When I think about it, it’s kind of odd that I was as excited for John Wick 3 as I was, because if I’m being honest the John Wick franchise really isn’t one of my favorites. I thought the first one was just a generic action movie with a big star attached to it. The second one was definitely an improvement, but even then it suffered from a bit of a bland story at times. However, what it really did deliver were some exciting action sequences of Keanu Reeves kicking ass, and so I guess sometimes that’s enough for me. So, I was excited to get more of that in this third installment, and that’s exactly what I got.

You might remember that John Wick 2 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. As Wick broke the rules of his assassin organization, they end up putting a huge bounty on his head and sending every assassin in the world after him. John Wick 3 picks up immediately with that premise. After the first act the movie does wind up switching gears a bit, so if you were hoping for this to be the plot of the entire movie then you might be disappointed. However, it does at least deliver on it for a while.

But really, at the end of the day the plot just doesn’t matter here. Story has never been John Wick’s strong suit…action has. And so if you’re wanting to watch John Wick 3 simply for more kickass action like I did, then the movie definitely delivers. There are some fantastic sequences, set pieces, and fight choreography at play here. There were some scenes that I couldn’t even fathom how they filmed them because they looked so cool and so brutal. The action is definitely still the reason to see John Wick here.

The other great thing about this franchise has always been Keanu Reeves, so seeing the movie for him is another great reason to. Honestly, the only thing that drags the movie down for me is the plot. Maybe some people out there enjoy it, but I personally don’t. Any parts that aren’t “generic action movie” are instead just convoluted, and the big organization plot lines never really grabbed me all that much. It services the movie just fine, but that’s about it.

So, there’s the basis of my recommendation. If you want some more action, John Wick 3 is worth seeing. If you want some great plot, look somewhere else, unless you’re really invested in this franchise’s story for whatever reason. The movie is definitely a bit more akin to the second movie than the first, so if you liked John Wick 2 then there’s a pretty good chance you’ll like 3 as well. I liked them both about equally.

4/5