“John Wicks: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” is an ultra-violent, elegant, smart confection. I came to it without having watched the first two outings in the franchise, and I came to it with trepidation, but the word of mouth was so good that I had to see it, and I’m delighted to have done so. The action kicks off immediately, with super-assassin Wick “excommunicated” by the secretive High Table, and within a couple of minutes, seemingly thousands of assassins are pursuing our hero, who plunges through the wet, dark streets of New York, then progressively heads to Africa to somehow track down the boss of them all in order to have any chance at all of staying alive. Keanu Reeve has always been an underestimated actor and here he excels, suitably direct and simple yet with touches of irony and a core of decency. Supporting roles and cameo appearances are provided by a stellar cast, well suited and all on song, with particular mentions needed for Ian McShane and Mark Dacascos. Dan Lausten’s cinematography stuns again and again. The choreographed mayhem is video-game-stylized and offers the kinds of spills and thrills that the last half decade of superhero movies has relinquished. In summary, “John Wick 3” is a lush, kinetic, smart treat.
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