*The Warlock is in his Lair with The Grand Wizard in the recliner reading the newspaper. The doorbell rings and Warlock answers it. He’s thrown a package by the irate Darnell The Delivery Guy*
W: Oh sweet, its here.
Wizard: What’s here?
W: John Wick Chapter 3, today was the release date.
Wi: Are we watching it?
W: Yes.
*Warlock takes his seat in the recliner*
W: Yes folks, John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum is here. John Wick is now on the run from the High Table after murdering Santino D’Antonio. He’s got a 14 million dollar bounty on his head and is Excomunnicado. Let’s see how this turns out in JOHN WICK CHAPTER 3: PARABELLUM.
Written by Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins and Marc Abrams
Directed by Chad Stahelski
Cast:
John Wick (Keanu Reeves)
Sofia (Halle Berry)
Winston (Ian McShane)
Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne)
Zero (Mark Dacascos)
The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon)
Charon (Lance Reddick)
Earl (Tobias Segal)
The Director (Anjelica Huston)
The Elder (Said Taghmaoui)
Berrada (Jerome Flynn)
Doctor (Randall Duk Kim)
Operator (Margret Daly)
Administrator (Robin Lord Taylor)
Librarian (Susan Blommaert)
Ballerina (Unity Phelan)
Tick Tock Man (Jason Mantzoukas)
Ticket Taker (Andrea Sooch)
Ruska Roma (Sergio Delavicci)
Ruska Roma Guards (Alexey Golusenko, Oscar Pavlo)
Shinobi (Cecep Arif Rahman, Yayan Ruhian)
Ballet Choreographer (Tiler Peck)
Dress Rehearsal Ballerinas (Baily Jones, India Bradley, Olivia MacKinnon, Sarah Villwock, Eliza Blutt, Harrison Coll)
Ernest (Boban Marjanovic)
Ballet Instructors (Maxim Beloserkovsky, Charles Askegard, Stefaniya Makarova)
NY Taxi Driver (Jeff Waxman)
Yassin (Aissam Bouali)
Zahir (Mustapha Adidou)
Assassins (Ahmed Adel, Kristoffe Brodeur, John Gettier, Jarrell Hall, Ronnie Magri, Mounir Quazzani, Candace Smith)
Passerby (Amanda Anthony)
Pedestrians (Xan Aspero, Komal Charania, Renee Compton, Marmee Regine Cosico, Remi Pann Irene, David L Marston, Shade Rupe, Paul Tawczynski, Kayla Thompson, Michael A Thompson, Jacklyn Thrapp)
Commuters (Jonathan Benevento, John DiGiorgio, Suzanne LaChasse, Bob Leszczak)
Homeless Assassins (Richard Bird, Scott Martin)
Ruska Roma Sentry (Paul Bonar)
Ruska Roma Doorman (Joseph Gerard Sabatino)
Continental Guard/Secruity (Michael Carey, David Chen, Justin Clarke)
Ghost Assassin (Kenneth Carrella)
Man Without Umbrella (Larry Chan)
Triad (Tiger Hu Chen)
Police Officer (Vincent Cucuzza_
Switch Board Operator (Kay Day, Nicole Michele Guilbault, Kelly Rae LeGault)
Russian Ruska (Robbie DeRaffele)
Friend (Frank Fernandez)
Driver (Ryan Funigiello)
Taxi Drivers (Nimo Gandhi, Ray Rosario)
Train Passenger (Les Gardonyi)
Foundry Guard (Khalid Ghajji)
Homeless Man (Dan Gruenberg)
Homeless Woman (Annie Pisapia)
Russian Assassin (Christian A Guerrero)
Library Patrons (Rosemary Howard, Jarrod LaBine, Michael A McGrath, Vincent Pauloicelli)
Sambo Instructor (Stephen Koepfer)
Park Girl (Faith Logan)
Roma (Roman Mitichyan)
Library Girl (Inna Muratova)
Cashier (Anthony Padilla)
Gangsters (Diezel Ramos, Alex Xenos)
Commuters (Carl Salonen, Adrian Valle Torres)
Bobby Long (Robert Samuels)
Jenna (Dana Shick)
Muscle (Silvio Simac)
Balloon Boy (Giuseppe Virzi)
Huang (Roger Yuan)
Bowery King Bodyguard (McManus Woodend)
*Wizard reads the tag-line*
Wi: “Super assassin John Wick is on the run after killing a member of the international assassins guild and with a $14 million price tag on his head. He is the target of hitmen and women everywhere.”
Wa: Doesn’t look good for Wick.
*Opening credits set to psychedelic montage of markers and bullets. Statue of Liberty is shown*
Wi: The Ghostbusters put it back in its place.
*John Wick and his dog run through the streets as the order that he’s been excommunicado goes through. His bounty is $14 million*
W: Anyone who caps him would never have to work again.
*Winston returns to The Continental with Charon. Charon hopes Wick is okay and Winston says John broke the rules. Winston says John has a 14 million dollar bounty on his head and everyone on the planet wants it, so the odds are about even*
Wi: Hahahaha
*Wick runs into a dark alley and checks his watch. He spots a homeless guy who says “Tick Tock Mr. Wick”*
Wa: What, they can’t touch him until 6 PM?
Wi: They can, but he’s still technically protected then.
*Wick hands a gold coin to the cab driver and tells him to make sure Charon gets the dog. The cab driver says “Yes sir Mr. Wick”
W: Least the dog will be alright.
*Wick runs to the New York Public Library and asks for a specific book. He heads to the spot where the book is located and its his emergency stash of money, a marker, a pendant and a picture of him and his wife. He takes everything but the picture and puts it back. All of a sudden Ernest shows up*
W: Heh, he played in the NBA.
*Ernest wants to fight Wick now and Wick says he still has time, Ernest doesn’t care. They brawl in the library and Wick snaps his neck on the book before he puts it back covered in blood. Wick figures out he’s been stabbed and runs to the Continental Doctor*
W: He better make it quick.
*Bowery King says they’ll honor the Excommunicado. Meanwhile Doc refuses to let Wick in but Wick says he has 5 minutes. Doc lets him in*
W: They’ll shoot this guy.
WI: He knows it.
*Doc starts to sew Wick up as the countdown continues. When time is up Doc steps away from John with his stitches not all the way in. John stitches himself up the rest of the way as the Excommunicado goes into effect with a $14 million dollar bounty on his head. Winston “And away we go.” Cell phones go off all over the Continental as John finishes his stitches*
W: The entire world will be looking for him.
*Doc tells him where the painkillers are before pulling a gun. He says John needs to shoot him so the Table doesn’t come after him. Doc tells him where to shoot that’s non lethal and Wick hits the targets easily*
W: Haahahahha.
*John thanks him before leaving*
W: He can dig the bullets out on his own.
*John runs for it through the streets of New York and everyone starts chasing him*
W: I don’t see a gun on him either.
*John breaks into an armory and finds two old Old West pistols. He loads them up*
W: Now we’re talking my language.
*John puts a gun together using parts from other guns and loads it. He quickdraws one of the assassins right between the eyes*
W: Awesome
*Wick fights off the gangsters using CQC and throwing weapons*
W: Ohhhh
Wi: Niceeeee
*John throws every knife ever into two guys*
W: Overkill.
Wi: Fun to watch.
*John buries a knife into the head of one and into the eye of the last one*
W: Ohhhhhh
Wi: Ohhhh yeahhhhhh. I like that one.
*John finds one still alive and buries a hatchet from 30 feet away into his skull*
Wi: Of course he doesn’t miss.
*Charon leads Wick’s dog out of the cab and into the Continental*
W: Ha, the dog.
*Russian gangsters run over Wick twice*
W: Jesus.
*Bowery King’s men watch as John is chased into a horse stable. John starts picking them off and using a horse for cover. He makes a horse buck one of the gangsters, snapping his neck. The gunfire spooks the horses*
W: The horses don’t like that.
*Wick dispatches the rest before getting on a horse and dragging one by his neck until it snaps. He rides off on the horse before he’s chased by two motorcycle thugs. A chase scene occurs and Wick wipes them out while still on the horse*
Wi: Still on the horse.
*The contract increases to 15 million as Winston asks where he’s going. John goes to an old theater where he’s being watched. He walks into the theater and takes off his belt and removes everything he has including coins, a cross and a marker. He says he’ll be seeing them*
W: Uh oh.
*A woman does ballet on stage and falls over*
W: You failed.
Wi: Ha she fell, loser.
*John bows before The Director*
W: Oh my god its Anjelica Huston…she’s gotta be almost 70 now.
*Director calls him Jardani and asks why he’s come home. He hands her the cross and says its his ticket. The Ruska Roma works for The High Table and they can kill her for what he’s done and for just being there. He says in Russian he is Jardani Jovonovich, child of Belarus and she’s bound to help him. Director tells Rooney to stop and John goes with her*
W: Nice little background of Wick revealed.
Wi: Makes sense he’s Ruskie.
*Director leads him past the ballet dancers pulling off their own toenails*
W: Ew.
*Director taunts him for causing all this mayhem over a dog*
W: Don’t mess with animals.
*Director leads John past wrestlers freestyle wrestling*
W: Now you’re speaking my language.
*Director taunts him some more one on one before asking what he wants. He wants passage to Casablanca*
W: Who does he think he is, Victor Laszlo?
*He hands her the cross and rosary beads, she destroys it and he removes his shirt. Her assistant sticks a poker into the fire and brands the tattoo on John’s back. She says his ticket is torn and he can never come home again*
W: Literally losing everything.
Wi: The life of crime, never ends well.
*The Adjudicator shows up*
Wi: Look at the head on this one.
*Charon asks how may he help her and she slides over a coin. Charon calls Winston and says the Adjudicator is there to see him. Winston tells his side of the story to Adj but she’s not here for Wick, she’s there to interrogate Winston. He shows her Santino D’Antonio’s body as proof of Wick’s crime. Adj asks why he let Santino die and gave him an hour to escape. Adj says he has one week to get his affairs in order before his successor is named. She will be staying in room 217 as we cut to Bowery King. Adj is there to see him next*
W: She’s not fucking around is she.
Wi: Not at all.
*Bowery tells Adj that pigeons can’t be tracked, hacked or jammed. Adj asks why he didn’t kill Wick and he says contracts are optional. She asks him why he gave him 7 rounds to use against The Table and she pulls the gun out of a briefcase*
W: She knows everything.
*Adj says he has 7 days to get his affairs in order before he is replaced. Bowery King laughs in her face. He says he will not be replaced, he is the throne and the Bowery. She says he’s not above the rules and has 7 days*
W: Who’s next, the Doc?
*John walks through the streets of Casablanca*
W: First nazis, now High Table assassins.
*Assassins surround Wick and he wipes them out*
W: Not safe anywhere.
Wi: Worldwide contract.
*The second in command shows up and says the manager wants to see John, he’s off-limits. The two guys he was fighting stop and they walk off. One of them goes to attack and the sub-boss plugs him between the eyes before welcoming Wick. Ms. Al-Azwar is expecting him. He enters the Moroccan Conintenental and he wishes John best of luck*
W: I thought he was Excommunicado.
Wi: He is, but he’s owed a favor.
*Pictures of Sofia and her daughter are shown as guard dogs bark at John. She shoots Wick in the right arm. He says she can’t kill the bearer of her marker and she says she just shot him. She says the marker doesn’t mean shit. He says he owns her an needs her help. She tells John to sit and John wants to get to her old boss. He wants to talk to Berrada for guidance*
W: Who?
*Sofia says she has to follow the rules and Berrada will kill him and her too. She doesn’t want to do it for her daughter’s safety. She doesn’t want to know where her daughter is because she wants her to keep her safe. Sofia “Sometimes you have to kill what you love.” She says after this they are less than even and they leave in ten minutes. The dogs look at John*
W: They can sense he’s a dog guy.
*Adj hits up a Chinese bistro. Zero speaks in a fake Chinese accent until Adj pulls her coin. He speaks in perfect English that he wasn’t expecting the Table. She says she wants Wick and all who helped him dead. He puts a piece of blowfish in front of her and says its very fatal. She eats it no problem and he pledges his service to her*
W: Nice going Jimmy Lee.
Wi: Who?
W: Different movie he’s been in.
*Zero’s men wipe out the Ruska Roma guards*
W: The Table doesn’t miss a beat.
Wi: Somebody farts, they know.
*Zero’s men corner The Director and Adj walks in. Adj orders the dancers to get out of there and they interrogate Director. Director holds her hands out and says she’ll be of service. Zero runs a sword right through her hands*
W: That’s gotta hurt.
*Sofia packs for battle and puts bulletproof vests on the dogs. They find Berrada and he greets them. He pets one of the dogs and asks them to come with him. He asks what he wants and John isn’t there to kill him. Berrada gives the history of the word assassin. He’s in possession of the first coin and marker ever used. The High Table wants him dead and asks why should he let him live. John says he’s there to make amends and wants to meet the one who sits above the Table. Berrada asks about the Dog and John says he wants to see The Elder. Berrada says he won’t find The Elder, Elder will find him when he’s near death*
W: That’ll be easy.
Wi: Oh sure.
*They go to leave and Berrada wants compensation. He wants one of the dogs but Sofia refuses. He says fine and shoots the dog*
W: Haven’t these idiots learned ANYTHING in this universe?
*The dog is wearing a vest and Sofia digs the slug out. She looks at John and he says don’t. Sofia goes apeshit, shooting Berrada in the leg and shoots the guards. Wick joins in an cleans out the place. The dogs bite random dead guards*
Wi: They never learn.
*Sofia shoots his other leg and says “He shot my dog.” John “I get it.”
W: Yes he does.
*John, Sofia and the dogs fight through the place*
Wi: Never misses, they never hit them. There’s a million of them. Every cliche the past two movies.
W: Still fun to watch.
*Wick, the dogs and Sofia wipe out more assassins and guards before taking the fight to the city streets. They steal a van and the dogs get in before Sofia drives off*
W: We’re only halfway through the movie.
Wi: Exciting so far.
*Sofia stops in the middle of the desert and tells John to get out. She gives the dogs water but not John. Sofia says one way or another, Wick is a dead man. John marks the marker as fulfilled and hands it to her. She goes to hand him water but pulls it away and drinks the last of it before spitting some back in the bottle*
W: That’s fucked up.
*John is nearly dead in the desert as Zero and his men wipe out the Bowery*
W: Saw that coming.
Wi: Are these guys indestructible?
*Bowery King smiles as he’s surrounded by Adj, Zero and his men. King says they’ve earned his fealty. She says he had his chance and he says to go fuck herself. She says he will get 7 cuts as penance and King says sometimes you have to cut a motherfucker. Zero slashes him seven times and King drops*
W: So much for him.
*John is rescued by The Elder’s man and is brought before him. He orders him to drink something and he does*
W: Why is he there?
*Elder asks what he wants. John says he wants a life and Elder says if he completes a mission, the Excommunicado is reversed but he’s bound to the Table for life. He asks John to make a choice, die now or live through death. He asks what must be done and Elder says to kill Winston. If he wants to live, that’s what must be done. John says he will serve*
W: Oh come on.
*Elder says to affirm his fealty*
W: He’s not gonna….
Wi: He is.
*John cuts off his own ring finger with the wedding band still attached*
W: Jesus fucking Christ.
*He pulls the ring off the servered finger and hands it over*
W: Now he’s got nothing left to remember Helen by.
Wi: A cruel twist of fate.
*Zahir will help John get back to the States. Zahir also brands the stump to quarterize it*
W: Johnny Nine Fingers.
*John gets a new suit and we cut back to New York*
W: All he has to do is kill Winston and they’ll forget the whole thing.
Wi: I don’t buy it.
*John walks into an ambush but Zero’s men takes out the assassins. They lead him to Zero who’s waiting for him in the lobby. Zero pulls a knife but before they can rumble, a line of kids blocks the way. Zero says this is why he’s special. His second shadows behind Wick out of nowhere but Wick turns around and guts him with a knife. He asks if he was one of Zero’s men and Zero says “He was…”
W and Wi: Hahahahaha.
*John leaves and Zero says “Nice trick.” Two more motorcycle assassins show up but Wick takes them both down. He smashes one’s head in with a bike helmet and plugs the other guy with a gun. He kills the first guy and takes off on the bike. Zero chases him on the other bike*
W: Another chase scene.
*A whole team of bike assassins ride up and Wick wipes them all out one by one*
Wi: Never misses, there’s a million of them.
W: Getting used to it by this point.
*John and Zero collide on the street just outside the Continental. Zero goes to finish him off but John puts his hand on the first step and Charon tells Zero to back off. Zero says he’s Excommunicado and Charon says Zero will be next if he does anything*
W: No business on the grounds.
*John wants to see Winston and Zero goes with him. Charon tells them to sit and wait. Zero sits directly next to John so he gets up and moves*
W: Hahahahhaha.
*Zero goes full fanboy on him*
W: THAT’S the actor I know, he used to play a goofball in the 90’s.
*Zero says he’s a cat person and John’s dog shows up and licks Wick. Zero says he and John are the same and Wick says they’re not the same. John goes to the administrative lounge to see Winston and Zero says they’re both masters of death. John tells the dog to sit and stay*
W: If Zero touches that dog, Charon will kill him before John can even raise a gun.
*Winston asks how John is and he knows John is there to kill him. Winston pulls a gun and says the High Table wants him gone. John says he should have killed him. Winston says he’s not stepping down and John asks if he’s going to war with the High Table. Winston says unless Wick kills him, he’d rather die at the hands of his friend than of someone else. Winston says if John kills him, he sells his soul. He says he’ll be alive and he’ll remember Helen. Winston says until he dies as a slave to the Table. Winston says would he rather die as Baba Yaga or as a loving husband. John takes the gun as Adj walks in*
W: Shoot her please.
Wi: He won’t.
*Adj introduces herself and Winston says he will not step down. Wick says he’s not shooting Winston and hands him back the gun. Adj calls Administration and has The Continental deconsecrated*
W: Uh oh.
*Adj says business can now be conducted on the grounds and High Table members will be on their way shortly. Winston says under the circumstances, John’s privileges are reinstated. John says he wants guns, lots of guns*
W: Time for a showdown.
WI: They gonna kick somebody ass.
*Charon says they need to consider their choices, their armor has improved. Charon suggests a few guns as the Hotel closes as everyone leaves. Adj tells Zero he’s free to kill Wick and Winston on the grounds. Adj says they’ll be sending their finest as support. Zero “Cool, very cool.”
W: Here we go.
*Two buses full of goons pull up in full body armor*
Wi: They got buses.
*Winston puts on a record as Charon and Wick pack for battle with the Hotel staff. Adj sits and waits*
W: Gonna be a while, still got 37 minutes left.
*Winston tells Charon to set the mood for the guests. Charon kills the lights and Winston says he’ll do the Continental proud. He tells John to do what he does best, hunt*
W: Oh he will.
*Winston says if you want peace, you must prepare for war in Latin. Wizard recites it in perfect Latin*
W: If you want peace, prepare for war.
Wi: Almost got it.
*Wick goes to town on a few assassins but they have full armor and normal bullets barely work even with headshots. The Staff is wiped out by the High Table gang. After a few minutes of fighting in vain, Charon and Wick retreat to the armory. Charon is pissed off and they pack large caliber shotguns with armor piercing rounds*
W: Should have done that the first time.
*Charon and Wick return to battle and start blowing heads off*
W: Now its a fair fight.
Wi: Oooh I like that.
*Wick and Charon fight off the High Table assassins until one has Wick deads to rights. He’s killed from behind by Zero. Zero says no one kills him but me. Adj calls Winston and taunts him before he hangs up on her*
W: Ha, take that bitch.
*Wick goes after zero but his men show up. One keeps kicking Wick through a ton of glass*
W: In real life he’d have glass shards all over him.
*Two guys double team Wick. He spots Zero and goes to shoot him but the glass is bulletproof. Zero taunts him and sets the stage for a final battle*
W: You know its gonna come down to one on one.
Wi: Naturally.
*Zero’s men attack again but this time Wick fights them off*
W: A kick to the balls.
Wi: Fighting dirty.
*Wick makes one guy slice the other guy’s throat*
W: Ohhhhh
*Wick kicks the other guy through the glass and Zero applauds from upstairs. Two more men wait for him*
W: I know those dudes, they’ve been in a ton of movies.
*They drop Wick and introduce themselves as Shinobi. They say its an honor to fight him and pull him up. Wick and the two guys brawl but the two guys get the upperhand. They taunt that he’s been retired for 5 years. John gets up and pulls his belt off, round 2 begins. Wick gets the upperhand this time. He repeatedly judo throws them*
W: They gotta be running out of steam.
*Wick drops one of them with a kick to the nuts and a bell ringer*
W: Double whammy.
*Wick does an Angleslam through the glass floor and both Shinobi are down. He says he’ll be seeing them and they lay down*
W: They’re not dead are they.
Wi: Don’t think so.
*Wick heads up to fight Zero one on one. Zero puts over John’s performance and says if he didn’t have to kill him they’d be…pals*
W: Hahahaha
*They swordfight and Zero gets the advantage before Wick fights back*
W: There’s 20 minutes left, this can’t be the final fight.
*Zero loses sight of Wick and John stomps a mudhole in him. John shoves him through glass and Zero crawls away*
Wi: Run for it.
*Wick starts slicing up Zero including his wrist to sever the tendons. Zeo can’t move his hand and still tries to fight back. Wick buries the sword in Zero*
Wi: That’ll do it.
*Adj calls Winston as Charon returns unharmed. Winston answers and Adj wants a parley. Winston says he’s down for that*
W: Oh boy, how are they going to end this?
*Charon asks if they’re in play, Winsto says very much so.
*Wick sits up as Zero gags with the sword still in him. Zero says that was a pretty good fight and John says “Yeah.”*
W: Never one to waste words.
*John picks his belt up and Zero says he’s gotta catch his breath and he’ll catch up with him. John “No you won’t.” John walks off and Zero slumps over dead*
W: Bye bye.
*Adj says this was only the first wave and Winston says they can take the hotel but keeping it is a different story. She says they are the High Table but Winston says we are New York. Wick walks in and says “Parley?” Winston “Parley.” Adj wants to now what he wants. Winston says he wants to keep his power under the Table and John is confused. Adj says Winston was just showing strength just to keep the Hotel and says he can have it. She asks what they’re going to do about Wick and Winston shoots him 5 times, dropping him off the roof to the street below. Adj says the Hotel will be reconsecrated*
W: What an asshole.
Wi: Just wait.
*Charon says “Well played, sir” as Adj goes to leave. She looks to the street but John’s body is nowhere to be found. Back inside people clean up the mess inside the Hotel. Winston tells Charon they’ll be open in no time. Adj says Wick is gone and Winston says “oh?” The dog gets up and runs into the alley. Winston asks how far John can get as Charon notices the dog’s gone. Adj says the last thing anyone wants is Wick paying them a visit. Adj leaves and Winston says “Baba Yaga.” John is wheeled to the Bowery King*
W: He’s alive!
*King asks how John is doing and says he looks as bad as he feels. John raises his hand, King “Oh shit, they took a finger, aint that a bitch.” John flips him off and King laughs. King realizes the plan was for Winston to shoot him to get the hotel back. King says this isn’t over. He asks John how he feels because he himself is really pissed off. He asks if John is pissed off. John “Yeah” End Credits*
W: Great, another one is in the works.
Wi: That should be the finale.
W: This should have been the finale.
*End credits show a montage of Wick fighting*
W: Least we get the cool montage.
The Grand Wizard has no assessment:
The Warlock’s Assessment: Unlike the first two movies, this had an Empire Strikes Back kind of feel to it in the sense you knew there was another movie so nothing would end. As expected, the story seemed somewhat predictable although everything that was awesome about the first two movies was here too. The action was hot, the fight scenes were great and the characters were fun. I give it an 8 out of 10 and I’ll be ready for part 4.
Final Grade: 8 out of 10 – Awesome.
*Warlock rises from the couch*
W: That was a lot of fun even if it was a bit of a let down from the first two movies. Both of them were epic but this one had a different feel to it. This one pretty much guaranteed another sequel about halfway through while the second movie didn’t give that indication until about 10 minutes left. Still, the acting was great, the fight scenes were fun and it sets up a high impact finish to this series. All in all I highly recommend this movie and wish you all a fun end of summer. Now get outta here before I give ya a slap!
Warlock's Movie Realm 