Written by Sean Ho
You would have definitely come across John Wick in your scours of new movie releases or on the way to rewatch the trailer of Avengers: Endgame, and the third installment of the trilogy puts John Wick, reprised by the President of actors you can never hate, Keanu Reeves, running and gunning for his life as he tries to make his way out of New York. Now, I won’t deny that John Wick is a total Badass, but when we last saw John, he wasn’t in the best situation as John is on the run for two reasons, he’s being hunted for a global $14 million open contract on his life, and for breaking a central rule of taking a life on Continental Hotel grounds. Let’s break down what we know so far in the trailer.
Already the trailer shows that it won’t be a stroll in the park for Wick. Even the movie title, indicates to a full-scale battle, as Parabellum roughly translates to ‘prepare for war,’ taken from a famous phrase, ‘Si vis pacem, para bellum,’ which then translates to ‘If you want peace, prepare for war.’ Evidently too as Wick did mention he’ll have to kill them all if he has to at the end of Chapter 2.
Set pieces are much more varied this time round, as Wick faces his adversaries in a more eclectic set piece, ranging from what looks to be an antic weapon shop, a highway shoot-out on motorcycles, and Wick gunning down adversaries on a horse. It’s fucking fantastic.
According to Stahelski, the movie will feature “horses, dogs, cats, a raven, a bunch of pigeons” and not to mention “shotguns and ninjas”.
You will notice Wick seeking for help from Sofia (Halle Berry), because Reeves has teased that the two have a past, but can she be trusted, more so with the contract out on Wick? While no backstory has been given with regards to Sofia’s relationship with Wick, an educated guess would land that they may have been partners who split on rough terms.
Keanu Reeves isn’t alone in the sequel as The Bowery King, Continental Hotel owner Winston, Continental concierge Charon and chop shop owner Aurelio all reprise their role. In the previous movie, The Bowery King and Winston were on Wick’s side, but the new trailer then suggests otherwise. This fact is also hinted at the promotional pictures with the caption, ‘old friends, new enemies.’
Adding to John Wick’s problems, include Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman from The Raid fame will star as professional assassins, supplemented by martials arts star, Tiger Hu Chen. It’s safe to say John will have a little bit to deal with on his plate.
The movie also makes time to include a Matrix reference to it. When Winston asks what he needs, John replies, “Guns. Lots of guns.”
What we can summarise from all this can be said in three words: fast, intense, violent. And sometimes, that’s all we need to consume.
