When I first reviewed the film I gave it a glowing review, after (several) repeated viewing my stance still hasn’t changed. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is still one of the best action films of the decade. It’s right up there with The Raid. However, similar to The Raid, John Wick 3 is not for the faint of heart. The film is full of jaw-dropping and brutal violence. It’s also unrelenting as well. There are very few scenes in the film that’ll let you breathe from all the action that you just took in.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. The action scenes are well thought out and spectacular. There aren’t any shaky cameras or quick cuts at all. Director Chad Stahelski focuses solely on the action and lets the actors and stunt people shine. Also, the film expands on the type of action you’ll see in the film. In the previous two installments, we got to see a lot of John’s “gun fu” choreography. This time around we see John do way more than use guns. We see him use a short sword, knife, kung fu, and his belt to take down his enemies. It just goes to show you what kind of badass John Wick is.
But the film isn’t just about John Wick going against everybody. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a big part of it but it’s not the only thing. John Wick 3 also expands on the mysterious mythology that is assassins in this world. Also, this expansion can branch out into separate spinoff films. There are a lot of stories to tell in this kind of world.
Overall, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is one of the best action films of the decade. I know I said this earlier but it’s true. What happens throughout the 2-hour runtime is an exhilarating blast of gratuitous action set in a world that is both interesting and fun. It’s a must-see film for any action fan… Period.
Movie Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Video
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with an HDR transfer and a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The detail clarity is incredibly clean and sharp. Every blood splatter, wrinkle, and tiniest detail can be seen. On the other hand, there is a tiny bit of softness in the edge details. Also, there is a good amount of definition in the shadow areas. Not to mention, the brightness gives the bright areas some vibrancy without any of the bloom. Thanks to the wide array of neon colors, the colors are vivid and beautifully colored. Overall, this is a great video transfer.
Video Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Audio
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum hits Ultra HD Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos and a core 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track. This review will reflect John Wick‘s Dolby Atmos track. Much like the video transfer, John Wick 3‘s audio mix is very good. There is a lot of immersive and atmospheric sound effects that put you in the film. You can even hear the whoosh of every single knife and blade swing echo through the soundstage. At the same time, the overhead effects bring a touch of immersion such as the rain in the opening scenes. However, some of the overhead effects for the rest of the mix are nice and subtle.
Not to mention, Tyler Bates’ score permeates through every single speaker as each speaker plays a different layer of the score. Thankfully, the chaos of the film doesn’t drown out all the dialogue from the center channel. Needless to say, your sound system will have a lot of fun with this excellent audio mix.
Audio Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
Special Features
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum‘ Ultra HD Blu-ray disc has the following special features on it:
- Parabellum: Legacy of the High Table
- Excommunicado
- Check Your Sights
- Saddle Up Wick
- Bikes, Blades, Bridges, and Bits
- Continental in the Desert
- Dog Fu
- House of Transparency
- Shot By Shot
- Theatrical Trailer 1
- Theatrical Trailer 2
- John Wick Hex Game Trailer
- Behind the Scenes of John Wick Hex
Thankfully, all of the featurettes in this release are very informative and in-depth. With “Parabellum”, the featurette answers almost every single question about the John Wick world that you may have. “Excommunicado” takes a look at the actors and the various assassin clans in John Wick 3. Now, “Check Your Sights” is easily one of the most fun featurettes on this release. You get to see all of the hard work and training that went into John Wick 3. After all, there are a ton of action scenes in this film that requires you to be at your best.
If you’ve seen the movie then you can figure out what “Saddle Up Wick” and “Bikes, Blades, Bridges, and Bits” is about. Oh, and if you’re wondering about that Villainess scene that Chad Stahelski is talking about in “Bikes, Blades, Bridges, and Bits”, it’s this scene. “Dog Fu” is such an in-depth look at all of the amazing dog stunt work in the film. There’s a lot of information about the stunts that you wouldn’t even realize. “Shot for Shot” is also another amazing featurette because it teaches you the concept of editing an action scene. Future action directors should watch this.
Weirdly enough, there isn’t a featurette strictly covering the sets and locations. Instead, we get “Continental in the Desert” and “House of Transparency” featurettes. Although “Continental” seems like a travel ad, “House” goes in-depth on the creation of Winston’s glass office. Not to mention, it covers a lot of the stunt preparations for the scene.
Special Features Rating: 4/5 atoms
Overall, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is one of the best action films of the past decade. Instead of copying what came before, John Wick 3 goes big and expands upon the world that came before it. The audio and video are superb and the special features are extremely informative. This is one of the best overall releases that Lionsgate has ever put out there.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 atoms
This Blu-ray was reviewed using a retail/advance copy/unit provided by Lionsgate Home Entertainment.
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