I Deserve To Have My Ass Kicked By John Wick For Not Taking His Movies Seriously

Updated Dec 1, 2019 5:52 AM EST

A couple of months ago, I was driving to a wedding in Carmel with a good and very long-time friend of mine. We were bullshitting about pretty much everything and having some great laughs as the Northern California scenery blasted by. Movies came up and he asked if I am excited for the new John Wick movie coming out. I laughed in his face, I said “aren’t those like made for video schlock action films? You are kidding right?” He was stunned I hadn’t even seen one! I promised him I would check the first one out when I got home. Thankfully, I remembered to make good on that promise because my assumptions were totally wrong.

The first installment of the Keanu Reeves-driven franchise was so interesting that I watched the second the next night. It too was damn good. What I walked away with was the realization that like me, I think many people either misunderstand these films or never even gave them a chance in the first place. They are way smarter than they are made out to be and feature many of the most amazing action sequences I have ever seen in my life.

The newest entrant into the saga, John Wick Chapter Three: Parabellum , is no different. In fact, just its title, “Parabellum”—Latin for “prepare for war”—tells the audience what to be ready for and it delivers it in spades.

The John Wick franchise is very much a modern and fairly genius reimagining on Japan’s Samurai Cinema genre that had a heavy impact on, and was heavily impacted by, its American counterpart—the Spaghetti Western. Instead of a Ronin wondering the Japanese countryside looking for peace—or revenge— John Wic k does the same on the assassin-filled streets of Manhattan. Handguns largely take the place of samurai swords and assault rifles for arrows.

I was introduced to Samurai Cinema via what I thought would be a laughably easy history course in college—yes, University Of Oregon had a 300 level history course called Samurai In Film! It turns out, it was far tougher than I predicted. If you weren’t familiar with Japanese names you were pretty much screwed. It actually ended up being the lowest grade I received during college. How embarrassing is that? Regardless, it was here that the history of and all the themes surrounding Samurai Cinema were beaten into me.

With this in mind, while screening the first John Wick installment and sitting there trying to figure out what the hell I was watching, the specters of my scholastic past crept in and I had a nagging sensation that this was all very familiar. Well, it was and in an awesome way.

Other influences are there, including some of the violent classics from the 1970s, like Dirty Harry, Enter The Dragon, and revenge genre films like Death Wish— both franchises in their own right. One can’t also help but think of Quentin Tarantino and his love and use of similar genres when evaluating John Wick films, but the connections aren’t direct beyond similar themes and certain reality-bending premises.

Another heavy influence on these films is the Film Noire genre and for all the right reasons. As the series progresses, the cinematography and production lean more heavily on this style of atmosphere to spectacular effect. John Wick Chapter Three: Parabellum is a gorgeous film regardless if you like the story, violence, or the entire concept, or not. In fact, it leaps off the screen more than anything I have seen in recent years. Once again there is more going on here than just nonstop action sequences, Keanu Reeves getting slapped around, and exhilarating chases.

So, no, John Wick isn’t Fast And The Furious , a film franchise I have come to detest. Far, far from it, in fact.

Parabellum is a feast for the eyes. , Summit Entertainment

Parabellum even retroactively elevates the first two films that basically set up its premise and do the necessary world building to jump-start what will be the next phase in the John Wick story, which is as much about an alternate reality where a vast and ancient underground network of assassins and their support infrastructure operate all over the globe than it is about a dude caught up in his own nightmare of a revenge arch. This expanding world makes John Wick a richer and more enjoyable franchise as it infuses a comic book vibe into what otherwise would be a most dreary and somewhat confusing affair.

Let’s get to the bloody heart of these films—the fight scenes. Actually, they aren’t really fight scenes as much as they are highly choreographed battle ballets. Whereas most fight scenes these days are shot with fast cuts, tons of camera shake, and tight angles, John Wick films go the exact opposite direction. Wide shots that often run uncut for long periods of time turn close-range gunshots, rapid knife strikes, and hand-to-hand violence into a stunning cinematic artform.

It’s not just Keanu Reeves’ fantastic and brutal performance that will enthrall you, but all the incredible martial artists and stuntmen and stuntwomen that make it look so… Real. These are incredibly talented athletes doing some remarkably dangerous sequence in an unforgiving filming environment. I can’t stress enough how awesome the casting department is for finding such formidable and colorful opponents for Wick to beat the shit out of. It literally makes these movies.

Still, among the hundreds of footsoldiers, ninjas, and cutthroats that Wick takes on in Parabellum , as well as his limited array of reluctant allies, a pair of K9s steals the show entirely . One protracted battle, in particular, has you rooting for a pair of dogs above any human on screen. This is truly creative and fun film making that uses set pieces to shine in unique ways, not just to prime another battle royale and move the plot along to its next stage.

Summit Entertainment

Don’t get me wrong, John Wick films are not about nitpicking its stutters in realism, in fact, part of the fun is checking that section of your brain at the box office counter. It’s like getting on a great E-ticket ride at a theme park. Yeah, you see the tracks in the darkness and sure you know none of it is real or that realistic, but you are too busy enjoying the bumps, drops, scares, sounds, and awesome surroundings along the way to give a shit.

Yet what’s most uncanny about these movies is that they focus your attention is such a way on certain elements and are just plausible enough to keep from forcing your mind into the Fast And The Furious realm of disbelief. This is really another key component to their success. They “don’t jump the shark” necessarily, but they do constantly hop over smaller fish to the point that you don’t really notice it, or you don’t really care.

Now onto Keanu. From being such a huge star starting with Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure through the Matrix films, he seemed kind of washed up until John Wick matured into what it is now. Looking back, that is also a near criminal assumption. He puts every ounce of himself into these films. It hurts watching nearly every fight sequence even though you know the punches and crashes aren’t supposed to be landing with their full potential in real life. This is ridiculously physical film making and he has become an absolute master at his trade in this regard.

Most of all, thank goodness these movies rely heavily on real people and physical effects, not tired and hokey CGI. It literally ups the stakes even though it has nothing to do directly with the screenplay. We want to see real martial artists throwing actual punches and swinging actual swords, not some video game rendition of one (or many!). The production team on John Wick movies get this, or at least they have had to go this route because these movies are made at a fraction of the cost of huge Hollywood blockbusters that actually feature less numerous and lower quality action sequences.

Some think Reeves’ lines are corny in John Wick movies—of which there are probably only a couple paragraphs total in each film. But that’s the entire point of the genre and the character. He is a broken man of few to no words, with revenge driving his every act. It’s over the top because it is supposed to be and it works marvelously. Simple statements like “I’m going to,” “no you’re not,” and even “yes” are pivotal moments in the films and they are usually the most fun, too.

So, when it comes to Parabellum , you probably have seen many knife fights in movies—but not like this. You have seen loads of motorcycle chases before—but not like this. You have seen a fight underwater before—but NEVER like this.

In the end, J ohn Wick Parabellum is by far the best entry into the series. It isn’t perfect, there are some areas that could have been edited down a bit and some unneeded components, but boy is it damn good and I believe it may very well go down as one of the best action movies of all time. At times it is downright beautiful even when it is at its ugliest. But above all else, it’s fun! We are all in on the joke while at the same time respecting what goes into what we are watching at any given time. Few films have achieved such a high-functioning duality.

Instead of getting tired as it rolls into its second trilogy, John Wick is getting better with age. Now that it has finally broken through at the box office, and is blowing holes in dumbass preconceived notions like my own, it is downright exciting to think where this ‘little action franchise that could’ goes next.

Rogoway’s review rating: 8G out of 9G:

John Wick Chapter Three: Parabellum is in theaters now.

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更新于美国东部时间2019年12月1日凌晨5:52

几个月前，我和一位相识多年的好友开车去卡梅尔参加婚礼。我们一路闲聊，笑声不断，北加州的美景也一路飞驰而过。聊到电影的时候，他问我是否期待即将上映的《疾速追杀》。我当时就笑了，说：“那不就是那种录像带出品的低俗动作片吗？你在开玩笑吧？”他惊讶地发现我竟然一部都没看过！我答应他回家后一定去看第一部。还好，我没食言，因为我的想法完全错了。

基努·里维斯主演的这部系列电影第一部太精彩了，以至于我第二天晚上就看了第二部。它也棒极了。看完之后，我意识到，像我一样，很多人要么误解了这些电影，要么根本就没给它们一个机会。它们远比人们通常认为的要深刻得多，而且包含了许多我这辈子见过的最精彩的动作场面。

该系列的最新作品《疾速追杀3：帕拉贝鲁姆》也不例外。事实上，光是片名“帕拉贝鲁姆”（拉丁语意为“准备战争”）就告诉了观众要做好什么准备，而影片也确实不负众望，将这种准备发挥到了极致。

《疾速追杀》系列电影是对日本武士电影类型的一次颇具现代感且颇具创意的重塑，而日本武士电影曾对美国西部片——意大利西部片——产生过深远的影响，反之亦然。与浪人游荡于日本乡野寻求平静或复仇不同，约翰·威克在曼哈顿危机四伏的街头展开了同样的冒险。手枪取代了武士刀，突击步枪取代了弓箭。

我接触武士电影的契机，是大学里一门我以为会轻松得可笑的历史课——没错，俄勒冈大学居然有一门300级的历史课叫“电影中的武士”！结果证明，这门课比我想象的难得多。如果你不熟悉日语人名，那就基本完蛋了。这门课最终成了我大学期间的最低分。是不是很丢脸？不过，正是这门课让我彻底了解了武士电影的历史和所有相关主题。

带着这种想法，当我观看《疾速追杀》第一部，坐在那里努力搞清楚自己到底在看什么的时候，我学生时代的阴影悄然袭来，一种挥之不去的预感涌上心头：这一切都似曾相识。果不其然，而且是那种令人惊艳的熟悉感。

其他影响因素也显而易见，包括一些70年代的暴力经典，例如《肮脏的哈里》、《龙争虎斗》，以及复仇题材电影，例如《猛龙怪客》——这两部影片本身都已发展成系列电影。在评价《疾速追杀》系列电影时，人们也不禁会想到昆汀·塔伦蒂诺及其对类似题材的喜爱和运用，但除了相似的主题和某些颠覆现实的设定之外，两者之间并没有直接联系。

这些电影的另一大影响来源是黑色电影类型，而且理由充分。随着系列的推进，摄影和制作越来越注重这种氛围的营造，并取得了惊人的效果。《疾速追杀3：帕拉贝鲁姆》是一部精彩绝伦的电影，无论你是否喜欢它的故事、暴力场面或整个概念。事实上，它比我近年来看过的任何电影都更具冲击力。这部电影的精彩之处远不止于不间断的动作场面、基努·里维斯挨揍和惊险刺激的追逐戏。

所以，不，《疾速追杀》不是《速度与激情》系列电影，后者我已经非常厌恶了。事实上，两者截然不同。

《疾速追杀3》是一场视觉盛宴。——顶峰娱乐

《疾速追杀3》甚至从某种意义上提升了前两部电影的地位，这两部电影奠定了故事的前提，并构建了必要的世界观，为约翰·威克故事的下一阶段做好了铺垫。这一阶段的故事与其说是一个男人深陷复仇噩梦的故事，不如说是一个平行宇宙中庞大而古老的地下刺客网络及其遍布全球的后勤保障体系。这个不断扩展的世界观让《疾速追杀》系列更加丰富多彩，也更具娱乐性，因为它为原本可能略显沉闷和混乱的剧情注入了漫画式的活力。

让我们直奔这些电影的核心——打斗场面。实际上，与其说是打斗场面，不如说是精心编排的战斗芭蕾。如今大多数打斗场面都采用快速剪辑、大量晃动镜头和狭窄角度，而《疾速追杀》系列电影则恰恰相反。长时间不间断的广角镜头，将近距离枪战、快速刀锋攻击和肉搏战转化为令人叹为观止的电影艺术。

让你着迷的不仅仅是基努·里维斯精彩绝伦、残酷无情的表演，还有所有那些技艺精湛的武术家、特技演员，他们让这一切看起来如此……真实。这些才华横溢的运动员在极其危险的拍摄环境中完成着令人胆寒的特技动作。我必须强调，选角部门真是太棒了，他们为维克找到了如此强大而又个性鲜明的对手，让他得以痛扁他们。正是这些角色成就了这部电影。

然而，在《疾速追杀3》中，约翰·维克要对付数百名步兵、忍者和亡命之徒，以及他那寥寥无几的勉强盟友，但其中两只警犬却完全抢尽了风头。尤其是在一场旷日持久的战斗中，观众甚至会为这两只狗狗加油，而不是为银幕上的任何人类角色加油。这部电影的制作手法极富创意且趣味十足，它巧妙地运用场景设计，让每个场景都熠熠生辉，而不仅仅是为了铺垫下一场混战或推动剧情发展。

顶峰娱乐

别误会，约翰·威克系列电影的乐趣并不在于吹毛求疵地纠结于写实主义的瑕疵，事实上，在购票处放下这些顾虑正是观影乐趣的一部分。这就像在主题公园里体验刺激的过山车。没错，你能看到黑暗中的轨道，也明白这一切都不是真的，或者说并不那么逼真，但你却忙着享受沿途的颠簸、落差、惊险、音效和令人惊叹的景色，根本顾不上这些。

然而，这些电影最令人匪夷所思之处在于，它们能巧妙地将你的注意力集中在某些特定元素上，并且情节又足够合理，让你不会像《速度与激情》系列那样陷入难以置信的境地。这正是它们成功的关键因素之一。它们并非“跳鲨”，而是不断地忽略一些无关紧要的细节，以至于你根本察觉不到，或者根本不在乎。

现在来说说基努·里维斯。从《比尔和泰德的奇妙冒险》到《黑客帝国》系列，他曾是家喻户晓的巨星，但之后似乎有些过气，直到《疾速追杀》让他重回巅峰。现在回想起来，这种看法简直是错得离谱。他把全部精力都投入到这些电影中。即使你知道现实生活中那些拳打脚踢和撞击不可能达到那种效果，但几乎每一场打斗戏都让人心惊胆战。这部电影对动作场面的要求极高，而他在这方面已经炉火纯青。

最重要的是，值得庆幸的是，这些电影大量运用真人演员和实景特效，而不是老套过时的电脑特效。这确实提升了影片的紧张感，尽管它与剧本本身并无直接关联。我们想看到的是真正的武术家挥舞着真刀真枪，而不是电子游戏中的武打动作（或者说，很多动作动作！）。约翰·威克系列电影的制作团队明白这一点，或者说，他们不得不走这条路，因为这些电影的制作成本远低于好莱坞大片，而好莱坞大片的动作场面数量更少，质量也更低。

有些人觉得基努·里维斯在《疾速追杀》系列电影里的台词很老套——每部电影里他的台词加起来可能也就那么几段。但这正是这个类型片和这个角色的精髓所在。他是一个内心破碎、沉默寡言的男人，复仇驱使着他的一切行动。这种夸张的表演方式正是影片想要达到的效果，而且效果出奇的好。像“我要去”、“不，你不能”、“是的”这样简单的句子，在电影里都是至关重要的时刻，而且通常也是最精彩的部分。

所以，说到《疾速追杀3》，你可能在电影里看过很多刀战——但绝对没见过这样的。你看过无数摩托车追逐戏——但绝对没见过这样的。你看过水下打斗——但绝对没见过这样的。

总而言之，《疾速追杀3：帕拉贝鲁姆》无疑是该系列迄今为止最棒的一部。它并非完美无瑕，有些地方可以精简一些，也有些元素显得多余，但它确实精彩绝伦，我相信它很有可能成为史上最佳动作片之一。即使在最糟糕的时候，它也美得令人窒息。但最重要的是，它非常有趣！我们都能理解其中的笑点，同时又尊重我们所观看的影片背后的创作理念。很少有电影能如此完美地兼顾两者。

《疾速追杀》系列电影并没有因为进入第二部三部曲而显得疲软，反而越拍越好。如今它终于在票房上取得了突破，并打破了包括我在内的许多人的愚蠢成见，这不禁让人兴奋地想象，这个“潜力无限的小众动作系列”接下来会走向何方。

Rogoway 的评分：8 分（满分 9 分）

《疾速追杀3：帕拉贝鲁姆》现已上映。

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