When
Keanu Reeves first appeared on-screen as John Wick, we were treated
to a wonderfully unique take on the action thriller. It was exciting,
entertaining, and managed to pull off a revenge narrative that didn't
detract from the lead character or their emotional pain. Even with
all of the delightful and action-packed fights scenes. During
Parabellum we are reminded
frequently of where John's journey began, but in terms of the films
style it is far from the character driven revenge narrative that the
franchise started with. The films events kick off shortly after
Chapter 2 ended, with
the clock counting down the minutes to John being made excommunicado,
at which time every criminal in New York will begin to mercilessly
hunt him down. Just that brief synopsis makes it clear how much
higher the stakes are than they ever have been before. In fact, this
film goes bigger in pretty much every possible way. The fight
choreography and stunts are more impressive (and even more
unrealistic), the lore that began to be set up in the previous films
is greatly expanded on and the story, whilst simple, takes John to
increasingly interesting places and people. Parabellum is
not the revenge story that the first film was – it is a brutal
battle for survival.
From
the outset we are placed right in the middle of the action. From the
very beginning there is plenty of suspense, and one tense fight scene
leads straight into another. In terms of setting up the tone and
creating excitement, this is a great start to the film. On the other
hand it means that it takes quite a while for Parabellum to
find its feet in terms of the story. The fight scenes are certainly
capable of capturing attention, but it isn't until John stops running
from his pursuers and decides how to really act on his situation that
the narrative gets going. Even then it is probably slightly thin, but
the reality is that the film is so much fun that it's hard to notice
or care. Admittedly there is also a tendency to fall into action film
stereotypes. The good guys own dogs, the bad guys like cats, and
there are so many dog jokes made throughout that it seems that John
is almost being mocked for his motivations. But this is part of what
makes John Wick as a
franchise quite tongue-in-cheek and fun. As an action film it ticks
all of the boxes, whilst also featuring some incredible acting
talent.
Ian McShane and Lance Reddick return
as Winston and the Concierge, with Laurence Fishburne also returning
as the Bowery King. As in the previous films, these three give
outstanding performances. Whilst the side characters in this installment don't get an awful lot of screen time the film really
makes the most of them in every scene they're in. They have
increasingly important roles in John's story and the actors put on
big performances. There is not one cast member in this film who
doesn't have amazing screen presence. That includes the new
additions to the cast, most notably Halle Berry and Anjelica Huston.
Despite this being largely an escapist action film the excellent
casting choices bring the characters and the world of John Wick to
life and elevate the series to something beyond mindless violence.
The same goes for the visual style of the film, which is one of the
things that has stayed consistent throughout the series. Although
John travels to more exotic locations in this installment the scenes
that take place in the city have the same vibrant, modern aesthetic
as the first film, where the dark city streets are offset by the neon
glow of high-tech buildings. In many ways the visuals are just as
captivating as the violence.
Whilst
many aspects of Parabellum may
make it seem like a silly, mindless action film, it delivers
everything that a fan of the franchise could ask for. From
outstanding performances and interesting characters to intense and
amazingly choreographed fight scenes. It has every great aspect of
the previous John Wick films, but significantly raises the stakes.
This is a film that is both immensely entertaining and wonderfully
artful.
