John Wick 3 Movie Review: Keanu Reeves Teams up with Halle Berry and Her Killer Dogs!

In John Wick 3, Keanu Reeves goes to Halle Berry and her killer dogs for help. If that isn’t enough to get you to watch this movie, what is wrong with you? The third installment presents another action-packed adventure with numerous POC and yes, even queer representation! Again, what more do you want? Do watch it!

This review of John Wick 3 contains minor spoilers. You have been warned.

I’m going to begin by saying John Wick 3 isn’t the most well-written movie. There isn’t much of a plot going on here. But all of that doesn’t matter because JW3 knows what kind of film it is supposed to be (already two installments into the successful franchise), and I can’t wait for more.

The fact that it is a Hollywood action franchise being helmed by a POC actor is something to be appreciated. Especially in current times where most major blockbusters are still being helmed by white talent.

Furthermore, the John Wick franchise hasn’t shied away from casting openly queer talent. In the third installment, we have Asia Kate Dillon playing the Adjudicator of the High Table. Their role is amazing and I hope to see them again. Robin Lord Taylor (Gotham) has a fun cameo as the Administrator. The stylistic choices for these characters make sure to let viewers know they aren’t exactly straight.

A fun time, a diverse cast, and queer representation. No wonder I’m in love with this franchise. JW3 is on its way to a weekend debut north of $50 million at the US box office. Yay!

The third installment picks up where the second left off. John is running for his life. We get to know a bit more about his past when he goes to meet the Director (played by the iconic Anjelica Huston). She is a member of the Ruska Roma and his mentor. Getting safe passage from her is what leads John to Morocco to get help from Sofia (Halle Berry) who runs the Moroccan Continental.

With Sofia, the Director, and the Adjudicator, we have well-written women (played by Berry and Houston) and a nonbinary trans character (in Dillon’s case) who rank high in the assassin world. None of them felt out of place or forced, and I loved that.

Sofia and John share a past. Turns out, he helped Sofia save her daughter. I would describe Sofia and John’s relationship as frenemies. It makes sense for Sofia to not want to help John because it could put her daughter in danger. However, again, due to a debt she owes him, Sofia agrees. What follows is an amazing high-intensity action sequence where John, Sofia, and her two dogs work together to take down countless enemies. Seriously, I stopped keeping track of the body count after the first dozen men were killed.

I’m not sure, but I think because of John, Sofia can’t go back to running the Continental. The High Table isn’t going to appreciate her helping him. It will be interesting to see what Sofia ends up doing with her life. Fingers crossed, she comes back to the franchise.

The training Berry (a mother of two) went through for this role, in her 50’s, is no joke. Her months of hard work more than paid off in this film. I loved her fighting style, which incorporated her two dogs. Women, even highly trained ones, aren’t going to find it easy to take down a highly trained man through mere brute force. Sofia’s fighting style focused on being quick and destabilizing her opponent’s balance.

She was John’s equal in her own right. They worked well together during the action-sequence. There wasn’t a single moment where she was shown not being capable of handling the situation on her own or needed John to jump in to save her. They both fought differently yet effectively. It was wonderful to see. And yes, Sofia’s dogs are perfect!

I can’t wait to watch Halle Berry in Bruised. Chad Stahelski, the director of the John Wick series, is reportedly her second-unit director in the upcoming film. She’s in good hands as far as I can tell.

Everyone did justice to their roles. Mark Dacascos is amazing as Zero. He is tasked with killing John, but he is also a fan of John’s work. Such a dynamic between the two makes for some fun interactions as they try to kill each other. Also, shout out to the incredibly talented actors from The Raid franchise. Now, let’s bring Iko Uwais to the JW world.

John Wick 3 ticks all the boxes that create an amazing action film which isn’t based on a superhero property.

There isn’t much of a plot, but it doesn’t matter. The world of assassins is growing, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Seriously, go watch John Wick 3. You won’t be disappointed.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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