John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - 3/5

This movie tries to expand the world-building that the first two films started, but it quickly falls apart. There are some fun action scenes, and one in an antique shop in particular that is stellar, but the rest of the movie is a blurry confusion of self-contradiction and tensionless posturing. Asia Kate Dillon is particularly atrocious, and her portrayal of a such pompously incompetent character is not only grating to watch but badly written to boot. The contrivances just keep piling up and after an hour or so everything that happens happens because the plot needs it to. The director’s affinity for beautiful cinematography has been pared down to only beautiful shots, with much of the camera work that made the other two films stand out lost and lazily lacking in this one.

Closest comparison: It’s the Jonh Wick entry that couldn’t be bothered to be any good.

Setting: Secret World
Plot: Action
Tone: Action

Hellboy (2019) - 3/5

This movie’s main draw is its visual aesthetic, which is so Metal that it looks like it was taken directly from an Iron Maiden album cover. It overemphasizes the goriness wherever it can, but if that’s your thing you’ll probably like this movie more than I did. There are lots of fun locations and characters, with a few sequences that were exceptionally well done. Unfortunately, there are too many plotting problems, with unclear character motivations and stakes. Unless you’re really into the visual style, just rewatch Guillermo Del Toro’s 2004 classic again instead.

Content warning: language, gore, dead children, brief female nudity

Closest comparison: It’s like someone read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and thought, “This needs more demons, intestines, and severed limbs.”

Setting: Hidden World
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Horror/Splatter

John Wick: Chapter 2 - 3/5

They lost their way with the second one. It still has beautiful cinematography, some fun fight scenes, and memorable side characters. But the lack of specific motivation or creativity in resolving fairly straightforward conflicts makes it a definite drop in quality from the first one. I found the suit gimmicky and by the end they had really gotten John Wick's character wrong.

John Wick - 5/5

It does so many things right. Great action flick with amazing choreography and one of the best performances from Keanu Reeves ever. At the end of the third act the pace drops and there isn't a clear motivation as to why the last fight takes place. The two main combatants have only moderate motivation that's been set up beforehand as to why they're fighting, since they could have fought before but chose not to. But that's light criticism, all things considered.