JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM Review

It's been five years in real time, but in the life of John Wick (the entirely endearing Keanu Reeves) the man has had one hell of a month - if that. From losing his wife to losing the puppy his wife bought him to killing the son of the mob boss that killed his dog and stole his car leading him back into a life he only thought he'd left behind. In this ill-fated scenario, Mr. Wick found himself dealing with more and more repercussions of his actions to the point that at the end of the second film he was so filled with rage that he would seemingly never be able to forgive anyone who dared cross him again...much less himself for having allowed his life to slip back into these old routines. So filled with rage, in fact, that he broke the only rules he'd ever had to follow thus forcing the hand of his powerful friend, Winston (Ian McShane), the owner of the grounds on which Wick had broken said rules of the league of extraordinary assassins that he was assigned the label of "excommunicado" therefore placing a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. These are the kinds of things that happen when one kills a member of a shadowy international assassin's guild though, not to mention a member who was seated at what is referred to as the "High Table". John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum begins with the stakes as high as they've ever been-even Wick's closest friends are unable to look past the bounty in order to give this broken man another chance. It is in this scenario and current mental state the character inhabits that make it fairly critical to have seen the previous films in director Chad Stehelski's now trilogy of films. Parabellum kind of assumes we're present in the theater because we're already invested in the character and then moves forward with such a momentum that there's little time to catch-up if you're not already in it. That said, the pacing is not just an excuse to continually grow the breakneck speed of the action as well as the scope, but is more a stylistic choice that every function of the script adheres to and if the John Wick trilogy has done one thing consistently it's adhere to stylistic choices. As the series has progressed more layers have been added, but never have these brought the story, character development, or action beats down. Rather, each of these elements necessary to making a feature motion picture are held to the same standards the action is. That isn't to say the dialogue is as Shakespearian as the action, but does it function so as to effectively elicit the intended visceral reaction of the audience? Damn straight.

First Trailer for JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM

The third entry in Keanu Reeves' latest franchise, John Wick, that began as a humble one-off revenge thriller in 2014 with little to no aspirations has (finally) released its first full trailer and this neon-soaked barrage of violence and fine tailoring couldn't look more badass. John Wick: Chapter 3 or Parabellum as it has now been subtitled will follow the events of Chapter 2 in allowing audiences to witness the "excommunicado” of its titular assassin as he is now a wanted man by the entire criminal underworld, but without the safe haven of places like The Continental to escape to. While it looks as if much of this latest film will see Wick on the run, eluding and deflecting those with balls big enough to try and claim the bounty on his head it also looks as if director Chad Stahelski (who co-directed the first film, but went solo on the sequel), directing a script from Derek Kolstad, will be introducing plenty of new faces-not least of all a character played by Halle Berry. While Berry hasn't exactly spurned the promising beginnings of her career into one of widely adored projects or a franchise or character that has catapulted her to insane levels of fame, she seems right at home in this world of Wick and given she seems to essentially be teaming up with Reeves I can only hope the chemistry and banter between them is as good as I might venture to guess; the touch of her having a pair of attack dogs isn't bad either. Of course, what most come to the John Wick franchise for is the action and it would be hard to blame them as both the aesthetic of the film in general and the look of the many large action sequences here look to be downright striking. Taking place mostly at night, with lots of moody rain we see Wick chase sword-wielding motor cyclists on a horse in a chase sequence I can't imagine will be anything less than bonkers while Wick also seems to have figured out a way to make even reading lethal. Needless to say, this looks to be exactly what any sequel to that 2014 original would promise itself to be. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum once again reunites Reeves with his Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne, with other newcomers including Anjelica Huston, Jason Mantzoukas, Hiroyuki Sanada, Robin Lord Taylor, Tiger Hu Chen, Yayan Ruhian, and Cecep Arif Rahman, while Ian McShane,  Lance Reddick, Common, and Ruby Rose all return when the film opens on May 17th, 2019.

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 Review

It is amazing how well John Wick: Chapter 2 actually works. There is no reason this unexpected sequel works as well as it does as the original was designed to be a contained story, a simple and straightforward revenge tale, but the biggest obstacle John Wick: Chapter 2 was going to face is seemingly overcome within the first fifteen minutes-Chapter 2 gracefully jumping over the hurdle to move on rather swiftly to establish a bigger picture for which to further justify the existence of this film while simultaneously setting up what is clearly meant to be a trilogy capper. Never would I have imagined sitting in the theater nearly two and a half years ago that this stylish, but seemingly unexceptional action flick would not only reignite the fire for Keanu Reeves, but prove itself one of the better action flicks of the last decade. Having re-watched the first John Wick this past week before venturing out to see Chapter 2, I easily enjoyed it more than I had initially-the world in which it established suddenly becoming all the more appealing, the empathy in which it developed for its titular character becoming all the more palpable. This isn't traditionally a reaction I have to films when re-visiting them. If anything, most movies lose a little bit of their charm on repeat viewings-the cracks becoming clearer than they were upon first glance, but it was very much evident by the time the credits rolled that John Wick was meant to be appreciated for more than just the surface pleasures despite being a movie all about the surface pleasures. For as much as the movie served as a platform for Reeves and his stuntmen to go through set piece after breathtaking action set piece it really allowed Reeves the opportunity to play a character who doesn't emote much in a forward fashion, but who bottles it up and exudes it through these actions. This isn't to say the two John Wick films have a giant amount of substance to them, but that they are the rare type of action blockbuster that executes their necessary beats accordingly while at the center featuring an individual we can really get behind, someone we really feel invested in, sorry for, and connected with-so much so that despite the fact they murder countless people at point blank range, some of which probably had no desire to face Mr. Wick, he is still the one we root for come the end of the day. John Wick is the one we want to see walk away from the explosion unharmed; the one we want to see fire the last bullet; the one who we want to be still standing when the smoke clears muttering, "I told you so." This sounds simple, but it is not for nothing that this affection comes to exist.  It is on this affection for our titular character that these films separate themselves from the pack.

First Trailer for JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 Starring Keanu Reeves

The first trailer for John Wick: Chapter 2 has arrived starring Keanu Reeves, John Leguizamo, Lance Reddick, Bridget Moynahan, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Ruby Rose, Common, Peter Stormare, and Riccardo Scamarcio. The film opens on February 10th, 2017. I'll have thoughts up later, but wanted to post the trailer as soon as possible.

THE NEON DEMON Review

Though Nicolas Winding Refn is hardly a household name his films have come to feel like certain kinds of events. It is in the aura he has created around himself and his ambitions that his movies now feel like these mythic, untouchable experiences that take us into a usually weird and demented world that is largely metaphorical for the one the rest of us exist in. With what is his tenth feature film the director has made his first film with a female lead as he's chosen to explore his inner sixteen year-old girl. In his mind, if he were a girl that is, Refn would seem to want to exist in the world of high fashion and be a fashion model as The Neon Demon takes us through the age old tale of the young, pretty southern girl who travels to Los Angeles to make her dreams of becoming a star come true. This is an interesting choice as Refn adopts a rather straightforward narrative for this film while still remaining experimental through the visual design and the way he integrates interesting visual approaches to convey many of the tropes of such a story. Set in this world of supermodels, pretentious designers, and even more pretentious photographers everything about the film feels elitist-the world should belong to the beautiful. The substance matters little if the surface isn't beautiful enough to stop you in the first place. Ruled over by the few chosen gatekeepers of taste we willingly follow our protagonist despite knowing, that in Refn's hands, there is no way this ends well. What Refn is actually attempting to say (if anything) with the film is anyone's guess as it's clear he means for his works to elicit multiple interpretations, but given the more linear structure and straightforward fashion in which the film has been edited it would appear Refn wants us to believe he is discussing one thing while slyly delivering something else. These intentions don't really come forward until the third act though, when the sleight of hand turns into full on spectacle with the film simultaneously becoming less effective as a result. The slow paced, meditative quality of the first two acts that analyzes the ins and outs of the modeling and fashion industries through the innocent eyes of sixteen year-old Jesse (Elle Fanning) is abruptly disposed of in favor of slasher movie conventions thus making the strong build-up and examination of such a world feel short-changed by the abrupt action that concludes the film. Refn somehow still manages slight poignancy, but with not as unique a perception as he initially sets up.

First Trailers for Nicolas Winding Refn‘s THE NEON DEMON

Nicolas Winding Refn is an interesting filmmaker, he's a guy who doesn't fit into any genre or category and yet he fits perfectly into the niche he's carved for himself. Drive catapulted the guy from general obscurity to the hero of many a film school wannabe's. Though he's made Bronson with an unknown Tom Hardy (you should check it out if you haven't) and Valhalla Rising with Mads Mikkelsen (I should probably check that out) prior, it wasn't until Drive with Ryan Gosling that his name was on the map. Follwing up that wild success with a completely bewildering work like Only God Forgives the director let us all know just how far he was willing to go to capture what he imagined in the purest form possible. I still don't know that I understand what he was going for with that film and I've admittedly had no desire whatsoever to return to it, but the fact he has crafted a new piece of cinema is reason to be excited enough. With The Neon Demon Refn replaces his typical male lead with that of Elle Fanning who plays an aspiring model who moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality eventually devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has. If that sounds right up Refn's alley you'd seemingly be correct as the visuals presented in this quick, 90-second clip compliment that story and world with a very specific tone and style. I'm on the edge of how much I should necessarily anticipate this given my reaction to Only God Forgives, but like I said before, it's a Refn film and for that I will certainly be viewing the movie regardless of its critical/commercial reception. The Neon Demon also stars Christina Hendricks, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Keanu Reeves, and opens in June.

KNOCK KNOCK Review

Expectations are never high for anything from the notorious Eli Roth. Roth, whose most recent picture I was witness to only a few weeks ago in The Green Inferno, was a delayed bit of intrigue that turned out to be little more than a traditional gore-fest without any substance. And so, when his latest comes down the pipeline and features a rejuvenated Keanu Reeves (John Wick really helped that guys rep) you want to be interested. When you hear that the film was adapted from a 1977 film called Death Game that featured Colleen Camp (who makes a cameo appearance here) you also want to be hopeful. Still, the story is rather familiar and there isn't much of a reason to believe that Roth will necessarily bring anything new to the Fatal Attraction table. That said, there are plenty of interesting ideas at play here and by the end of the film I'd developed something of a respect for the filmmaker for at least attempting to say something about the generational differences in with which sex, sexuality and the sanctity of marriage are viewed. Like any film that touches on such subjects and has been made by someone with enough perspective to know that love can be the only genuine thing we have in this world and that sex as presented by popular culture is largely a world of fantasy there are hard facts to be dealt with and bold statements to be made. While the tide of who's side we're on is continually turning in this psychological thriller, the thing the film lacks that might make it all the more compelling is a certain slyness. It's all about the way something is said rather than what is necessarily being said and Roth has a way of being so blunt and on the nose that it undermines the poignancy of what he seems to want to say. Still, the movie plays out with such inherent intensity that it's hard to look away or not find many of the elements entertaining if not on a something of a disturbing level. The progression of the mind games that our two female leads endow Reeves character with are up to par with any seasoned antagonist, but Roth's inability to remain restrained makes for a finale that screams the movies ideas at our faces rather than chillingly delivering a question that individual audience members might be afraid to answer about themselves.

JOHN WICK Review

John Wick is extremely straight forward. Both the man and the movie based around him. It could be said that there may not be a whole lot going on in the minds of the makers behind the film or the titular hero as they machine gun their way through a standard tale of revenge, but regardless of how intelligent or not the film comes off it never effects the amount of fun to be had here. It has probably been six years or so since I've seen Keanu Reeves on the big screen and so it is somewhat of a welcome return this film offers him both in the traditional sense of what he's come to be associated with and as a revival of sorts. What makes John Wick so accessible and fun though is that we can all agree it knows what it is. In knowing the kind of film it is and wants to be, it keeps its ambition in check and goes only for what it needs, never trying to over do it or over-complicate things. There is no means to elicit anything more here than what is presented to us and it revels in that. It is a matter-of-fact film more about the action and how it is conveyed than the story which you could catch onto walking in mid-way through the movie. It is a movie not above being surface-deep and it wears this self-awareness on its shoulder as a badge of honor. There is an almost visceral experience to be had with John Wick as it is the visuals and the bombast that connect with us rather than any intellectual property it brings to mind. Honestly, as I sat there watching the film and as it came to its inevitable conclusion the only think that I actually began to think about was if Wick had really thought about what all his trouble actually achieved. would it bring him real peace? Would he feel vindicated not for the initial death that caused him the most pain, but for the peace that was offered him in the wake of his loss that was stolen out from under him? It is likely Wick didn't think any of this through and simply reverted to his natural instincts of shoot first, ask questions later and over the course of the next hour and a half he puts on full display why that isn't necessarily a bad way of approaching things, especially for eager audiences.

First Trailer for 47 RONIN

It is hard for me to get excited over fantasy films that look to rely heavily on special effects and have a hard rock soundtrack. It is even tougher to get excited when those kinds of films star Keanu Reeves. Yet, that is what we have here as the trailer for 47 Ronin has finally made its way online after having its initial release date pushed back over a year from last November to this Christmas. I don't know if that is a good or bad sign, but it could certainly show Universal has some kind of faith in the project as it could have been extra time to perfect those countless CGI shots and decided to go with a prime Christmas Day slot instead of the early February release it was going to get when last November didn't work out. Of course, it could also be due to the fact the studio sunk an estimated $170 million into the project and hired first time feature director Carl Rinsch to helm the project that they are only placing it in the company of more prestigious projects with hopes of better recouping the films budget at the box office. I can't help but feel this is on a one way street to join the likes of Jack the Giant Slayer and The Lone Ranger as some of this years biggest bombs though. Their is nothing that stands out in this trailer and the always laughable delivery of Reeves makes the whole thing seem more a parody of what it is actually trying to be. On the bright side it does seem to have a rather epic scale and the story of the real-life group of samurai in 18th-century Japan who avenge the murder of their master could be intriguing with the added supernatural elements. I'll definitely reserve judgement and hope for the best, but after hearing of all the issues plaguing the project I was hoping for a little something more than what this generic trailer offers. The film also stars Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kô Shibasaki, and Rinko Kikuchi. 47 Ronin opens in 3D on December 25th. Hit the jump to check out the trailer.