John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum Reviews Are Up, See What Critics Are Saying
At a glance, 2014’s John Wick could have easily been mistaken for a standard revenge flick that, other than its likable star, would be completely unremarkable. Yet, in one of the most pleasant surprises of recent years, John Wick turned out to be a stylish and original movie with riveting action that took full advantage of the talents of Keanu Reeves. Then in 2017, John Wick: Chapter 2 avoided a sophomore slump and proved this property has franchise potential.
Now John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum arrives to make it a trilogy. The first two films were critical successes and the reviews for the third just dropped. So did director Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves make it 3 for 3? CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes certainly thinks so, he gave Parabellum 4 stars out of 5 in his review, praising how the film delivers what we want and expect, while expanding the lore. Mike said:
Mike Reyes appreciated the world-building the third film in this action franchise performed, expanding the lore and adding intrigue beyond the bullets. He wasn’t alone either, as IGN’s Jim Vejvoda also enjoyed the fleshing out of John Wick’s backstory and of course the gleefully violent action. Jim gave the film 8.5 and said:
The John Wick franchise made its name on its incredible action and thus fans have come to expect that the ante will be upped each time out. On that account, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum looks like it delivers. In his 9 out of 10 review, Slashfilm’s Chris Evangelista went so far as to call it an “action masterpiece”:
The word ‘epic’ gets thrown around a lot, but ‘masterpiece’ still carries an air of exclusivity and import. But having great action isn’t enough for everyone, it actually might be too much. In one of the few less enthusiastic reviews thus far, Variety’s Andrew Barker lamented that the action is action for its own sake and not in service to any deeper purpose. He said:
For some, there is a desensitization to John Wick’s kills in the film and a lack of investment in the action because of a lack of stakes and emotion. There is something to be said for a franchise knowing what it is, what its goals are and delivering on them though and that’s what The Hollywood Reporter’s John DeFore highlights in his review:
This was a common theme in the reviews. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum isn’t reinventing the wheel. It is expanding the mythology of the previous films and delivering the beautifully brutal action fans of the franchise want and expect. That beautifully choreographed and shot action is what makes the film work, as Vox’s Alissa Wilkinson said in her 3.5 out of 5 review:
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Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Nashawaty echoed this sentiment and summed up what John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parbellum is and what it isn’t in his “A-“ review, saying:
All in all, the reviews for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum give the impression that if you enjoyed the previous two films and like exploring this world and seeing Keanu Reeves’ character kill lots of people in cool and brutal ways, you’ll have a blast with this movie.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum opens in theaters on May 17. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all of the big movies arriving this summer.
Nick grew up in Maryland has degrees in Film Studies and Communications. His life goal is to walk the earth, meet people and get into adventures. He’s also still looking for The Adventures of Pete and Pete season 3 on DVD if anyone has a lead.
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