John Wick is still on a quest in Parabellum

by Kathia Woods

Lately, the action genre has grown tiresome. Filled with stunts but amateur acting skills or plot line. After last year’s disappointing Skyscraper we have the return of John Wick or in this case John Wick 3 - Parabellum. Keanu Reeves is back as the professional assassin, but this time he’s the one hunted.

I loved this movie. John Wick 3 is everything an action movie should be. We don’t just want to see fights, but we want to experience the suspense and dare I say have decent acting. Keanu Reeves is everything we want and need in an action star. He’s naturally handsome but intelligent, strong but calculating. I loved the fact that they included new ways to kill someone. Hint, hint a library is not just for reading anymore. Some of us have waited for Halle Berry to make some better choices when it comes to movie roles. She deserves better, and we deserve better from the Oscar Winner. In John Wick 3, we get that. Her turn as Sofia isn’t only sexy but powerful. She very much holds her own in the scenes she shares with Reeves. Other favorites are Lance Reddick as Charon and Ian McShane as Winston.

Who said that hitmen couldn’t be elegant as well as calculating? Jonathan Eusebio designed outstanding choreography for the fight scenes, especially the ones that occur in the latter end of the movie. Honorable mention goes to Boban Marjanovic aka backup center for the Philadelphia 76ers. His screen time may be short but memorable. We must also give props to Luca Mosca for his costumes. I love how he dressed the women in this movie. Asia Kate Dillion as the Adjudicator wouldn’t have come across as menacing if it wasn’t for the wardrobe. The tailoring of Reddick and McShane also helped convey their characters. Many a time we focus on the director, stunt team when it comes to these types of movies overlooking costuming. Mosca choices helped carry the story and along with the set design of Letizia Santucci and David Schlesinger. John Wick 3 is not just an action film but a mood.

John Wick 3 may be the last one, but I am open to seeing Berry’s character Sofia along with those two K 9’s get a spin-off. It may be May, but John Wick 3 has kicked off Summer Movies at least the Action Division.

Scale: It gets an 8 for sheer fun.

Diversity: It has a variety of people of color from Asian to Black. The women aren’t just eye candy but are an integral part of the story. It receives an 8.5