John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum 4K/Blu Ray Review (Lionsgate)

Ten minutes after John Wick 2, former hitman John Wick (played by: Keanu Reeves from the John Wick franchise, Bill & Ted franchise, The Matrix franchise, Speed, & Point Break) is now a marked man & on the run in Manhattan. John is declared “excommunicado” by his handlers at the High Table & placed under a $14 million bounty that rises each hour. He is bombarded by various assassins trying to collect the expensive hit on him including the giant killer Ernest (played by: NBA player Boban Marjanovic). He goes to the director (played by: Anjelica Huston from The Addams Family 1/2, The Witches, Prizzi’s Honor, The Grifters, & Lonesome Dove) for help & safe passage to Casablanca, Morocco. The Adjudicator (played by: Asia Kate Dillon from Billions, Orange Is the New Black, & Gen: Lock) with the High Table punishes both Winston (played by: Ian McShane from the John Wick franchise, Deadwood, Hellboy, American Gods, & Death Race) & the Bowery King (played by: Laurence Fishburne from the John Wick franchise, The Matrix franchise, Deep Cover, Apocalypse Now, & Boyz n the Hood) for helping John Wick break the rules. She sends top High Table assassin Zero (played by: Mark Dacascos from Double Dragon, Boogie Boy, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, & Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) to make them pay for their actions. After John makes it safe overseas, he meets up with Sofia (played by: Halle Berry from the X-Men franchise, Swordfish, Monster’s Ball, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, & Die Another Day) & gives her a marker for a favor needed. She takes him to her old boss Berrada (played by: Jerome Flynn from Game of Thrones, Ripper Street, & Badger) for information about the elder (played by: Saïd Taghmaoui from Wonder Woman, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, American Hustle, Lost, & Conan the Barbarian). All hell breaks loose, John finally gets the meeting that traveled all the way there for but he has to make a great sacrifice to get reinstated. He sent on a new mission but he refuses to carry out the job so he is trapped at the New York City Continental defending it with Winston & Charon (played by: Lance Reddick from the John Wick franchise, The Wire, OZ, Angel Has Fallen, & Bosch) against the deadly Zero with a variety of dangerous assassins. Can they hold their ground against all these blood thirsty killing machines? or Has John Wick finally met his match with the unstoppable Zero????

John Wick 3 is the best film that I’ve seen so far in 2019, it’s definitely my favorite & I have seen almost every major film released this year. Chapter 3 is pure entertainment, it’s loaded with action & violence. The body count is insane here, I lost count pretty quick & that’s always a good thing. They had some really original & innovative sequences that I’ve never seen in these type of films in my entire life which is very impressive. John Wick is the perfect role for Keanu Reeves, he’s a bad ass with slick comments every once in awhile so the character doesn’t demand an Oscar type of performance when it comes to acting. Reeves proves once again that he is still one of the best action stars around with this franchise. Speaking of acting,  Parabellum is loaded with a high quality supporting cast that includes Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Anjelica Huston, Halle Berry, Mark Dacascos, Saïd Taghmaoui, Jerome Flynn, Asia Kate Dillon, & Lance Reddick. Plus it was cool to see Jason Mantzoukas (The League) & Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham) in smaller roles for this. The fights were top notch especially the ones between Keanu Reeves & Mark Dacascos. John Wick always delivers some crazy kills & this one doesn’t disappoint at all in that department. Chapter 3 was a blast, it might be my favorite from the entire series & that’s a bold statement because I loved the other two films. It takes you deeper into the John Wick character & you learn so much more about him here. There’s a never a dull moment here, it’s the funnest cinema that I’ve experienced in 2019 so far, HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

Let’s discuss the special features from Lionsgate on this release! They are actually on the UHD disc which is very rare these days. It’s nice to have the extras at the highest possible quality. “Parabellum: Legacy of The High Table” is almost 11 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski, actors Keanu Reeves, Jason Mantzoukas, Asia Kate Dillon, Anjelica Huston, Ian McShane, & various members of the production. They chat about the franchise. They talk about John Wick getting more of a backstory here. They bring up the aftermath of 2 set 3 in motion for the wild ride that it is. They mention some of the newer roles that show up in this sequel. They briefly talk about the upcoming spin off television show. “Excommunicado” is almost 10 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski, actors Keanu Reeves, Jason Mantzoukas, Asia Kate Dillon, Mark Dacascos, Laurence Fishburne, Yayan Ruhian, Cecep Arif Rahman, & various members of the production. They chat about Wick being fair game in this film. They talk about the variety of assassins & different styles that go after him here. Mark Dacascos says the original villain dropped out & he got the role the very last minute. “Check Your Sights” is almost 10 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski, actors Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, & various members of the production. It has all kinds of behind the scenes footage. They chat about the stunts & action from the feature. They talk about all the training for the production. “Saddle Up Wick” is a little over 5 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski, actor Keanu Reeves, & various members of the production. It goes over the crazy horse scene from the movie. They chat about the training for it & how they were able to pull it off. “Bikes, Blades, Bridges, and Bits” is a little over 6 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski, actor Keanu Reeves, & various members of the production. Keanu is a motorcycle expert so that helped with this film. It has behind the scenes shots from the set. They talk about all the action & dangerous stunts for it. “Continental in the Desert” is a little over 10 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski, actors Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Saïd Taghmaoui, Jerome Flynn, & various members of the production. They chat about the beautiful location & shooting there. They talk about the difference between that Continental compared to the familiar one. They mention John’s journey to get there. They bring up a few characters especially the elder. “Dog Fu” is a little over 8 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski, actors Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Jerome Flynn, & various members of the production. They talk about training & working with the dogs for the production. “House of Transparency” is a little over 7 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski, actor Mark Dacascos, & various members of the production. They chat about the unique location & setting. They talk about some of the stunts & action during it also. “Shot by Shot” is almost 9 minutes. It has interviews with director Chad Stahelski & various members of the production. They go through the editing process for the film. They highlight certain scenes & chat about their work on it. It has two “Theatrical Trailers” & a “John Wick Hex Game” Trailer. “Behind the Scenes of John Wick Hex” is almost 7 minutes. It takes you behind the scenes for it. They talk about the project. It also has a glossy slipcover, digital code, & a blu ray copy of the release. It was released in several different formats including blu ray & DVD plus it had a variety of store exclusives. It needs to be added to everyone’s collections especially action & crime fans. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!