John Wick 3: Parabellum

Going in: I hope it's good and that it doesn't disappoint. I expect there will be a lot of fighting, good storytelling, and probably some dogs. I went on 5/16 with both my boys.

Popcorn: 8/10. This was a fun movie. If you like action, it didn't disappoint. I left feeling more confused than normal but this was an action movie. I can live with that.

Art: 8/10. Great action, good acting, some pretty good filming. The only weak spots were some of the night shots and some of the character decisions.

Acting: 5/6. Ian McShane is the best. Reeves does well as does everyone. Even some of the side characters are acted really well.

Music: 2/4. The music serves one purpose: drive the action. I don't pick up a thematic element though and it's pretty noticeable.

Filming: 2/4. This was hard. There were some really beautiful landscape shots. The decision to do action in a smooth take rather than chopped up bits calls back to old school martial arts fights. But the night shots are crappy. Cinematography lesson: there are 3 elements to a shot. 1) Shutter speed, which is pretty much fixed in movies with certain exceptions. 2) Aperture, which controls how much light gets in. Too much and you overexpose the shot and it looks like someone didn't adjust their TV contest. 3) ISO, which controls the sensitivity of the medium to light. Higher values let in more light, but also increase the graininess of the film. Therefore, night shots are really hard to do in an action film. But sometimes, the ISO is cranked so high it pulls you out of the film. That was the case here.

Art Dept: 3/4. The costumes are good, but the hair and makeup shine. There were some cheap CGI shots. I'm glad they didn't sacrifice on the budget for action, but it was noticeable.

Editing: 4/4. I'm giving full marks here because I noticed an editing style I really like even though it wasn't a signature. Action sequences are normally edited in quick cuts. Generally speaking, the more cuts, the higher the adrenaline. Those short bursts convey a faster speed. You have to be careful because to sort out in the wrong place can make a person nauseous. But, in this movie, one or two of the action sequences rely on the action itself and the cuts are longer. This makes you appreciate the action and the skill of the character.

Story: 6/8. I went opening night because my boys had never been to one. Everyone should have that experience. The emotion is higher, the audience closer to the film. It's a better experience. After that high rubbed off, I started feeling off about the movie. The one thing I like about these movies is the characters. There's almost a nobility to all the characters. But in this one, one of the characters (one of my favorites) makes an almost evil decision. And I don't like it. At the same time, I also like in the previous folks that there's a good balance of loss and victory. I didn't feel that way here. I'm getting dangerously close to spoiler territory. Final thought I'd that I left feeling like what was the point? Why go through all that?

Directing: 5/6. This is still a well executed movie. I don't hate; just be annoying things I can't get past.

Production: 3/4. Definitely see it on the big screen. Not sure IMAX was worth it, but you'll lose something in the experience by waiting for the small screen.

Orthodox thoughts (major spoilers):

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The theme here is loyalty. It was pretty hard to miss. "I have served and I will serve." That's what makes Winston's betrayal so hard. He was loyal to his own power, not to his own friend which betrays that sense of nobility.

Loyalty is of the types: demanded and earned. Demanded loyalty will always seed rebellion. Earned loyalty is the product of respect. A third type of loyalty is a loyalty driven by love. Once I went to an Orthodox service and a young man shared some of the bread with my son and I. He split the bread. That moment endeared that young man to me and we're friends to this day.

Christ, in taking on our sin to defeat death on the cross, demonstrated that love. Once we realize the gap between what was given and what we deserve, that loyalty surfaces. Some people, even knowing the truth, even having experienced the life, refuse to consider that loyalty. In doing so, they can't abide Christ. The early Church fathers commented that this was hell: knowing Christ's love and mercy, and refusing it - even despising it.