film that all future action flicks should aspire to be. While not as structurally sound and emotionally poignant as its predecessors, Chapter 3 is a remarkably ambitious action film that doesn't bother masking exactly what it is. You came to see John Wick perform high-octane, impressively choreographed action, and you get that - actually, a lot more than I anticipated. For every five to ten minute downtime that the film takes to establish its world and story, it's immediately followed up by a crazy action sequence before it spirals into a third act where - if I was counting correctly - at least four major action sequences follow each other. It sounds tiring, but I never once got fatigued because of how they managed to keep the action constantly fresh, exhilarating, and creative.



Apart from Reeves who has proven his worth as the titular character, and then some, I was surprised the most by Halle Berry. She's just as great Reeves when it boils down to the physical, demanding action, and also does a lot of her own stunt work in camera. Sadly, she's not in the movie much, but you do care about her character enough that she leaves a mark on the story, along with an absolutely brilliant set piece involving her dogs. Seriously, I can't even put into words how awesome it was. You, too, will be leaving wondering how that scene was even filmed.

Thanks to some excellent fight choreography from the team behind The Raid... you're always left perplexed by how inventive most of these insane action scenes are.

That's the beauty of John Wick: Chapter 3 as a whole, though. Thanks to some excellent fight choreography from the team behind The Raid (the actors also have small roles in the film), you're always left perplexed by how inventive most of these insane action scenes are. One, in particular, involving a bike chase, had me squealing out of sheer joy. Ever since John Wick: Chapter 2 opened with a skit from an old-school Buster Keaton film (arguably the greatest stuntman in film history), I've always felt that the films were love-letters to that bygone era of action flicks. One where all stunts were performed in-camera with minimal editing work so that audiences can soak in and appreciate the immense work that these actors put into their roles. Chapter 3 certainly goes the extra mile as it reflects Keaton's craziest stunt work, but also becomes a fitting homage to the legend at the same time.



Ian McShane is great as the wavering head of The Continental, Winston. His character goes through perhaps the most shocking arc in the whole movie, and I was taken aback by some revelations in the end. Without a doubt, it does set up an eventual fourth movie to come, but promises to raise the bar again based on what John Wick is tasked to do. Each film in this franchise has catapulted off of the last one in an organic way, where it doesn't feel like they're making sequels for the sake of it. Instead, it genuinely feels like they're trying to tell a cohesive, continually evolving story with enough interesting lore and world-building to justify it (Fast & Furious could learn a damn thing or two). I am ecstatic to see where John Wick goes next, both on his personal journey and what crazy antics he can get up to next time.

I do have but a couple of minor flaws that may be a little nitpicky on my part, but apart from the aforementioned far-fetched nature of a certain story element, there's one character from the John Wick universe that isn't exactly used to their fullest extent. Laurence Fishburne made a great impression in Chapter 2, but for a majority of Chapter 3, he's relegated to a side character that only serves to enforce another villain's superiority. It's frustrating, to say the least, knowing what a great working relationship Reeves and Fishburne have. It was just a bit of a missed opportunity to have more scenes of them together, as their chemistry is fantastic.



Other than that, I am proud to say that John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is one of the best action films of the decade, standing on equal footing with heavy-hitters like The Raid and previous films in its own franchise. Reeves continues to prove his worth as a phenomenal physical actor while also being deeply sympathetic, yet somehow scarily efficient at killing people in creative, clean ways. The film ends on a note that leaves you begging for more, and I do hope they bring more of what this franchise has now become: the best of its kind. That's three in a row!