Reeves on a roll in bone-crunching ride
Not many franchises have kept the action movie alive and kicking in multiplexes quite like John Wick.
Keanu Reeves has found his groove as the titular near-silent assassin – so much so that his career renaissance has seen him bag a role in Toy Story 4 and finally get that much-anticipated third Bill and Ted flick up and running.
Parabellum picks up exactly where the intriguing climax to the second Wick outing left off; with John on the run from a city-wide horde of killers out to claim the $14 million price tag on his head.
No chance of survival, surely? Well, if you think that then you obviously haven’t seen Wick in action as his skills with everything imaginable to hand gives even Tom Cruise’s stunt-happy Ethan Hunt from the Mission: Impossible series a run for his risk-taking money.
As thrilling as it is seeing Wick cutting a path through his pursuers – and believe me it is as indelible images include him on horseback and strolling through the desert – the character lacks the vulnerability that gave the first movie extra layers.
Returning to direct for a third time, Chad Stahelski is more interested in moulding an unstoppable bad-a**, resulting in the screenplay – penned by four writers – suffering a little.
That’s not to say your attention isn’t held, however; supporting players include the returning Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne, Halle Berry laps up her return to the limelight and Anjelica Huston is back for her first live-action mainstream turn since 2011’s 50/50.
The Wick world continues to expand and even takes us to pastures new, as well as treating us to tantalising glimpses into our anti-hero’s backstory.
Stahelski has already confirmed a fourth Wick flick is in the pipeline and while some may feel that is returning to the well one too many times, if the bonecrunching, uber-cool capers continue to be this entertaining then please keep them coming. Given its artistic licence, this is not one for the history buffs out there.
But Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie impress as the titular monarch and Elizabeth I respectively and the drama flows thick and fast.