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Created Jun 16, 2019 06:41AM PST • Edited Apr 24, 2021 06:32AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Very Good 3.5

   I ignored Chapters 1 & 2 of John Wick. No longer, given the positive word of mouth about Chapter 3. That WoM is well earned by the movie itself, which is funny as hell without being a comedy. Plus, Keanu Reeves’ limited ability to recite dialog meets its moment as John Wick, with Parabellum the apotheosis.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   Keanu Reeves has his perfect role as John Wick, man of few words.

   • Ian McShane is always richly atmospheric, here the manager of the NY Continental Hotel.
   • Mark Dacascos underwhlems as a Japanese assassin who aligns with John Wick.
   • Laurence Fishburne chews scenery as an underground crime lord.
   • Asia Kate Dillon underwhelms as a deadly functionary.
   • Halle Berry still cuts a sexy figure as an ex-assassin with something to protect.
   • Lance Reddick is nearly as wooden as Keanu Reeves.
   • Anjelica Huston richly plays an elder of Ruska Roma society
   • Saïd Taghmaoui stands above it all as the Elder, the only man above the High Table.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Very Good 3.5

10. Film

    Very Good 3.5

    Keanu Reeves’ stunt double from the Matrix movies – Chad Stahelski – made his directorial debut with the original John Wick, returned for John Wick 2 and does so again for Chapter 3, bringing along John Wick writers Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins and Marc Abrams. Kolstaad conceived John Wick.

    So the John Wick films are a stunt double’s idea of a fancy film. Nearly 100 stunt performers make it so.

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play Good 3.0

13. Music Good 3.0

14. Visuals Really Great 4.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 2.8

    Savage violence is the joke here. Beware and be cool.

17. Sex Innocent 1.0

18. Violence Savage 4.5

19. Rudeness Profane 2.9

21. Reality

    Supernatural 3.7

    Yes it’s bonehead silly, yet Parabellum speaks truth about the ills of centralized control. The High Table controls people from a central office that harks back to telephone operators. In China, that’d now be the Ant Group’s Zhima Credit system, which is being used for the pan-China Social Credit System as a tool of centralized control by the socialist Chinese Government. Where’s the Chinese John Wick?

22. Circumstantial Surreal 3.0

23. Biological Supernatural 4.0

24. Physical Supernatural 4.0