Reeves returns to the ass shape with Berry

Parabellum means "preparing for war" – and war is what you get in the third installment of John Wick franchise. This action-packed and action packed gun-opera does not let the audience breathe.

Seriously, if you dare to blink, you could miss a ball or kick in the face. Director Chad Stahelski understands how to photograph, stage and frame a choreography, which has everything to do with being a former stuntman. In partnership with Keanu Reeves, the king of action movies and returning screenwriter, Derek Kolstad (who co-wrote this opus with Shay Hatten, Chris Collins and Marc Abrams), Stahelski fulfills expectations by expanding the reach of the assassins network. , in addition to highlighting how the consequences of Wick's actions John Wick: Chapter 2 have wrinkled around the world.

In John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, John is now an excommunicated murderer with a $ 14 million bonus on his head. This is the result of breaking the rules by killing a member of Continental's high table (a hotel considered a neutral place for murderers). He went crazy in New York, looking for a sanctuary and always trying to avoid murder. It is a difficult task in a city ridden by skilled killers who seek to bring him down and win the ransom.

Things get worse with the arrival of a representative of the honor table called the referee (Asia Kate Dillon), who is sent to remind all those who helped John Wick to survive that they have to pay a penance. Winston (Ian Mcshane), director of Continental New York, risks losing his job; the King of the Bowery (Lawrence Fishburne) may lose his land; and the director (Anjelica Houston) risks losing her empire. Seeking to finally get rid of Wick, the referee hires a group of specialized assassins led by Zero (Mark Dacascos) to enforce the principle that excommunicated assassins should not be helped, and the price to be paid to do this could be a life or a leg.

With the input of the umpire, the audience is also introduced to John Wick's expanded universe, where we learn more about his past and the table top hierarchy. Always ahead of all the others, Wick exceeds the high table of the house of Sofia (Halle Berry), which runs the Continental in Morocco. She is not happy with their meeting, but then decides to help her after he has a debt. The result is total madness, while Wick aims to return to the high table and kill everyone who gets in his way.

While the tradition of the hierarchy of these assassins intrigues, the film is not too attached to the mythology; Despite this, there is still a genius to build, because it does not need a lot of mental strength to understand what is happening. The simplicity of the story makes digestion easier even if you have not seen the first two movies. The plot gets just enough knowledge to move the film forward at a rapid pace and the pace is a testament to the self-awareness of the franchise. Kolstad knows how to stay focused on the action but mixes it with a bit of humor for the lightness.

Reeves is engaged in this role. He excels in this genre because of his desire to push his body thoroughly, in the name of authenticity. The last two films featured full, lush images rather than close-up shots, but here there is little or no editing in the fight scenes – the camera lingers on Reeve's face to reinforce realism . Parabellum Use tight frames that make every fight seem like you're standing in front of the action with no way to escape. This does not prevent in any way the graceful, flexible and almost balletic movements of each fight, which are helped by the sense of timing and movement of Stahelski.

While Parabellum is all about John, it's Halle Berry like Sofia stealing the limelight. Behind the scenes of Berry's training, she shows that she manipulates several weapons, but it is of course not the same as seeing her in the film. Trust, she does not disappoint. This is not her first role in an action movie (most recently she shared the same star in Kingsman: the circle of gold), but nothing compares to the sheer intensity that she brings to this role. She was made to measure for that, so why did not anyone give her a fleshy role before? There is something in the work with the intense Reeves that encourages its co-stars to get the same kind of legitimacy because there is no lining in sight. Berry gives each kick and each punch and pulls each trigger. This is an indispensable addition to this testosterone party – and at this point, the Wick Universe could use more women to kick.

The only concern is what direction will he leave from here? The films are very entertaining, but the intrigues have become more fragile and uninteresting. He gives me flashbacks of Fast and furious. As the franchise continued to release movies, they became more ridiculous and unrealistic. What is always fascinating about John Wick as a character is the confidence he has in continuing to make decisions that, in his opinion, will further plunge him into danger. Not to mention that he has enough energy to continue. He will need it because at the end of Parabellum, the stakes are more important than ever. Given this, it is legitimate to wonder how Kolstad will keep the plot in realism without going too far as the franchise advances.

As successful as John Wick has become – it started as a studio bet that has paid off 10 times – the killer of the highest level of Batman shows no signs of slowing down. The films are a necessary outlet from CGI's usual list of co-dependent Hollywood and agitated action sequences. The real impact of John Wick The franchise is what makes the three movies so exciting to watch. There are no gadgets, no gags, no tricks, just bodies and bullets.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum was released on May 17th.

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