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Although Keanu Reeves has long been one of our heroes on the screen, and as spectators never tire of wall-to-wall action choreographed by experts, the John Wick The franchise took a life that I bet that even its creators did not wait. Parabellum the faint fence that highlights – and amplifies – the elements that make it a disheveled charmer in a cinematic landscape overloaded with show, while maintaining the meteoric rhythm or trajectory of the series since its debut in 2014. John Wick & # 39; s The dyspeptic charm, the deadly skill and tireless resourcefulness remain unacknowledged in the competent hands of Reeves, but even under the watchful eye of the chief shepherds of the franchise, writer Derek Kolstad and the director Chad Stahelski, the third part aims to conclude the narrative of the main character seems to move away more and more desperately, he – and they – are trying to run towards it.
Pick up where John Wick: Chapter 2 Wick (Reeves) and his pit bull rescue run in the city a few minutes before the "head" he had received from continental director Winston (Ian McShane) were expiring and the entire criminal underworld was exposing himself after the bonus of 14 millions of dollars granted on his behalf. head. Accumulating his pursuers as time is running out, Wick must finally make his way through New York to visit the director (Anjelica Huston), owner of a theater for stray boys and girls who reluctantly agrees to let him move to Casablanca. There, he finds Sofia (Halle Berry), a former colleague to whom he asks to help try to win an audience with the elder (Said Taghmaoui) and to plead for his excommunication to disappear from the fraternity of the assassins.
Back in New York, referee (Asia Kate Dillon) hires Zero (Mark Dacascos) and his school of trainee assassins to hunt down and execute John Wick, then visits Winston and King Bowery (Laurence Fishburne ) to punish them for violating the rules of the high table by helping John. But after John's request for grace presented by the elder was very expensive – he must kill Winston and accept to live the last days of his life as a murderer – he is forced to decide where he wants living in bondage or fighting and possibly dying, clinging to the principles that had not only freed him from his profession, but had also brought him into the graces of his late wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan).
The film begins with a beautiful shot of the city of New York cutting another statue of the Statue of Liberty. After seeing John Wick fight in the first two movies, which seems to be the entire population of the city, it was a modest surprise that Libertas herself did not jump off her pedestal and s & # 39; Is beaten with the hero. Really, after three films, one has the impression that there is literally no one left to challenge the virtuosity of the character, especially when director Chad Stahelski recruits Reeves' stuntman and personal instructor, Tiger Chen, and perhaps more importantly, the legend of Indonesian martial arts Yayan. Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman (both of The raid 2) like goons willing to put their courage to the test against his incomparable abilities.
Unfortunately, these wise casting choices have inadvertently resulted in the appearances of these actors, when you notice them in the casting, make you want to watch some of the best movies in which they appeared. Even if Reeves is really talented and committed, none of the Indonesian actors would have spared the ground with Wick alone, or at least in a film from their home country, it would not seem so obvious that they would hold back. . I mean, do not get me wrong; there are really only a few actors who have the training and conditioning necessary to perform the long feats of choreography that Reeves performs throughout the film. But Stahelski, from a scenario of Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins and Marc Abrams, created a problem in that each of Wick's enemies must be harder and more ruthless than the previous one, and it seems impossible to do it when he's fought like thousands of them.
That said, Stahelski's penchant for cool images gives rise to really interesting, if not always unique, sequences. a climax constructed of reflective glass and floor-to-ceiling screens, projecting waving grass and fire screens reminiscent of the Shanghai skyscraper battle Sky Fallfor example, but the director's goal of leveling the opponents of Wick turns the influence into a Death game through Tron the inheritance. There is something almost Kubrickian in the beautifully appointed mahogany theaters of the director's theater where the tattooed ballerinas spin in one room and the sweaty boys fighting in the next. And even if the faceless and armed villains literally scramble to get Wick out by the end of the film, they are almost always bathed in a sort of ambient light that makes their choreographed flashlights light up like snake eyes . the darkness of any place that John chose for his fortress.
Even though it is uncertain whether John Wick has any new adventures or people to kill, Kolstad and his collaborators have created a phenomenal set of actors to populate this elegant and intriguing criminal hell, and the character's mercy – or perhaps just respect – for his fiercest enemies, the possibility that they will meet again and clash again someday. Of Chapter 2Cassian (Common) and Ares (Ruby Rose) may still be alive, and Wick's duels in this one are revealed, victorious retreats in battle. Or maybe they're all dead – in many cases, it's impossible to tell where the line is between a very strong knife attack and a deadly wound, so who knows?
After three installments, the John Wick franchise has created this immersive and amazing base for its history, with so many fascinating little details that it's easy to start imagining and speculating about its functioning, about the role of these characters in its hierarchy and about the quality of services rendered around the world. necessary to generate an elaborate network of killers of thousands and thousands of people in depth. (We can imagine that some of these questions will find an answer in the TV show supposedly centered on the series' favorite channel, the Continental.) But at some point, the action stops being as spectacular as the audience starts to feel like it's driving the story instead of the reverse – and too often in Parabellum, it's the case. It's not that the film lacks energy or dramatic motivation; it's all that stops every time John Wick has to fight one, two, or ten other bad guys.
Of course, Reeves is so good in the lead role, so stiff and smooth, bruised and dignified, that he feels he can continue to fight as long as he has people to fight against. And there are certainly worse choices for the audience than to watch more John Wick movies. But if Parabellum – which means "to prepare for war" – leads to another stage or, if possible, to an even greater battle, hope that these talented filmmakers give the character a reason to fight. Because they spent three movies showing us that he was exceptionally talented but he really wanted to really stop – and as nice as anything to watch, he almost convinced us to let him do it.
