The art of killing.

There’s no way it should’ve worked. It had no right to.

A faded star who hadn’t had any significant success for the best part of a decade? A throwback, gun-obsessed setup with a kill count that would make Commando blush? It had straight-to-DVD written all over it. Yet, the result was far from it.

Stylish, kinetic, and infinitely fascinating, what we got was one of the finest action movies of the last decade with an instantly iconic, force of nature hero the likes of which we hadn’t seen since the genre’s heyday. What felt destined for the DVD bargain bin (or whatever the streaming equivalent is) had taken such lowly expectations and slammed them face-first through a window.

Naturally, after the success of John Wick came Chapter 2, which, while it upped the ante in many ways, dipped just below its predecessor’s lofty standards. It was a good, solid follow-up, just not a great one, putting just a little bit of pressure on Chapter 3 to stick the landing.

On the run and with a $14 million bounty on his head, super-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) has every hit man and woman in town on his tail. Following his fateful decision to kill a member of the High Table on the hallowed turf of The Continental, the ex-communicated Wick must fight for survival with everything he’s got as he battles his way out of New York City and to safety. But is time finally up for the man they call Baba Yaga?

The beauty of John Wick was always its simplicity. From the outset, the series has been high on thrills, low on frills and an expert in giving the audience precisely what it wants. As single-minded as its hero, the John Wick series has struck just the right balance between chaos and diligence to keep things interesting.

It’s little wonder, therefore, that the franchise has struck such a chord with its star and soulmate Keanu Reeves. At his best when the material keeps it simple and plays to his strengths, the John Wick series simply provides the ammo for Keanu to do what he does best and Parabellum once again tees it up nicely for him to knock it out of the park.

Expertly playing to Keanu’s boundless enthusiasm for spectacular, punishing action, John Wick: Chapter 3 more than picks up the pace from its predecessor by keeping it simple and staying true to the heart of the series, while simultaneously upping the ante in every conceivable way.

Simultaneously looking like he’s at death’s door while clearly having an absolute blast, Keanu’s full-blooded enthusiasm is positively infectious in what is, to put it bluntly, the third round of him getting the absolute shit kicked out of him for two hours. As he once again throws himself into some of the most beautifully crafted, yet breathtakingly brutal, action you’ll ever see in a Hollywood movie, you’ve got to applaud Keanu’s boundless drive for keeping both his character and the entire franchise not only alive, but actively kicking.

A step up from even the first film’s high standards, Parabellum’s fight choreography is a kinetic, bloody combo of ballet, street fighting, and almost every martial art style going. Kung fu, gun fu, knife fu, book fu, belt fu, dog fu, horse fu – Parabellum has all the fu you could possibly ask for as Wick uses every trick in the book to see off a never-ending legion of attackers.

Inventive, stylish, and bruising, good fight choreography has been the backbone of the John Wick series since its inception and there’s no let up here as director Chad Stahelski – whose background in stunts shines through in every scene – keeps the combat standards high and the scope low for a thoroughly satisfying lesson in just how to pull off effective carnage on a limited budget.

From bullets to books and everything in-between, a frightening array of weaponry is used to devastating effect, yet what really makes Parabellum pop is its hand-to-hand combat. Seamless and brutal, the film really delivers when John Wick gets to go mano a mano with his attacker in close proximity battles that require the assassin to utilise his surroundings to their full, lethal potential.

The close quarters combat is just as heightened and ultra-violent as one might expect, with some bits that are certainly not for the faint-hearted, yet they’re utterly enthralling throughout. Less engaging, however, are the moments when Parabellum gives into its gun lust a little too readily, as the extended onslaught of bullets can sometimes feel rather draining.

At times it’s certainly difficult to gauge the level of gun glorification on display, however the violence is so stylised and fantastical that it largely gets away with it. Add to this the sheer skill and mastery of those involved and the film’s approach to its violent excesses hits just about the right note.

With action this intense, it’s always crucial to have those involved up to the task both physically and emotionally, and, without exception, the cast are clearly willing to go all in on what John Wick demands of them. In particular, Mark Dacascos and Halle Berry make excellent foes/friends/combatants for Wick as they bounce off Keanu’s style perfectly; however, a special mention must go to the dozens of goons, assassins, and henchmen (and their stunt doubles) that, while not offering much of a challenge to Mr Wick, play a huge part in making the action tick nonetheless.

Of course, with such a heavy focus on the action, Parabellum finds itself, like its two predecessors, a little lacking in the dialogue department. With a script that’s more than happy to lay it on thick, characters don’t so much talk to one another but pontificate in a way that leaves not an inch of scenery unchewed.

Consequently, Parabellum’s writing, while perfectly adequate, never quite clicks into gear the way the action does. With the likes of Ian McShane, Laurence Fishbourne, and Anjelica Huston operating at peak-ham, the film has a wonderful sense of heightened ridiculousness about it that takes it a long way; however, under closer inspection, the script feels like nothing more than a thin, join-the-dot exercise to get us from one incredible fight scene to the next.

For all its contrivance in getting John Wick from Fight A to Fight B, the plot does precisely what it comes to do with minimal fuss and maximum impact, which, in many ways, leaves little to grumble about. Like our eponymous hero, Parabellum gets the job done, and with results this impressive, who’s to complain?

Let’s be honest, we’re not really here for the sparkling dialogue and Parabellum knows it. The entire John Wick franchise has always been a visual medium and this third instalment continues this tradition, all while taking things to new heights.

Parabellum is nothing short of stunning to look at. It’s a true feast for the eyes that, while possessing a budget that’s undoubtedly larger than either of the first two films, makes every penny count as we’re treated to an incredible selection of eye-popping locations and setups for the action to unravel in.

As we punch, kick, and stumble our way around New York and the wider world with John Wick, the action offers more visual flair than most CGI-heavy blockbusters can dream of. From the neon-soaked streets of NYC to the gold-drenched alleyways of Casablanca to the opulent confines of The Continental, each location has a distinct identity that weaves itself into the action in intricate and thoroughly satisfying ways.

While John Wick broadens his horizons beyond New York, so too does the franchise’s lore. With elements like The Continental and the High Table, the mythos behind John Wick has been a key component in the success of the entire series – one which has put it above many of its action contemporaries – and one that Parabellum expands on in fascinating and gratifying ways without ever overshadowing the action.

There has been a great balance struck between brutal realism and high fantasy throughout the entire John Wick series, but it certainly comes to the fore in Parabellum. The fascinating mythos, eye-catching visuals, and bone-crunching action have all played their part in the franchise carving out a stylish name for itself amidst a sea of action movie mediocrity that has often tried and failed to cash in on its surprise success.

And just when you think the series would start to feel the pressure of its own hype, along comes Parabellum to take things up a notch and show us just what can be done if the commitment, passion, and unwavering belief in your product are there. Oh, and it always helps if you have the ever-likeable face of Keanu to front it all.

Even judged by the franchise’s own high standards, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is a bruising and brilliant success. Style and substance combine for another helping of balletic ultra-violence that doesn’t so much reinvent the wheel, but rather kick the shit out of it. Narratively, Parabellum isn’t offering anything new but in every other department it’s contributing exactly what’s demanded of it as Keanu Reeves goes all-in for another round and comes out bloody, broken, but victorious. While the surprise factor has long since gone, Chapter 3 picks up the pace after the lull of its predecessor to become one of the most visceral and brutally satisfying action films of recent years.