Prepare for war

Ever since the first John Wick quietly arrived like the assassin he is onto theaters back in 2014, we were treated to a different kind of action film with a unique protagonist. A linear revenge story with more emphasis on a character driven plot with some impressive fight scenes and the now infamously coined phrase "gun-fu" style action. What resulted was a terrific start of a franchise as well as a rebirth for Keanu after laying low from the action genre for some time. The 2017 sequel really kicked things up to an 11 when it opened up more of the lore of John's underground world without being overwhelming but more than anything it dialed up the action as well, more bloody and visceral than the previous film, and more visually violent and amazing to watch. Here we are now with the third entry Parabellum where things have escalated even further for our unlucky assassin. After violating the rules of the Continental, John Wick has been "ex-communicado", which means his membership has been revoked as well as his protection. To make matters worse, John has a bounty placed on him which suddenly makes him the most sought after target in the underworld. Down to minimal options,

Ride like the wind, Mr. Wick

John goes across the globe seeking help from old allies in the odds of escaping the world he worked so hard to leave behind. Right from the get-go, Parabellum immediately picks up where the second film ended and it doesn't let up. Within the first 10 minutes, John already gets into a fight and it happens to be one most brutal fights in the whole film. Minutes after that, John gets into a chase with a gang after his bounty. I kid you not, this is one of the most hardcore action films I've ever seen and one of the rare few that's actually made me sweat from being so intense. While it's clear the action is the meats and potatoes of this franchise, it doesn't forget about it's main character's own personal journey through all this and it's here where Keanu shines just as much as he does when he's throwing punches or

knives. The new supporting characters bring more intrigue to John's world i.e. Halle Berry's Sofia and Asia Kate Dillon's The Adjudicator, two characters I hope we get to see more off in future installments. In terms of story, the third continues to open up new details of the franchise's lore as well as the inevitable things to come, which could indicate that Mr. Wick's story is far from over. However, with the way each sequel continues to surpass the previous I'm definitely eager to see what awaits our favorite assassin in the inevitable fourth chapter. John Wick 3: Parabellum is a dizzying, bloody, violent and vigorous action film and is already one of my personal favorites of 2019 which goes without saying it gets my highest recommendation.