At the end of the day it seems that Winston's alegiences have always been to The Continental.
The Adjudicator is just an observer for the High Table that ensures the the 'rules' are being strictly enforced. So far they haven't expressed any hints that they get their hands dirty at all.
Also I don't know if anyone else agrees with me, but one of the biggest flaws of John Wick 3 has to be
a lack of central villain for John (and the audience) to direct his fury. John Wick 1 had Viggo's son, Iosef and John Wick 2 had Santino - both extremely smarmy characters that you could root against. In the case of John Wick 3 Zero (Mark Dacascos) is actually ends up being too likable, he's a John Wick fanboy, and the Adjudicator never really shares any meaningful interaction with John to payoff at the climax.
I'm back home and I think my dad would like this. He's never seen the other 2 and isn't really available to watch em at home.
But he would be down for the theater.
How beginner friendly is 3?
Any recap at the beginning?
No recap, but the plot of 3 is actually exceedingly simple - however there is esoteric jargon and rules associated with the unique world building that might make events feel arbitrary to a casual viewer who hasn't seen the previous films. I'd personally avoid watching the third if you haven't seen the previous films even though you don't need to know any of that to enjoy the action spectacle.
I thought it was fantastic; matching 1 & 2. I just love that the three movies can be watched as one long one if you really want!
Only John Wick gun-fu gets me so giddy in the cinema these days. I got my incredibly satisfying shotgun action, everything else was just gravy. Having said that:
Please give me a prequel with Halle Berry & Dog Wick!
I will say one of the things that really felt missing was the lack of Le Castle Vania's magic touch! It's absence was really felt for me.
Hope he's back for a theoretical sequel.
Loved it for the most part and my favourite of the three. A rare film where I wished it just kept going even longer.
The action sequences were all very creative and felt quite distinct from one another, they were beautifully shot and edited as you'd expect. Halle Berry and those dogs, man. Must've been a technical/logistical nightmare to film that sequence lmao
The film nearly lost me when
they ass-pull that John can get the excommunicado revoked, but I'm glad this was quickly dealt with in like 10-15 minutes, as otherwise it would've felt like a huge cop-out on the John vs. The World premise. Also almost groaned when John used the Continental as sanctuary as it felt like another ass-pull, but then like 5 minutes later it gets deconsecrated, so I think these plot points will go down smoother on a second viewing when I know they're all part of the plot's overall twisty fabric
Also thought it was kinda dopey how blatantly people were murdered in crowded places and nobody gave a shit. I know they did this in the last film but it stuck out more to me here. I guess it's a joke about New Yorkers being cold/uncaring?
I really liked the Easter egg cameo right at the beginning
the keymaker from The Matrix sequels as the doctor
As for the poster who asked about Winston
him turning on John didn't really surprise me at all. At the end of the day these people live in such a ruthless environment it felt natural and barely a "betrayal" at that point. Nicely reflects Winston talking about dying at your friend's hand earlier in the film. Though given the ambiguity of Winston's behaviour generally, I wouldn't be surprised if he shot at John to give him a vague fighting chance of escaping the rooftop rather than being wiped out by the next hit squad.
As for the ending
I was quite surprised that it ended up so open. I expected either John to die or more likely find a way to escape forever, so the fact we're getting John Wick 4 is quite unexpected. I REALLY wished Carrie Anne Moss showed up in the sewer at the end. I don't care that it's fan service, it would've been so cool to bring her into the fold
I knew it looked similar in the trailers, glad it's a deliberate homage. The action scenes in The Villainess are even better than the ones in John Wick imo, but it's really close.
Gonna be an outlier here and say the Villainess is pretty overrated. The bike set-piece is really cool but too much of the action has goofy/blurry digital zooms, bad editing and awful CGI (especially near the end).
So the big Regal in town will show the movie in IMAX, but not tomorrow night. It only starts Friday. Anyone who wanted to see it in IMAX but your theater wasn't playing it as of yesterday may want to double check showtimes.
Loved it for the most part and my favourite of the three. A rare film where I wished it just kept going even longer.
The action sequences were all very creative and felt quite distinct from one another, they were beautifully shot and edited as you'd expect. Halle Berry and those dogs, man. Must've been a technical/logistical nightmare to film that sequence lmao
The film nearly lost me when
they ass-pull that John can get the excommunicado revoked, but I'm glad this was quickly dealt with in like 10-15 minutes, as otherwise it would've felt like a huge cop-out on the John vs. The World premise. Also almost groaned when John used the Continental as sanctuary as it felt like another ass-pull, but then like 5 minutes later it gets deconsecrated, so I think these plot points will go down smoother on a second viewing when I know they're all part of the plot's overall twisty fabric
Also thought it was kinda dopey how blatantly people were murdered in crowded places and nobody gave a shit. I know they did this in the last film but it stuck out more to me here. I guess it's a joke about New Yorkers being cold/uncaring?
I really liked the Easter egg cameo right at the beginning
the keymaker from The Matrix sequels as the doctor
As for the poster who asked about Winston
him turning on John didn't really surprise me at all. At the end of the day these people live in such a ruthless environment it felt natural and barely a "betrayal" at that point. Nicely reflects Winston talking about dying at your friend's hand earlier in the film. Though given the ambiguity of Winston's behaviour generally, I wouldn't be surprised if he shot at John to give him a vague fighting chance of escaping the rooftop rather than being wiped out by the next hit squad.
As for the ending
I was quite surprised that it ended up so open. I expected either John to die or more likely find a way to escape forever, so the fact we're getting John Wick 4 is quite unexpected. I REALLY wished Carrie Anne Moss showed up in the sewer at the end. I don't care that it's fan service, it would've been so cool to bring her into the fold
Gonna be an outlier here and say the Villainess is pretty overrated. The bike set-piece is really cool but too much of the action has goofy/blurry digital zooms, bad editing and awful CGI (especially near the end).
I don't think that's an outlier opinion. Reception to it here always seemed mixed, while reviews were positive about the movie but largely criticized it as impressive but flawed, melodramatic, and convoluted
Fun action flick, which I couldn't stop smiling throughout.
Halle Berry's scene was surprising, like it went beyond my expectation. She really stole the show for a while.
It was defiantly more gruesome this time, don't even want to think what they will try if there is an Wick 4.
There just something about Wick and stations where dumb things just happen.
Was hoping for more scenes with Lance Reddick being an badass. The underwater bit was pretty cool.
And the ending twist, I just couldn't comprehend what was going on during it. Was Winston betraying Wick or is it to help him escape? did he fuck up his only chance of killing the Baba Yaga. Ahhhh.
Can't wait. I'm one of the weird ones that prefer Chapter 2 to the first one. If only because of how much it opens the universe up (and I'm a sucker for country-hopping action films).
Seeing impressions, the only thing that could "dissapoint" me is not getting Lance Reddick kick some ass, so here's hoping.
just got out. best action movie this year easy.
this year's MI6. This should be nominated in so many technical catagory (sound, cinematography, costume, etc)
when it ends, and sets up the 4th movie, I lose my shit.
cant fucking wait, and please cast iko uwais
for those that watched in imax, is it worth? I am considering it for my rewatch
Rewatching the first movie, it's cool that even though they weren't planning on sequels, it subtly lays the groundwork for what would happen in 2. Mainly his wife's note hinting at how the car was also important to him and Winston warning John that returning to the life would have worse consequences.
Saw it. I loved it; but I think 2 still edges it for me. Someone mentioned previously that there wasn't an obvious villain to get pissed off with - and I'd agree with that.
I'm not sure how they keep topping themselves with the action sequences - I feel like this one had a lot of laughs because the action was so over the top.
It's a bit... strange, to see how John is also such an incredible hand-to-hand combatant in the movie. Like, beat up 50 guys back to back with punches and kicks level of competent, since I did not get that impression in Wick 1 and 2, where he's a demon with guns and weapons but a bit scrappy with melee fights.
A bit surprising to see
an Arab guy as the highest leader of the whole High Table organization
It's a bit... strange, to see how John is also such an incredible hand-to-hand combatant in the movie. Like, beat up 50 guys back to back with punches and kicks level of competent, since I did not get that impression in Wick 1 and 2, where he's a demon with guns and weapons but a bit scrappy with melee fights.
Not exactly. 1 & 2 has him destroying regular enemies up close (see the guys who come to kill him at home and his general ju-jitsu/judo moves) but struggles in fights with combatants who are skilled, mainly Viggo's guy in the club and Cassian in 2. And if he's caught off-guard, like with the assassins upon returning to New York in 2
Haven't seen 3 yet, but if he's just fighting goons hand-to-hand, he should be dominating, but getting some injuries along the way. To be fair, the classic pencil story establishes him as a brutal melee fighter.
Haven't seen 3 yet, but if he's just fighting goons hand-to-hand, he should be dominating, but getting some injuries along the way. To be fair, the classic pencil story establishes him as a brutal melee fighter.
I mean, he's John Wick. He's still better than them by nature of being who he is in that universe. But I'm assuming he isn't effortlessly defeating them in these fights, but is getting exhausted and receiving some injuries too?
I mean, he's John Wick. He's still better than them by nature of being who he is in that universe. But I'm assuming he isn't effortlessly defeating them in these fights, but is getting exhausted and receiving some injuries too?
Hahah well yeah, but exhaustion and injuries seems like only window dressing in here, with Wick still as efficient with them as he is without them. I think the way the movie handle melee fights in here is a bit weird, like you have first part of the fights where Wick got completely overwhelmed by his melee-expert opponents and then the next second as if by magic he completely turned the tables on them. It seems like the lethality of his melee experts opponents just suddenly plummets down for no reason at all.
Not to mention they have like numerous opportunities to 100% kill him if they want to but for some reason they won't, lol, but this I chalk as just a cliched plot armor trope.
Hahah well yeah, but exhaustion and injuries seems like only window dressing in here, with Wick still as efficient with them as he is without them. I think the way the movie handle melee fights in here is a bit weird, like you have first part of the fights where Wick got completely overwhelmed by his melee-expert opponents and then the next second as if by magic he completely turned the tables on them.
Not to mention they have like numerous opportunities to 100% kill him if they want to but for some reason they won't, lol, but this I chalk as just a cliched plot armor trope.
Wounds always have been like that in these movies. Remember that John Wick 2 takes place like the day after 1, and he had a bleeding stab wound to the side for the second half of the first movie. Doesn't come into play past Perkins hitting him there during their fight. The gunshots from the violin assassin in 2 only matters for that segment and then he's basically fine for the final act
Wounds always have been like that in these movies. Remember that John Wick 2 takes place like the day after 1, and he had a bleeding stab wound to the side for the second half of the first movie. Doesn't come into play past Perkins hitting him there during his fight. The gunshots from the violin assassin in 2 only matters for that segment and then he's basically fine for the final act
Well, yeah, seems a bit silly but eh, action movie tropes, what can you do.
To be clear, I like the movie, and seeing two of the dragons from the bad guys' side are Indonesians is a hoot, especially when they make a conversation with Wick in Indonesian and he replied in Indonesian too, that's really great.
All in all though, I think I like the 1st one the best among all three, since everything still has that new and mysterious luster in it (the best scene in the entire trilogy is still the "Oh" from Viggo, no contest), and then 2, and then 3 the last.
Well, yeah, seems a bit silly but eh, action movie tropes, what can you do.
To be clear, I like the movie, and seeing two of the dragons from the bad guys' side are Indonesians is a hoot, especially when they make a conversation with Wick in Indonesian and he replied in Indonesian too, that's really great.
All in all though, I think I like the 1st one the best among all three, since everything still has that new and mysterious luster in it (the best scene in the entire trilogy is still the "Oh" from Viggo, no contest), and then 2, and then 3 the last.
Delving headlong into the lore and larger-than-life underworld was the best thing the series did IMO. Everything I've read/heard about 3 says that it doubles-down on that stuff, which is very exciting. Doing so basically turned the series into an action playground to just unleash amazing stuntwork and choreography.
I'm hoping the pacing is more...even in 3, though. 2 is like:
- 20 minutes of a John Wick 1 epilogue
- then John Wick 2 finally starts, with another 30 minutes of set-up
- then 90 minutes of essentially non-stop action.
Now that the series is done with that transition from small-scale revenge story with eccentric fringes to an action flick with a full-blown mythology, 3 doesn't have to spend time setting so many things up. I don't mind that set-up - it's fun, stylish, interesting, and John's prep montage never gets old - but it does keep JW2 from topping stuff like Fury Road, The Raid, The Matrix, T2, Die Hard, etc
Saw it yesterday. It was great, but slightly weaker than 1 and 2. Dog scene was amazing, but I think my favourite shootout is still the club in JW1.
But this had plenty of awesomeness in it too. One thing I didn't like was the
lame "I serve and I will be of service" stuff and the fact that John decided to re-enlist again (and that it was even possible).
Fortunately they went back to the "kill everyone" afterwards.
And yeah if Trinity was there at the end that would have been perfect, shame about the lost opportunity.
I liked it. Can't remember much of part 2 but I don't think 3 is as good as part 1. Probably on par with 2 from what I do recall. Overall a solid action movie. Halle Barre fight scene was sooo good. Keanu is badass as always.
I just can't imagine anyone ever saying that the John Wick movies don't have stakes. They aren't "save the world" stakes which is why they are so much more relatable films even though they are just as insane as Marvel movies, though in a completely different way.
Not really a spoiler, but regarding the melee vs shootouts:
Did anyone else feel there was a discrepancy between the two? Specifically the Casablanca and the (first part of the) Continental shootouts felt more quantity over quality. While the choreo was obviously great, I felt a real lack of place and impact in those scenes. Melee combat was king for me in this one.
