7 / 10. It’s a hard day’s night, when you’re working without your dog

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the third instalment in the action thriller on speed John Wick series. This chapter is directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins, and Marc Abrams.

John Wick 3 picks up shortly after the end of John Wick 2 with high-end hit man John Wick on the lam with big bounty on his head and labelled "excommunicado" and is stripped of the High Table’s protective services and allies. The hunter becomes the hunted as he inventively escapes numerous assassins seeking to collect on the bounty, leaving carnage from New York to the Moroccan desert.

The film gives us what we’ve come to expect from what is turning into a great action franchise. It has its tongue firmly in its cheek and a can get a bit silly, but it’s fun. The Fight choreography is slick as always. From the exceptional use of library books at the start to gorgeous and brutal dog bodyguards and a trek across the Moroccan desert, it’s an adrenaline fuelled ride.

Keanu Reeves gives his all as John Wick, he is well suited to this role, and it’s clear he loves every minute of it. There are some great actors in smaller roles including; Jerome Flynn as Berrada with a dodgy accent and providing the vaguest directions ever, and Halle Berry as Sofia, master dog handler. Laurence Fishburne as Bowery King, Lance Reddick as Charon and Ian McShane as Winston are super cool. A Crying Freeman-esque Mark Dacascos is a welcome addition to the hit man crowd as Zero. Anjelica Huston is awesome as The Director, but her part could’ve more substantial.

The Moroccan desert scenes look fantastic, but the mid part of the film is a bit odd, with a change of pace and the fight scenes at the start of the film, including the breath-taking motorbike chase were better than the finale fight scenes.

At least Wick’s dog is safe this time, not so sure about the horses :(

The ending was a bit far-fetched, but this is John Wick …

“The path to paradise begins in Hell.”