John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019)

Director: Chad Stahelski

Not sure why I didn't review this one when I first saw it in theaters last year, but oh well. This third "chapter" in the John Wick series continues to do what the previous two did - provide slick, exceptionally well-executed, intense action within a visually stunning setting dark mythology. Like it's predecessor, Chapter 2, this one was arguably a bit longer than necessary, but was overall good.

The previous movie ended with John Wick, assassin extraordinaire, being declared "Excommunicado" by the vast and rules-dominated system of criminals and professional killers, meaning that he is now hunted by hundreds of his fellow killers-for-hire. He is also without the benefit of any legitimate form of sanctuary - something which provided him a great advantage in the past. So alone and seeking a way out of this lethal dilemma, John calls in a couple of very old and very valuable favors, ultimately being granted a meeting with a mysterious, powerful figure (billed only as "The Elder") who seems to hold sway over the immensely powerful criminal organizations that all want John dead. In exchange for safety from the countless killers after him, John agrees to serve him for the rest of his life in addition to killing Winston, longtime friend of Johns' and the manager of the New York Continental Hotel. Almost needless to say, things don't exactly work out the way that The Elder and the other most powerful criminals lords hope, with John and a few friends killing dozens upon dozens of would-be assassins along the way. 

I have to tip my cap to this franchise - it's done a brilliant job of taking a simple, crowd-pleasing idea and executing it with a satisfying amount of style, novelty, and exceptional attention to detail. The first John Wick made its mark in two ways: by bringing an intense, "extended shots" approach to filming action and fight scenes, and setting the story within a novel, dark fantasy world with its own mythology and rules. Chapter 2 got deeper into that mythology, and it managed to show that they could offer equally intense fights with novel twists, either through the settings or the methods that the fighters used. Parabellum continues this trend, giving us new, often exotic and dazzling locations and sets, and adding fun wrinkles to the combat. And there's a lot of combat. I know this will be sacrilege to the millions of Wick faithful, but I actually thought there was too much combat. I'll explain later.

The sequels in this series have done a great job of giving us
new environments, visuals, and companions for John. For
example, getting John and Halle Berry strolling through 
the desert with a pair of attack German shepherds.

In terms of story, the broad strokes are basically the same as Chapter 2. John seeks to get out of a massive, life-threatening dilemma, but he needs to seek out help to do it. He cashes in a few favors just for the chance at a solution, only to find that he'll have to pledge eternal servitude as a killer to The Elder if he wants to be safe from assassination. There are mysterious, ever-more-powerful characters, and a few new friends whom we meet along the way. And at every turn, John and his few partners cut bloody swaths between where they are and where they're going. In this sense, it's all very much like the latter half of Chapter 2, during which John goes from the offensive to the defensive. The most fascinating part of this is that, as John works his way up the criminal power structure, we continue to get hints at just how powerful - seemingly supernaturally so - those in control of this vast network are. I really enjoy how the story keeps these cards close to the vest. I'm still not sure if it speaks to deft storytelling or a lack of actual substance, but it still works for me. 

The combat and action scenes. Look, they're great. This is by far the major draw to this entire series, and Parabellum keeps the bar exceptionally high, arguably raising it even higher than the previous film. Whether it's on-road pursuits, hand-to-hand fighting, or gunplay, this series continues to dazzle. We've already seen how well the action and fight sequences are choreographed and shot, so that's no surprise. What each new film offers, though, is new environments, weapons, and other props. Yes, it's John Wick killing people by the bundle, but nearly every new fight does something new and different in its dark, brutal way. Just a few examples from Parabellum include a motorcycle pursuit of John on a horse, one of the longest knife-fights you'll ever see, Halle Berry using a pair of bulletproofed attack dogs, and more. Honestly, my Dad and I (we went to see it together in the theater) were as entertained by the over-the-top novelty of the kills as much as anything. 

This is Zero, John's primary fighting adversary
in Parabellum. He's actually been my favorite so
far, adding some levity to the intense fights.

For all the mastery and ingenuity of the highly dynamic and kinetic fight sequences, though, I did find that they wore on me after a while. This is a continuation of this entire series for me, actually. The first John Wick clocked in at 101 minutes; Chapter 2 expanded to 122 minutes, and Parabellum upped it a bit to 130 minutes. All three have about the same 25 to 30 minutes of "plot," with the rest given over to action. The balance was just right in the first movie for me, but it all grew a bit tiresome at the 90-minute mark in the second and third films. It didn't help that the grande finale fight in Parabellum took place in an environment that looked a lot like the final big fight in Chapter 2, so it already felt a bit familiar. I must say, though, that the actual fight against Zero and his two henchmen was much better than what I found to be a so-so fight against Ares in Chapter 2. The fights are all done brilliantly - it's just that I don't have the unquenchable thirst for action that many viewers might have. 

There's a very interesting possible path that this series may go down - the path of "tearing down the entire system." At this point in the overall story, I'm hoping that we now have the basic framework of the vast, rule-governed network that all of these criminals and killer operate within. John's arc so far suggests that he is ready to break free of it entirely, and he is now in the position where the only way to do so is to destroy it completely. This would be the logical - and extremely fun - path for the future movies to take. I recently heard that the plan is to film both the fourth and fifth movies together, so we can expect at least two more chapters in this "franchise." I'll definitely check them out, even if I'll go in expecting to grow a bit tired of the bloodletting if they go much beyond the hour-and-a-half threshold. 

New-ish Releases: The Accountant (2016); John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

The Accountant (2016)

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Sometimes, despite your best instincts, you give a movie a shot. In this case, this roll of the dice was inspired by this article, which I came across a week or so ago, in which the writer explains in fairly humorous ways how he is unable to stop watching this movie. So I gave it a shot. While it's not bad, it's hardly one that I see myself ever going back to, and I can see why many critics and viewers had problems with it.

Describing the plot in any real detail would be an exercise in hilarity and exhaustion, so I'll simplify: Ben Affleck plays an accountant, Christan Wolff, with high-functioning autism, which allows him to do numerical computations at phenomenal speeds, despite his lack of communication or general social skills. Ostensibly, he uses his preternatural skills as a run-of-the-mill accountant in a strip mall. Secretly, however, he does accounting for some of the most powerful, wealthy, and dangerous people on earth. He is also a highly trained martial artist, marksman, and all-around lethal weapon. On one particular accounting job for a large company, he uncovers a highly suspicious discrepancy. This turns out to be the proverbial thread which, once pulled, begins to unravel a massive conspiracy that leads to Wolff being hunted (see what they did there?) by a gang of highly trained mercenaries.

I'm no doctor, but it actually made more than a little sense to
me that a certain type of autism might actually manifest as
world-class sniping ability. But maybe that's just wishful
thinking on my part.

I can best describe this movie only as "watchable." My expectations were fairly low going in, hoping that it might be a "so silly it's great" kind of ride. A lot of it is silly, but not silly enough to warrant any sort of real devotion. There are plenty of plot twists and turns, but most of them can be seen coming from a mile away, and they aren't revealed or presented in any particularly creative ways. The notion of an autistic action hero was somewhat compelling for about half of the movie, but the writers fumbled what could have been far more plausible character development. What they ended up with was sloppy at best and insulting at worst. It didn't help that the script for Wolff and Ben Affleck's performance were uneven. Since it's heartless to even suggest that they make a comedy out of a very real affliction like autism, one can only feel that the creators' best move was to go more dramatic and realistic with the condition. They didn't get this right enough, with the Wolff character too often showing obvious signs of empathy and abilities to interact. This is in stark contrast to the nearly crippling condition which is depicted during the flashback sequences of the film showing Wolff as a child. I'm no doctor, but I'm reasonably certain that severe autism cannot be reduced by such a dramatic amount as the film would have you believe, especially not under the harsh conditions of Wolff's childhood.

But the movie, at least, didn't pretend to be a genuine study of autism. It's an action/suspense movie, and I did actually find many of the action scenes fairly engaging. When Wolff is confronted by a thug armed with an automatic weapon and whips him in the face with his belt, I was on board. The action scenes take several pages out of recent movies like John Wick (see my thoughts on the sequel in the review below), eschewing slow motion, embracing fast-paced, brutal fight scenes, and more than a few face shots. Don't get me wrong, The Accountant is not nearly as well-executed or as relentless as John Wick, but it does emulate that modern classic in the right ways here and there, making for a few fun action sequences.

Although I found it a modestly entertaining way to spend a couple of hours, I'm not completely sure what the creators of this movie were going for. If they were trying to set up a franchise, I think they'll be bitterly disappointed. If they wanted to create a memorable one-shot, self-contained movie, it still falls a little short.

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

Director: Chad Stahelski

I actually saw this upon its initial release, but only just realized that I hadn't done a review of it. At any rate, it was a really strong follow-up to the immensely satisfying first chapter, even if it was a bit longer than I felt necessary.

Picking up very, very soon after the events of the first movie, we get Wick doing a bit of mop-up work against a few lingering Russian mafia clowns. At this point, just when Wick is ready to once again bury his profession and reputation as the most dangerous hitman alive, an old debt is called in by young organized crime prince Santino D'Antonio. As much as Wick wants to refuse, the debt is one that can only be repaid with his service or his life, forcing the reluctant assassin to comply. The job is no small feat, being to kill Santino's sister, Gianna, who is the newly anointed leader of their immensely powerful crime syndicate. In addition to accomplishing this arduous task, Wick eventually has to avoid countless other assassins who literally come gunning for him when a massive bounty is placed on his head.

The story is certainly not the stuff of high literature or cinema. But boy, is it fun for anyone itching for a slick, wild shoot-'em-up. The first movie was a surprisingly entertaining introduction into a visually stunning world where organized crime and assassinations are the rule of the day. Chapter 2 builds on this world by following Wick even deeper into the workings of the elaborate system of connections and protocols for the murderers and thieves who work and play in the dark corners of a place that can be deceptively similar to our real world. Really, though, I love how Stahelski and the writers make no bones about offering us what is clearly a dark fantasy world where swords are replaced by high-tech guns and magic is replaced by lethal reputation.

Just one of the many stylish and memorable set pieces in
the movie. Director Chad Stahelski shows off his great eye
for setting and choreography again and again.

A major strength of the first film was the intensity and even artistry with which the action scenes were executed. Chapter 2 does not slack on this in any way. While I do feel that some of the sequenves go on longer than necessary, in general there are enough changes in environment and choreography to keep things engaging for most of the movie's two-hour running time. I am not a person who enjoys most purely action movies (e.g. Fast and the Furious franchise and its ilk), but I've found myself hypnotized by the relentless intensity and kinetic strength of these first two films.

The plot? Don't expect too much, as with the first film. All you really need to know is laid out my my summary above, as it's just an excuse to watch John Wick do what he does best. The story keeps it all rather simple, which is exactly what it should do for this kind of movie.

So I still very much dig what Stahelski and Reeves have going here. I've read that the plan is to do one more film and create a rounded-out trilogy. This feels right, and I now have confidence that they can do it effectively. I wondered just how a sequel to the original would come off, and it really didn't disappoint, despite a few overstuffed elements. 

New Release: John Wick (2014)

Don't laugh just because it's Reeves.
He plays the hardcore title assassin far
better than you might expect.

Director: David Leitch & Chad Stahelski

A formula you may not realize works: Keanu Reeves + Action Revenge Story = Movie Gold.

I know, I know. That Keanu Reeves. It does actually make sense, if you think about it. One of the great knocks against Reeves has always been his laughably limited range. No matter what character he has been playing, he's never been able to shake his own valley dude monotone and dead black eyes. That's a problem when you're trying to play a Shakespeare character (which he did in Much Ado About Nothing) or a hopelessly romantic sycophant (which he did in Dangerous Liaisons). But if your playing a stone-cold killer who decides to start piling up the bodies, then it's a gift from the gods of cinema carnage, who must have smiled upon Reeves's casting as the title assassin.

And so John Wick gets it right. Taking a page from recent action movie successes like Taken and Dredd, John Wick never tries to out-think itself. It knows exactly what it is - an excuse to watch one mean motor scooter shoot and pummel a bunch of scuzzy gangsters.

The set up is just what it needs to be. Wick's wife has died, and he laments the loss of the woman who pulled him away from his previously bloody life as a mafia hitman (Unforgiven, anyone?). Wick is brought to tears when he receives a surprise delivery of an oh-so-adorable puppy, which was arranged by his wife before she died. The scene is schmaltzy, yes, but it is very effective. We get to see Wick as a guy who does, indeed, have a heart.

And then it all goes south. The pampered son of the local Russian mafia boss, not knowing who Wick is, decides to break into Wick's house, beat him up, kill his dog, and steal his car. When John Wick regains consciousness to see the dog, he loses it. And then the fun begins for us viewers. What follows is a carnival of death. And boy, is it entertaining.

From the fight choreographers to the cinematographers to
Keanu Reeves himself, the action sequences are brilliantly
executed (pun highly intended).

I'm not especially a fan of action movies, especially some of the latest successful ones. Movies in the Jason Bourne series and its imitators are dull to me, for they show little style and make no great impression as to the physical feats that are merely implied rather than explicitly shown. Well John Wick shows it all to you. Never once relying on slow motion or ultra close-up, guerrilla-style cinematography, the lethal ballet that Wick displays is captured splendidly with long, wide shots and sustained sequences without overly choppy cuts or edits. The result is an impact and intensity that few Western action flicks have ever delivered.

Another merit is the element of mythical fantasy in John Wick's world. There's a hotel that caters solely to assassins, and fictional gold coins that serve as the currency of the realm. These things heighten the awareness of us viewers that this story is, indeed, a fantasy, and the writers were clever in their admission of it.

Of course, if nearly non-stop brutality and gun play have zero interest for you, then you won't care how it's dressed up. And truthfully, it was just starting to become a ever-so-slightly tiresome to me as the film neared its conclusion. Blessedly and perhaps ironically, the filmmakers avoid overkill by keeping the movie short and tight. At an efficient 93 minutes, the movie wraps ups just as things threaten to grow stale. I walked out well satisfied and ready to watch the movie again soon.

Action movie junkies will surely love this film. Even those like me who aren't die-hard fans of the genre will likely enjoy it, as long as high body counts and some rather brutal film violence don't put them off too much.