Time goes ticking and Wick is left with few minutes to make a quick escape as he is going to be declared as Excommunicado with a bounty of $14 Million that too International. Under mild rain over New York City, Wick hurries down to the New York Public Library to get the book “Russian Folk Tale, Aleksandr Afanasyev, 1864″. In the book John stops at an illustration of Vasilisa, by Ivan Bilibin and reveals a secret stash under the page in which a photograph of Helen, some coins, a Cross (Ticket), and some kind of Blood Oath marker are found.
Throughout the trilogy of John Wick films, Keanu Reeves had been trained professionally in terms of handling the guns, the martial arts which is described in the movies as a combination of Japanese jiu-jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, tactical three-gun, and standing Judo. Reeves was trained under Taran Butler, an American sport shooter and world champion. Taran is a Professional Trainer at Taran Tactical Innovations, a training ground for competitive shooters.
As a result of all the tough trainings, a lot of unique fighting scenes, action, blood and bullets can be seen in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Apart from the action, some unbelievable stunts can also be expected as well in the movie.
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As we have seen Wick doing some bloody sketches over the assassins with pencils in John Wick: Chapter 2, something extraordinary can also be expected in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum where Wick can be seen killing Earnest (a tall Assassin who attempts to kill John Wick for the bounty of $14 Million) in the Library with the “Book”. The amazing combination of pencil and book used in fighting shows that Wick knows the actual meaning of the quote “Knowledge is Power”, and he uses those educational objects in killing.
In the last 5 minutes Wick runs to the doctor for stitching the cut on his shoulder which was caused by the knife Earnest had used to attack. Just at the moment when the Clock strikes 06:00 pm, the doctor helplessly stops his operation since Wick is now declared Excommunicado and is exempted from all the services of High Table. Wick does the last few stitches by himself and continues ahead. The doctor provides Wick with a gun to shoot him twice as a penalty for helping him after the hour, the scene here describes that the doctor helps Wick with the medicines and prescription after Wick becomes Excommunicado. The level of rules and consequences here shows the power of High Table and its fear.
As Wick is now declared Excommunicado, all the hidden Assassins start to come up on his way and he has to fight everyone off to continue his escape. There are a variety of amazing fighting scenes here at this point where Wick runs into a room full of Weapons and modifies two different guns by disassembling the parts and creating a new one. And the entire action scene involves alot of martial arts, brutal knife fights, cuts, pierces and much more.
On his escape journey from the Library to the Grand Theater, Wick goes through amazing stunt scenes while fighting off the assassins. The most highlighting part of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is the Horse riding scene where Wick breaks out from the Metropolitan Horse Stables riding on a horse with the bikers chasing him from behind.
It’s an epic exposure of action, stunt, and fights on the roads riding on a horse.
While Wick keeps on with his plan, the bounty on him increases to $15 Million, alerting the assassins much more and increasing their hunger of killing him. Wick reaches the Grand Theater and presents the Cross to The Director, a Roman woman who runs a place that appears to be a training school for assassins, which includes strict ballet and wrestling programs. From the conversation and the scenario it can be realized that John was actually brought up and trained at the Grand Theater. As an orphan and last member of his tribe, Wick carried the Orthodox crucifix and rosary, which represents a debt owed to him by The Director. The cross is actually his ticket to escape New York and secure safe passage from The Director’s forces all the way to Casablanca, Morocco. where he meets an old friend, Sofia, who is the manager of Continental Hotel in Casablanca. The role of Sofia is played by Halle Berry whose magnificent character literally describes the attitude and confidence of Sofia.
Meanwhile a new character called the Adjudicator gets introduced in the movie, who appears to be a high level enforcer sent to New York by the High Table to penalize the ones who aided John Wick in his resistance of the laws throughout John Wick: Chapter 2. She has the power to go all through the job without lifting a gun or raising her voice.
The Adjudicator first approaches Winston and gives him 7 days to settle his affairs and give up the Continental as he had eased John’s escape by giving him an hour to disappear. Where Winston denies the statement and faces the consequences at the end. She then heads to the Bowery King and gives him 7 days to settle his affairs as he had provided Wick a Gun with 7 rounds when Wick had a contract of $7 Million over him.
The Bowery King denies and argues that he himself is the throne, in fact yes, He absolutely is, the throne. Whereas in the end He is punished with 7 cuts over his body as a punishment by an Assassin who follows the orders of the Adjudicator. And lastly the Director gets taken in attention because she had helped in sending Wick to Casablanca through safe passage, to which she faces the penalty where a sword slits through her hands held together.
The marker that Winston gives to Wick in John Wick: Chapter 2, actually resembles the relation of Wick and Sofia in the world of Assassins, the marker had Sofias blood on one side which ensures that Sofia has to help out John when he needs her. Wick marks his blood on the other side when Sofia guides him to meet the Elder in desert where Wick goes all alone by himself.
The Elder, a mysterious head of the High Table, a mystical man who resides in the desert, and the overarching antagonist of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Wick explains him that he wants to live because of his wife Helen, he wants to remember her all his life and keep her alive in his memories. The Elder who is the only known authority who holds the power to remove the bounty over John Wick, gives him a chance to stay alive as an Assassin throughout his life by offering him a task (to kill Winston as he had disobeyed the rules and forgot his fealty in the eyes of the High Table). Wick with no other choice infront of him accepts the task and demonstrates his fealty by chopping off his ring finger and surrendering his wedding ring.
Wick had decided to leave the profession of an Assassin and live peacefully only for Helen, but as it’s been said, Wick is not good at retiring, he keeps getting pulled back and has to face all the dark sides. Wick accepts the task only to live. He hesitates to kill Winston when he gets back to New York and the Continental gets deconsecrated (business can take place on the hotel’s grounds) on the orders of the Adjudicator as Winston doesn’t give up. From the perspective of High Table, business means “killing”. And the forces from the High Table start to flood in the Hotel to execute all the people standing against the decisions of the High Table.
“Si vis pacem, para bellum”, which means “If you want peace, Prepare for War”. Wick had always wanted to make peace and live in simple terms. But the situations kept changing and he had to get back in the business with no choice.
Winston helps John Wick a wide range of different guns and ammunition from an underground weapon room within the Continental. The concierge assists Wick in the business with the High Table forces while Winston stays in the Weapon room locked in safety. The business continues until every all the forces including the Assassins working for the Adjudicator are taken down brutally.
Meanwhile the Adjudicator suggests a small discussion over the matter and the conference takes place at an open area in the Continental where the argument goes on the battle between High Table and the New York City. The Adjudicator explains Winston that there’s only one way to end this and ofcourse, to kill the root cause, John Wick. This way Winston gets to keep his Continental and the affairs get settled.
Winston shoots Wick and seemingly kills his friend, although John is saved by the Bowery King who promises revenge against High Table. Now the Million Dollar question arises that did Winston really intend to kill John?… Because if he seriously wanted to kill him, he would have shot straight in his head and not on the bullet proof suit. Afterall John fell off the building and got rescued by one of the men of the Bowery King. Well, it remains a suspense until we get to know the real War in the upcoming movie John Wick: Chapter 4 which is to be released in 2022.