John Wick: Parabellum nearly got me punched in the face

There is a scary gif later on. I promise you it is vital for the story. 

I had missed the first John Wick film for some unknown reason, probably fencing. And the second came out during what we will refer to as the unfortunate Newcastle time. 

So I hadn't seen either John Wick film. This surprised L, who thought it would be precisely the sort of violent baroque nonsense that would appeal to me. 

I suspected it would be, certainly Chad Stahelski and Jonathan Eusebio (and Jon Valera) is a combo that creates fight scene joy, and I was going to go along anyhow. 

However, apparently, I didn't look suitably enthused so L played his trump card - Mark Dacascos. Now L knew I was a big fan of Mark Dacascos, and he correctly suspected that I hadn't heard he was going to be in John Wick 3. 

Unfortunately, L had somewhat underestimated my reaction. Imagine you are happily sitting on a sofa, telling your friend something you think will make her happy and you get this reaction (this was his actual description of events):

 

via GIPHY

You too would nearly swing for the person golluming at you. 

In my defence, I was surprised, it's an actor who I really like in action film that had the promise of being glorious baroque violent nonsense and I am an enthusiastic person. 

Somehow, I avoided getting punched. 

The film itself was enjoyable nonsense. It's very much an excuse of a plot used to string together a series of cool fight scenes and some cool character bits. But it's best not to think about the plot too much, or indeed at all, because it makes no sense if you spend more than 3 seconds thinking about it. For instance, the entire Halle Berry bit, nothing but an exceptionally fine piece of nonsense diversion (with remarkably immortal dogs). On the other hand, it does cause Said Tamaghouni to appear on my screen so I shan't complain too much (why, oh why, is he not in all the things?) 

The whole thing was stuffed with solid actors (to the point where every second scene caused a moment of "oh, it's thingy") and let them get on with it. It turns out, if you give good actors space to do their thing, they will add to what would otherwise be a very flat story. 

Other things that helped with that is the set design and cinematography. This world is believable as a shadowy underworld running alongside our own, with its own ridiculous rules, and dark and miserable and rainy, and light merely deepening the shadows. 

 I loved so much of it; 

the King of the Bowery (and yes, I plan on making the pigeon speech into a cross-stitch sampler), 

Ian McShane doing charming and sinister as he does so well (Ian McShane makes everything better),

Lance Reddick,

the Adjudicator and the sheer power and lack of fear (the Pax Romana lives),

unexpected Yayan Ruhian,

watching a film that understood how much I wanted to see several of these actors in anything ...

And Mark Dacascos being sinister and odd and weird even for an assassin and just ... 

I was filled with glee pretty much throughout. It's a spun sugar web of nothing but style that seems to have been made for me. 

That is where my review ends, the rest is spoilery comments about the ending - because yeah, no way was Winston aiming to kill John Wick. If Winston wanted him dead, he would have been dead. And I think the Adjudicator knows it. I think Winston is using him as part of a power grab against the High Table, but then we're back with the important statement - Ian McShane makes everything better and I want him to lurk sinisterly and avoiding Wickian vengeance for at least two more films.