Seven years since the Baba Yaga became ‘excommunicado’ and brought down the wrath of every assassin in the Underworld, John Wick 3 remains underrated. Released in the United States on May 17, 2019, Chapter 3 – Parabellum took place immediately after the events of John Wick 2 and expanded the mythology of the High Table.
The film has extremely well-choreographed action setpieces, with Halle Berry also joining in on the fun with her dog army. While it is not as self-contained as some of the other entries in the franchise and is more of an odyssey, it does not deserve the ignorance that fans give it within the franchise.
Movie NameJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – ParabellumDirected ByChad StahelskiMain CastKeanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Lance Reddick, Mark Dacascos, Asia Kate Dillon.Box Office$327.7 MillionRotten Tomatoes (as of May 17, 2026)Tomatometer – 89%Popcornmeter – 95%IMDb (as of May 17, 2026)7.4
John Wick 3 Was Unfortunately Sandwiched Between Two Great Sequels
While John Wick: Chapter 2 expanded on the mythology of the Underworld and the Continental, an underground criminal nexus filled with rules and factions, Chapter 3 – Parabellum saw just how far the network’s reach is. It travels beyond New York and heads to Morocco. It also introduces the Ruska Roma faction, which is expanded in Ballerina.
Apart from its narrative merits, John Wick 3 does have some inventive action setpieces. The opening fight in the New York City Library is insane, and the one in the weapons room right after is extremely well-choreographed and entertaining. Between the ‘Hall of Mirrors’ sequence in Chapter 2 and the Rue Foyatier in Chapter 4, the third film is ignored.
This is why Parabellum is heavily ignored. The third film is great, but it has been sandwiched between two great sequels. Chapter 2 is known for Keanu Reeves’ performance, showing what exactly the Continental and the mythological Underworld are capable of. The system makes it so interesting and takes it beyond the revenge drama that the first movie promised.
Chapter 4, on the other hand, is Wick’s swan song. It is his final resting place, and it is no doubt the better action movie, with its incredible set pieces. But this should not take credit away from Parabellum, which has its amazing moments as well.
John Wick 3 Star Revealed How The Movie Changed Filmmaking For Her
Keanu Reeves and Halle Berry in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum | Credits: Lionsgate
Keanu Reeves’ John Wick franchise changed action in Hollywood for the better, not only in terms of choreography but also in depicting heroes. Sure, Wick is a former assassin, but he is introduced as a loving husband and pet parent before he unleashes his inner Baba Yaga. That part is what inspired films like Nobody and Sisu (apart from the action).
Halle Berry, who played Sofia in John Wick 3, revealed that working for 1.5 to two years training for the film changed the way she viewed filmmaking and how performing her own stunts helped the directors. She said (via BroBible),
That was basically my full-time job for about two years. What I learned, especially as a director, is that when actors choose to do action and really do the work, it gives the director so much freedom to put the camera wherever he wants.
Berry spoke about seeing this first-hand again in her recent film, Crime 101, where Chris Hemsworth performed his own stunts, and it helped the director place the camera in interesting places. John Wick 3 is as important as the other films in the franchise for this reason, and it does not get enough credit.
What do you think about John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum? Comment below.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is available to stream on HBO Max.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
