With its relentless action and expansive world-building, ‘John Wick: Chapter 3’ will continue to satisfy fans of the franchise.
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You go into a John Wick film for only one thing. Not for dialogue, not for meaningful character development, and definitely not for the story. You watch John Wick only because of the action, because John Wick, played for the third time by Keanu Reeves, can kick ass.
Chapter 3 picks up from the conclusion of Chapter 2, where Wick has been declared "excommunicado" for killing a member of the High Table. A global $14 million bounty has been put on his head. Every assassin in the world wants him. Wick meets his first assassin in a library, where he’s trying to retrieve a golden crucifix, and in the cramped space, the two mete it out. Standing almost two heads above Wick, he gives Wick a good run for his money, but Wick gains the upper hand and finishes him off brutally.
A standout action sequence arrives soon after, one that involves multiple men ganging up on Wick and the use of throwing knives. It’s vicious, expertly choreographed, and funny, leading one to expect more great things to come. Sadly, that was the film’s best action sequence. What follows after are, more or less, action that you’ve been before or action that is not pushed to its maximum potential - gun shootouts, motorcycle chases, etc.
But the most memorable non-combat scenes unarguably belong to Asia Kate Dillon’s character, the Adjudicator. Nitpicky (to say the least) about High Table rules, the Adjudicator ensures that everyone knows their rightful places and toes the line. One misstep demands payback in blood. While she does not dish out any beatings, she delivers verbal death sentences to the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) and Winston (Ian McShane) with razor-sharp panache. Dillon dominates every scene she’s in with pizzazz.
With its relentless action and expansive world-building, ‘Chapter 3’ will continue to satisfy fans of the franchise.
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