John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Review Round-Up

Action fans have been anxiously awaiting next week’s release of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the third installment in the ever-popular Keanu Reeves franchise. Fortunately, it sounds like this film is actually going to be worth the wait. The embargo on critic reviews lifted on Friday morning, and just about everybody is pretty high on the high-octane action thriller.

Some of the milder reviews are saying that the story of John Wick 3 is dull, even non-existent at times, but that the action and stunts are second-to-none. Those who are much higher on the movie are saying a lot of things fans have been hoping to hear. Several reviews are calling the new movie, once again directed by Chad Stahelski, the best installment of the entire John Wick franchise so far.

This is definitely good news for those excited about another John Wick adventure. At the very worst, it sounds like you’ll still get your money’s worth on the action alone. However, there’s also a chance that it could end up being your favorite of the John Wick films.

Continue scrolling below to check out a few of the reviews for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.

Variety

Variety critic Andrew Barker praised the action sequences and stunt choreography in the movie, but said that the violence took over the story, leading to a somewhat disappointing affair.

“But as masterfully executed as the action is, watching two-plus hours of mayhem without any palpable dramatic stakes, or nuance, or any emotion at all save bloodlust offers undeniably diminishing returns. There are only so many times you can see a bullet pass through a skull before it gets deadening, and then almost dull.”

You can read Variety’s full review here.

We Got This Covered

Matt Donato of We Got This Covered says that John Wick: Chapter 3 simply provides more of what we loved from the first two movies, taking the story even bigger than before. It’s familiar, but that’s not at all a bad thing.

“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is a gunsmoke hazy, bloody-knuckle ruthless, impossibly badass Wickian continuation. Every offered and foreseeable ass is proficiently kicked. Or karate chopped. Or headshot combo’d. Or shotgun blasted into oblivion. Or attack dog mauled. Or body-slammed through glass. Or swordplay carved. Or pulverized. Or…you catch my drift. Director Chad Stahelski and writer Derek Kolstad are three films into their action spectacle franchise, and each has raised the last’s ante. More of the same? Yeah, I’m thinking John’s back…again.”

You can read We Got This Covered’s full review here.

/Film

/Film critic Chris Evangelista says that this new John Wick is not only an action masterpiece, but easily the best installment of the entire series to-date.

“In the John Wick universe, the law of diminishing returns does not exist. Somehow, each new entry in the action franchise only ups its game, going bigger, bolder, and crazier. With John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, director Chad Stahelski takes the series to new heights, upping the stakes, expanding the mythology, and unleashing one jaw-dropping action sequence after another, to a point where it becomes damn near euphoric. John Wick 3 is a bone-cracking, horse-kicking, dog-biting, book-smashing, ax-throwing action masterpiece.”

You can read /Film’s full review here.

Birth.Movies.Death.

Even though the antics keep getting wilder with each and every John Wick movie, BMD’s Todd Gilchrist writes that the quality of the third installment still manages to keep the pace.

“John Wick’s dyspeptic charm, lethal skill and indefatigable resourcefulness remain unvarnished in Reeves’ capable hands, but even under the watchful eye of the franchise’s chief shepherds, writer Derek Kolstad and director Chad Stahelski, this third installment aims to conclude the title character’s story with an ending that seems to get further away the more desperately he – and they – try to race towards it.”

You can read BMD’s full review here.

IGN

Jim Vejvoda of IGN says that the new movie takes things back to the roots of the John Wick franchise, and certainly won’t leave fans of the series disappointed.

“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum brings the title character back to his roots while also offering new twists to where things could go from here, all with the over-the-top, brutally executed action set-pieces fans have come to expect from the franchise. They will not leave disappointed.”

You can read the full IGN review here.

Uproxx

Mike Ryan, critic at Uproxx, echoes the sentiments of quite a few other reviewers when it comes to John Wick 3, saying it’s definitely the best chapter in the franchise.

“So this is where we pick up, with John Wick on the run. And that’s pretty much the plot of the entire film. I do not mean that in any sort of flippant way — that’s what this movie is and I love the fact that it’s pretty much just John Wick running for his life, stopping every so often to fight assassins. Wick’s goal on the run is to get to the Director (Anjelica Huston), who trained young John Wick and is the only one who can save him now – but, at a price. The whole thing is just relentless.”

You can read Uproxx’s full review here.

Polygon

Polygon critic Karen Han says that John Wick: Chapter 3 somehow improves on the formula of the franchise’s first two beloved installments, even if the middle of the movie is a little slow.

“To be clear, there is nothing wrong with the Wick formula. The middle drags — particularly so in Parabellum, despite a fight scene with attack dogs and a pleasant guest appearance from Game of Thrones‘ Bronn — but, gosh, are the beginning and end a total blast.”

Read Polygon’s full review here.