John Wick 3 - Parabellum


 

Parabellum opens seconds after Chapter 2 ends, with a $14 million bounty placed on John Wick's head. Someone really wants him dead, and John knows his odds are slim. Yet, before fighting for his life, his immediate priority is making sure his dog gets safely dropped off at the Continental. It makes you wonder if the hotel has explicit rules protecting animals even when their owners are excommunicado.

Once the clock runs out, the movie plunges straight into non-stop action.

 Ernest casually shushes John while trying to kill him. John could have made it look just a little harder to kill the guy who helped him, the doctor has seen more of that man than his wife, but he kills him like it's nothing, though we all know it was more merciful. From there, we move to the antique store—where every display case must apparently be smashed—featuring a brutal knife fight and a surprisingly satisfying axe throw.

That said, not every stunt lands perfectly. In the scene right before we meet the Bowery King, there’s a moment where an assassin looks like he’s just resting a prop blade on a guy's chest rather than stabbing him. It gave off major Scream vibes, reminiscent of a visible fake retractable knife.

Where the film really shines is in expanding the series' lore and bringing in great additions to the cast:

  • Asia Kate Dillon (The Adjudicator): Excellent casting. They deliver every line with a cold, minimal emotion that makes the High Table feel genuinely terrifying.

  • Halle Berry (Sofia): Her wielding a gun is almost enough to turn me straight... Almost

  • Mark Dacascos (Zero): Perfect dynamic. One minute he’s trying to murder John, and the next he's practically fangirling over him.

By the time the High Table breaches the Continental, the scale goes through the roof. Charon joining the fight gives new meaning to hotel concierge service, though by the end of the lobby fight, John’s back should realistically be broken in a thousand places with the way he gets tossed around like a ping-pong ball.

The ending, however, feels a bit more calculated than the previous films. Winston shooting John off the roof sets up the next movie very directly, whereas the first two felt a bit more self-contained. It also leaves you wondering if the Adjudicator is really naive enough to let Winston keep his position without confirming John is actually dead.

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