(film review) - John Wick 3 - Parabellum

Chapter 3. Where this, now trilogy, should close the story of John Wick and his quest for vengeance leaving him to live a life as a retired hitman in the tranquillity he sees fit.  It’s like, after every movie, you reminisce back to how we got here.  How did it all start? His dog was murdered, he avenged it.  His car was stolen, he retrieved it.  The only thing John has a problem getting back, is his retirement, as finding his was back into the underworld of, well…let’s call it, The Hitman Society has proved to cause more harm than good.  Well, more dead bodies by The Babayagga, but we won’t get into that just yet.

In case I haven’t explained why I love these movies properly, I’ll break it down. John Wick is just like an 80’s or 90’s film where, titular hero, John Rambo? John McClane? John Matrix, even? Take on hordes of enemies who are trying to kill him and he survives.  It’s about suspending disbelief where some elements of the movie may seem unrealistic, but you enjoy the ride anyway.  The story might not be Oscar worthy, but you enjoy the ride anyway.  In most recent years, there hasn’t been much movies, if any that recapture the glory decades of such films.  Some over the top violence, one liners and such, other than the ones that are trying too hard.  Some may argue that the Fast and Furious franchise is among them, but that’s family *he says in his best Vin Diesel voice* and his name isn’t John, it’ Dominic.

The John Wick franchise is the 80’s and 90’s action movies, compressed into an up-to-date, stylish romp with lots of imagination trying to be as realistic as possible.  If you can watch a superhero movie which is largely based off of the comics, bar a handful, then you can watch Mr. Wick escape certain death, repeatedly.  I mean, John McClane wouldn’t Die Hard…well, until they ruined the last one in 2012.  Let’s see what the latest instalment will do, if they ever get to it…I hope not, with that Year One premise.

Anyway, back to the movie…

John Wick is now excommunicado losing all access and privileges of the Hitman Society with a huge 14 million bounty on his head after the events of the last movie.  He is literally a dead man walking.  The continental is off limits as well as any friends or allies he once worked with as they are all included in the worldwide broadcast and may want to collect the reward themselves.  John must stay on the run, avoiding death, literally at every corner to seek a meeting with The Elder, the person at the head of the High Table to negotiate some sort of deal.

This movie does not disappoint from the previous movies and if you have made it this far watching the previous two, you are already enjoying the ride.  I feel as though the movies just get better and better as they give you nothing but fight scene after fight scene after fight scene after brutal kills after fight scene after more brutal kills after even more brutal kills, book fight, horse fight, bike fight and if not, ALL kills ending with a headshot or two at the continental, of all places!  The action.  The Visuals.  The comedy.  There are places to nit-pick, if you must, but it doesn’t take away from the film as a whole, because the film’s pacing does not slow down.  Well, apart from the desert scene, but other than that, nearly every scene is soo masterfully done, you may want to frame certain shots.  I didn’t even mention the dog fight, di I?

if you were a fan of the previous movies, I don’t see you coming away from this movie with negative thoughts as they simply expand on what came before and take it that much more further.  The director Chad Stahelski, has only made 3 movies and the previous two were John Wick movies, so he is definitely on a roll.  I’d say that, due to the movie being a ‘Chapter 3’, is an absolute MUST that you see the first two previous movies as they continue from one another and you might just be confused otherwise, because the film expects you to have experienced the previous movies and not even try to hold your hand with any narrative or exposition at all!

Go watch it if you are a John Wick fan! If not, watch it after you see the first 2 at least.

(film review) - John Wick: Chapter 2

Just when you thought the brilliant story had ended.  Just when you thought The Babayaga came out of the shadows to play and now playtime is over!  Just when you thought the guy that everybody is afraid of, was going to return to his life of solitude with his new dog! YOU. WERE. WRONG!!!

The story picks up only four days after the events of John Wick, where after seeking revenge for the murder of his cute dog, John hasn’t forgotten his beloved and stolen 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, where he continues his rampage to rescue it from a chop shop owned by Abram Tarasov (peter Stormare), brother of Viggo and Uncle of Iosef.  Having retrieved his Mustang, john is later visited by Italian crime lord, Santino D/Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio).  Santino forces John to honour the promise upon his marker and carry out one last job, which is the only thing that will allow him to return to retirement life.  But will john honour his word and carry out the task and fulfil his marker or will he carry out his retirement life as planned?

At this rate, John should change his home address if people keep knocking on his door like girl scouts, right?  I’m sure WE are ‘in agreement here!?’  This movie is just what the first movie ordered, nothing but fight scene after fight scene after fight scene after brutal kills after fight scene after more brutal kills after even more brutal kills, a splash of car chasing and debauchery and with the most, if not ALL kills ending with a headshot or two in an art gallery and such.  The last movie had an epic gun-fu fight in a night club which went WITH the music.  This movie!  Sigh.  There is a scene where two men are casually stalking each other firing their guns at one another in a crowded street without ANYONE noticing.  There is a scene where John throws a gun at a man’s head because he was out of bullets.  I cannot express my joy and odd laughs you get during this movie from somewhat, graphic violence or the absurdity of certain situations and scenarios.

I feel like everything I said in my last review, this review is basically that x2 and a gold star. Keanu Reeves is no longer Neo, his name is John Wick.  And if the director and the people behind this movie, such as the writers and producers, continue to deliver such a fun-filled romp of violence in this neo-noir action movie in the continued style and finesse, visually, we will continue to want this until Keanu is physically unable to do it anymore.  I mean, he is 54 and kicking ass!

(film review) - John Wick

In film, sometimes the best stories are the ones that are the simpliest.  I can't think of any to hand, but if push comes to shove and of late, maybe Mad Max: Fury Road.  For the spectacle that it is, from what I understood from the story of that particular movie, Max is in a situation and he needs to get from point A to point B. Meets someone along the way who wants to go to point D and he's not too sure about them, but decides to travel with them to help them while they both desperately try to escape an ever engaging and relentless force chasing them.
John Wick, well, not quite like that but simple enough with even less moving parts to the story.

The general synopsis is, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a retired family man.  After his wife contracts a terminal illness and leaves John a dog to remember her by, John is soon confronted by Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), the son of Viggo Tarasov, the head of the Russian crime syndicate in New York. He offers to buy John's car but John respectfully declines.  Iosef then actively finds John, breaches his home, beats him up, kills the dog and takes the car.  From that point on, John is forced to go back to his old ways and seek revenge for not only taking his car....but for killing his dog.  You see this in the trailer and it really couldn't get any simpler.  And who would have thought how exciting and entertaining that premise is?

It is difficult not to spoil this movie, well if it can actually be spoiled, because there isn't any twists and turns. There isn't anything too riveting or anything to really spoil, other than a man going on a mission to seek vengeance on a dead dog...I mean, it really is THAT linear and considering the circumstances, that dog WAS really cute.  However this movie is executed (Get it?) very well and does exactly what it says on the tin with finesse.  This movie also works very well with the lore and world it creates making you want to know more about this world and how it works.  How the cogs turn and how vast it may expand.

A neo-noir action thriller directed by Chad Stahelski that gives you nothing but fight scene after fight scene after fight scene after brutal kills after fight scene after more brutal kills after even more brutal kills and with most, if not ALL kills ending with a headshot or two.  I mean, I am missing one element from this movie which I will hold close to my chest as a spoiler, but it's nothing big at all, but kind of explains Keanu's character and  provides a little effectiveness for this review, I guess. 

In essence , you could look at this as a superhero movie or comic book movie although it is very grounded in reality, does come across as a graphic novel.  This movie is written very, very well, especially if you like colours and style.  If you like a simple revenge flick where 1 man takes on an army of people (almost like Judge Dredd in a Tower taking on many foes to get to the end boss), then this movie is definitely for you.  Or Raid, did you watch Raid? Blimey!

(film review) - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

And JUST when you thought there wasn't going to be another 'Pirates of the Caribbean' film, Jack Sparrow comes back unpredictably, swashbuckling in a drunken disorderly mess, speaking in a riddling bag of nonsense that makes you think, 'Is he not going to sober up and actually start walking half normal/civil?' But it is very clear that the character Jack Sparrow, played exceptionally well by Johnny Depp, is a very different Pirate to follow and understand.

On Stranger Tides is basically a tale of a king, pirates and more pirates, searching for a "mythological" place called 'The Fountain of Youth' hinted at the end of the third film. All having their own reasons as to why they embark on this journey to seek the fountain, you would have thought it was for extended life, but for some, it is a grudge to settle.

Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) once captain of the Black Pearl, now a privateer in service to the British Navy after having lost Jack's ship, the Black Pearl, as well as his leg wants to settle an old score, whilst ruthless Blackbeard (Ian McShane), who possesses supernatural powers and practices voodoo magic wants the Fountain's power to circumvent his predestined fatal encounter with a one-legged man.
King George II (Richard Griffiths) wants Jack to guide an expedition to the Fountain of Youth before the Spanish locate it. However, things go wrong when Angelica (Penélope Cruz), Jack's former lover is caught by Jack for impersonating him and then after a escape, a sword fight and a spot of swimming, Jack wakes up aboard Blackbeards ship, Queen Anne's Revenge where he is then forced to lead Blackbeard to the Fountain.

This is no easy quest as there are a few things you need first before you can prolong your life. 1. is two silver chalices once belonging to Juan Ponce de León. 2. Water from the 'Fountain of Youth'. And last but not least, 3. A Mermaid's Tear. And to capture Ariel, the Little Mermaid is a task in itself.

This film is out NOW and should you be a fan of Johnny Depp, Ian McShane or a fan of the movies, you will like this. There is enough drunken antics from Jack Sparrow to keep you entertained and enough smart lines here and there to also make you chuckle.

Go and watch.

(film review) - 44 Inch Chest

To me, this wasn't a gangster film. I guess it had most of the elements of one, but fell short on, well, some real gangster stuff.
I'll explain, this film is like Reservoir Dogs. It is all based in one room like it however, this has more to do with the trials, tribulations and torment of a broken man.

Colin Diamond (Ray Winstone) is a gangster, but becomes jealous of the fact that his wife, Liz, has left him for a younger, leaner, more handsome, French guy. Struck in a fit of Rage, Colin is found distraught on the floor of his home where he is found laying there by pal, Archie (Tom Wilkinson), who then tells other pals, Old Man Peanut (John Hurt), Mal (Stephen Dillane) and Meredith (Ian McShane) to help put the puzzle together of their mate, Colin and help him get himself together and take revenge on Liz's Loverboy (Melvin Poupaud).

The film for me was different and excellent. There isn't one film I can think of that touches on the love a man has for his misses and what is going through his head at the time he finds out she's cheated on him, his initial reaction, after his reaction and the cause and affect of his reactions in so much detail. He goes barmy. Drinks alcohol as it is water and then starts hallucinating crazy things and starts to get paranoid and thinks that everyone (all his mates) have been sleeping with his wife too.

This film questions Love. What it is. What people would do for love. What people can do to destroy love. How people treat love and how love can destroy someone's very being. I felt that the film was too 'on point'. Sometimes you fall out of love, find someone new, but if someone is still in love with you, the affects it has is madness and even literally.

The film was very well written and acted out. Every character was wicked. My favourite was Old Man Peanut as I found him hilarious and as for Meredith, the dark and sinister poof, he was really good.
I don't want to spoil this film for anyone as I do feel you do have to watch it for yourself before you give judgement. I'd just like to say, it's an English film and a gangster film, but just without the gangster ish! It's different to Lock, Stock, Snatch and This Is England as this is in a different league. However, I do think it's a film more for the men.

If you want something English, something real in which you can possibly relate to and something that is well written and acted out, then this will definately be your film!
Go out and see it when it comes out!
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