The likelihood of a trilogy of movies being strong is very slim. Many movie goers have theirs. Mine would be Toy Story and I'm willing to add John Wick 3 to that conversation. While it doesn't do anything new, it has quite a bit of fresher material along with more intense fights and manipulations. It really does feel like Parabellum.
Where it starts, it is immediately following the events of the second, so watching the first two is necessary. Wick is in deep shit. Killing a man on continental grounds made him an excommunicado and now any assassins within an hour will hunt him down. On his own, he must make amends to get everyone off his back, and survive the magnitude of bullets and melee combat to get out of exile. The pacing was about as strong as the second and it didn't feel boring. The writers made points of when to come in guns blazing and when to slow down a bit.
There is less of a stylized approach, but it becomes a lot noticeable towards the later half of it. Regarding the gunplay, it is a lot more frantic due to the way the story is. And they find various ways to keep it from being stale and add in unique ways of Wick to kill and pacify anyone that gets in his way. It's balls to the wall and some of the fights are comical despite the serious nature of the film. I felt like I was watching a combination of Jackie Chan and Die Hard at the very beginning. That being said, the cinematography is top notch and there are still the same lengthy shots. Takes a lot of guts to have a few 30 second shots.
One thing to give credit is developing the characters a bit more. I got a feeling they will develop Laurence Fishburne's Bowery much more if there is a fourth movie. Ian McShane's Winston is still a slick man and we get to see a different side of Lance Reddick's Charon that make him more than just a supporting character. With new characters from this one, something tells me we haven't seen the last of Halle Berry's Sofia, along with the characters that Anjelica Huston and Asia Kate Dillon play. They seem like the perfect setup to finish up a franchise that has gotten better with each release. And it helps that each character has their own purpose and that there are pros and cons to their decisions and whether they help Wick or not. They did not rush this one bit.
Personally, it's going to be hard to top the frantic action and intense moments of John Wick 3. Add in a varied amount of music that compliments the scenes and you got a movie that doesn't overstay its welcome. It plays it smart and knew when to pull the punches. Definitely see it in theaters.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
Showing posts with label john wick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label john wick. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Stylized: John Wick 1 + 2
I've had a chance to watch some John Wick with the first two being on television. They're well received and I say it deserves the accolades a little bit. Pretty good. Not sure I'd say they're great, but solid films.
My thoughts on the first is simple. It builds up the momentum. Starts off slow and like a different movie. A bit more suspenseful as the title character vows revenge on the Russian mob for taking his car and killing his dog, a gift from his late wife. Once he gets back to the job he gave up for love, it does not let up. Plenty of bullets, kills, fist fights. Times where Wick finds himself in plenty of trouble, but finds a way to finish or outsmart the bad guys. Very flashy, and plenty of shots that go for five to fifteen, maybe twenty shot takes. No multiple cuts, especially when multiple killings occur. Some complaints include a bit louder audio in a number of scenes, and a plot that drags a little bit in the middle. Still, it's worth checking.
Chapter 2 is not a full rinse and repeat movie. They start off with frantic moments before slowing down a little bit. Wick now has a job to assassinate a guy's sister so he can take over a seat for a group. Some of the stuff is similar, but there is more than enough to not consider it a rehash. Not as much flash, but it is noticed towards the second half of the film. Plenty of action throughout, but the film knew when to slow down and when to get back into the fray. Still a lot of shots that go anywhere from five to twenty seconds. The end shootout struck me as an interesting idea and both sides trying to outsmart another. It was rather nice. A bit of double crosses and working for various sides, the job of an assassin does not end. Louder audio was still an issue, but not as bad compared to the first. Other than that, it doesn't drag as much. I'd say better than the first.
As far as acting for both films, it's well done. The scripts are given a bit of thought. Quite a bit of foreign language for a few scenes. Plenty of violence, but not much swearing. You don't need a bunch of F-bombs to be R rated for films like John Wick. It has me a bit curious about the third one that just came out. Kind of sad I missed out on the first two when they released. Give them a watch. You will understand a lot more from watching them in order.
Chapter 1: 7 out of 10
Chapter 2: 7.5 out of 10
My thoughts on the first is simple. It builds up the momentum. Starts off slow and like a different movie. A bit more suspenseful as the title character vows revenge on the Russian mob for taking his car and killing his dog, a gift from his late wife. Once he gets back to the job he gave up for love, it does not let up. Plenty of bullets, kills, fist fights. Times where Wick finds himself in plenty of trouble, but finds a way to finish or outsmart the bad guys. Very flashy, and plenty of shots that go for five to fifteen, maybe twenty shot takes. No multiple cuts, especially when multiple killings occur. Some complaints include a bit louder audio in a number of scenes, and a plot that drags a little bit in the middle. Still, it's worth checking.
Chapter 2 is not a full rinse and repeat movie. They start off with frantic moments before slowing down a little bit. Wick now has a job to assassinate a guy's sister so he can take over a seat for a group. Some of the stuff is similar, but there is more than enough to not consider it a rehash. Not as much flash, but it is noticed towards the second half of the film. Plenty of action throughout, but the film knew when to slow down and when to get back into the fray. Still a lot of shots that go anywhere from five to twenty seconds. The end shootout struck me as an interesting idea and both sides trying to outsmart another. It was rather nice. A bit of double crosses and working for various sides, the job of an assassin does not end. Louder audio was still an issue, but not as bad compared to the first. Other than that, it doesn't drag as much. I'd say better than the first.
As far as acting for both films, it's well done. The scripts are given a bit of thought. Quite a bit of foreign language for a few scenes. Plenty of violence, but not much swearing. You don't need a bunch of F-bombs to be R rated for films like John Wick. It has me a bit curious about the third one that just came out. Kind of sad I missed out on the first two when they released. Give them a watch. You will understand a lot more from watching them in order.
Chapter 1: 7 out of 10
Chapter 2: 7.5 out of 10
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