The sequels gradually lost what all sequels lack, stakes & believability, In the first movie you understood his motivations & why he was going on this spree, as the sequels came out the stakes & plot made less & less sense or flat out didn't matter, the 3rd movie seriously jumped the shark
"the level of effort that went into the context of the action scenes in the first film was completely sacrificed for the sake of having larger action sequences" yes. this is the flaw of like every sequel. absolutely spot on, i'd never heard it put so succinctly.
I don’t know if I feel the exact way about the sequels but I think you’ve vocalized something that I’ve felt for a bit, especially the third one. I got halfway through it and quit at the big escape with the dogs. It didn’t really make me hate it but I did realize “you know what? I could quit right now and not miss anything.” It lost a bit of the humanity. For all of the first movie’s simplicity, there are subtle things about it that, when removed, completely deflate the movie.
Completely agree. At a glance it seems like the sequels are "more of the same but bigger", but I feel like enough little things changed that upset the foundation and I suddenly realised there was nothing in the scenes I was really holding onto and it all fell apart.
See I didn’t realize it in the first two, but the third one really got me, “bulletproof”, doesn’t mean bulletproof, none of the movies really addressed this, but that suit should’ve left him absolutely broken if it itself didn’t fall apart into strings from how many different caliber weapons were hitting it. The shockwave of the bullet needs to go somewhere, they completely gave up entirely on the idea of that with John, just the big ass armored people.
I know a lot of people will reply to this by saying that the films not trying to be realistic, but honestly if I have no fear for John's safety then why would I be invested in any of the fights? They made his injuries matter in the first movie but never again since.
@@RecDougs exactly, like I fully expected going into the third one that atleast some kind of realism was going into it with all the cast talking about training and all this, just for it to be John Wick:Last survivor in infected, the first was the best and only Great movie, the other three were just pretty, alright movies
Yeah I really don't get why 2 and 3 are rated so highly. I thought they were pretty cheesy most of the time and they definitely require you to turn your brain off. That scene in 2 where John and the other hitman are shooting at eachother in the metro and nobody in the crowd is noticing just makes me laugh at how bad it is
I’d say the second one straddles the line enough to still be entertaining. It certainly has a lot of great action scenes, and a fantastic ending and cliffhanger. There are dumb bits like you mention but the fights aren’t clumsy to me. The third one is a mess however.
In short, the sequels are overloaded with absurd over the top actions scenes compared to the first movie. The movie first was about a crazy elite hitman avenging his pet dog and now its turning into every generic Hollywood action movie ever made. These sequels were made to impress children who play Fortnite and nerdy power fantasy fanboys that want John Wick to be a invincible army of one super soldier.
Nope, we just wanted for the John Wick series to enhance it's winning formula of action that made the first so great, and the plot is a gateway to that. In all actuality , the 4th movie has a simple plot at surface but such an intricate set of subtext and mythology, that enhances the world it created, leading me to believe it's a fantastic plot for an action movie. Anyway, the action had to go bigger and more over the top, otherwise it would've felt repetitive. The reason why a fight scene in the Arc de Triomphe for example is so great is because the action can blend with it's environment more, which creates freshness. I'm sorry to say it but simple shootouts in parking areas and houses don't generally do as well anymore, because it's not fresh. This is, in my eyes. You don't have to agree with me though, I'm just providing you my perspective. If you don't like these movies, that's fine, I just feel sorry for you, because you're missing out, most of us love these movies.
@@KD--sj8eo Ok. You are right, they’re not tense, but that’s not the appeal of the action that 94% of the audience enjoy. We come here for action that has never been done before, never been seen before. We enjoy new concepts in action. Have u ever seen an action scene with a 2 minute long top down shot following a guy sparking people up with a Dragon’s Breath Shotgun? Have u ever seen an action scene where someone is actually fighting in the Arc de Triomphe on foot? No, because most directors like Cristopher McQuarry in Mission Impossible Fallout can’t see any other concepts to use in the Arc de Triomphe other than driving through it. Many action scenes have used the Arc de Triomphe but none to the level of John Wick, just because it dedicated an action scene towards it, where concepts can be explored. In many ways, some of John Wick’s action (particularly from 3 and 4) is revolutionary and defines a blueprint of action cinema. JW4 ruined my experience of MI7 just because it’s action scenes there felt underwhelming . It was just that good to me. I can understand if u can’t tolerate an hour of action, but longer action allows more concepts to be introduced and blends in with its environment seamlessly. A lot of action movies don’t do that. Then again, I’m not saying you’re wrong if you think John Wick isn’t good. I’m just offering my perspective on why I think it has some of the greatest action in modern action cinema, and quite frankly I feel sorry for you that you are part of the unlucky 7% that doesn’t enjoy these movies, and wasted money to watch a film you didn’t enjoy. Bit of an L.
This is just a comment to show appreciation for the content you are creating. I thoroughly enjoyed all your videos and came to your channel because of your brilliant video essay on Utopia. Was thrilled to see you uploaded yet another one. Keep up the great work!
I feel john wick took all their focus from "why this movie exists in the first place" and instead got SOOOOOO hung up on what they believe to be interesting lore; neglecting what made the first work
The first movie felt it could take place in our world in almost every aspect, from the action to the story, but the sequels just feels less grounded and over-the-top, in some way almost feels like a parody of the first movie.
Well it is like a modern day epic poem that pays homage to a number of classical epics like Homer's Iliad. John's wife's name is Helen, the main catalyst for every event that happened in the John Wick films, as was mentioned in Chapter 2 when a member of the high table kills herself and asked who was responsible. You have the high table, 12 seats, symbolizing the 12 Greek gods also referenced in chapter 2. The Iliad was fucked up, lots of killing. Same with John Wick. I really liked it. Reminds me of Homer who was also over-the-top.
Lazy writing, dumb action, stylish visuals and Keanu Reeves - that's the formula of John Wick franchise. People wouldn't hype it up so much if John Wick was played by some other action star like Jason Statham.
There were some moments in the sequels where the grunts could’ve just bum-rushed Wick in a mass, especially since hand to hand isn’t Wick’s strongest suit, but instead it always ends up a one-on-one sequence where each bad guy takes a turn to fight him, couldn’t get it out of my head once I saw it as every fight scene involving grunts ensued
Don't tell me you've disappeared for another 9 months, I *just* found out about your channel and all your videos are amazing! Please, come back and make more
another thing you didn't mention that really irks me about 3 is a part of the continental fight scene. there's a shot of a bunch of continental staff firing at the high table assassins, only for them to not even flinch and take all of the staff out. but every time john shoots a high table assassin, they fall flat on their ass and struggle to get up.
Does it feel awkward whenever John talks for anyone else? I don't know if it's just the character or how the lines are delivered, but there’s always an awkward pause after a sentence he says. Other times it’s as if the actor doesn’t believe in what he’s saying, and he’s supposed to sound cool but just ends up being cringe.
I do find myself only thinking about the first movie every time I think of JOHN WICK. Movies 2 and 3 are just a consequence of the first and I would go as far as to say, I consider them as kind of OVA's Good Video essay. I can't say I have the same sentiment because I get why the action had to become more sensationalized to rake in the cash... BUT I do agree that the writing seems to have went to shit. I don't think that this series was supposed to have a sequel.
I just watched John Wick 1, 2, & 3 yesterday for the first time & I'll have to agree, I was super excited to watch 2 & 3 after watching the first but it was kinda boring & exhausting to get through, which is how I ended up here. I'm surprised how bad these sequels are when all my guy friends just love them so so much. I hope chapter 4 is at least up there with the first one, great video!!
I think the first film has the best plot. It's more direct, straightforward, and well engineered. But the second and third, whilst overwrought in terms of narrative, have much better action sequences. Arguably too much action. And the third one ended up being the most successful. Roll on part 4.
@@badgasaurus4211 nah, i liked the fights, i liked that even with shaky cam you can see there's choreography and see the action with not a single note of music, just the sound of the punch and brutality
John Wick was fun. ALL the sequels are B and C movies. It's all about choreography, the scripts just read [They shoot at each other] and [Insert Catch Phrase Here].
This is exactly how i felt too, and the fourth one was the worse of them all. Absolutely cringe snorefest, i ended up walking out the cinema since it was so boring just mindless action for 3 hours, mixed in with pretty set piece and cinematography. He meet random and uninteresting character along the way, and the movie just doubled down on the absurdity and comedy. Wow he fell down a really long stair, oh no another person also fall off the really long stair wow so funny. Everything felt like padding, everything was overdrawn, and i kept wanting it to end by halfway. I wasn't invested, i didn't cared about the plot or character or fancy scene, it was just silly in a bad way.
The shoot outs in JW 3 were like IPSC stages with known targets and the purpose of the whole movie seemed to be product placement for Taran Tactical guns.
Yeah. John Wick went from a man with a goal, a purpose, a motivation and even complications to those things (it seems unlikely his wife would have wanted this for him and he knows that) to a man reacting to things and not really thinking about them. The world around him goes from a place of rules and implied depth that while fantastical seems grounded to an increasingly chaotic world where nothing really matters. It's a bit of a bummer.
I saw John Wick 3 on tv, having seen none of the films before, and I was not impressed. There was literally 0 plot, no characters of significance, just nonstop action start to finish, and all the action that is there is so videogamey. Even seeing it now in this video I feel the same way. Looks like Keanu Reeves is playing Call of Duty or something. It doesn't feel like a real action movie. It's a joke, an empty shell of what the action movie genre once was in the days of legendary stars like Schwarzeneggar, Stallone, et. al.
Right on. This is why I prefer the Indiana Jones, Rambo, Bruce Lee and Tony Jaa movies. The fights and action sequences may not be over the top glossy Bukkake like in John Wick, but they're still awesome, make sense and match the solid story characters and emotion that surround them. All of those guys TOOK DAMAGE, too, while Wick is just a no-selling, all powerful Silver Skeeter from Doug. B-O-R-I-N-G.
it got to the point that he wasn't even killing anyone anymore. It was like he was balancing his check book or taking out the trash while intermittently shooting someone; muzzle fire and flash of light loud enough to make the act of killing LOOK like he was engaging a deadly foe. "Well, I've killed 2 hundred people now. Maybe I should have a cheese sandwich before I kill 2 hundred more". Hard not to think John had crossed the line between "natural " act of vengeance guy and a sociopath. You could make the case for self defense since they kept coming to kill him.. but since we already knew he would win, the future was already known. Cant go there either. No risk, no tension, no fighting for the cause, no get the bad guys. They were just.. nothing. Sorry: Psychopath.
Bad writing in a nutshell. The first one did "only" cost 20 million. They doubled each sequel budget, but what amazes me is that people doubled also the revenue. This means, the general public likes trashy action better than realistic one? Well, at least now we have the "Extraction" movies, that feel pretty much like the amazing first "John Wick".
Your video was from 2yrs ago but I’m commenting now since I just watched (or am currently watching- I’m in the last 1/4 of JW3) the trilogy, after they popped up on HBOMax. I realize now that’s because JW4 is coming out soon. Anyway, I sought out alternative reviews because I feel exactly like you do. The original was pretty cool (I’m watching w my young kids so the cartoony style is ok) and I kinda dug the suggestion of an ancient cultured assassin’s guild right under our noses, and the very simple, classic trope of “heartbroken prodigy assassin is done with the world but the world isn’t done with him”… but omg the sequels are SO LONG AND REPETITIVE - the fact that when the bounty goes out, apparently 60% of the general population are actually assassins- and then JW can’t even like, put a hat on or change clothes? And why do they use 1980s computers and old phone operators to stay off grid but then have an ultra high tech inverted glass skyscraper that is for “when you really need to see what’s happening” argh i fell asleep and when I woke up it was the same exact thing- fighting and cool talk, just boring my aF. I really need to cut this comment off but I had to rant. I’ve heard so much about these movies and they’re so fawned over but they end up getting in their own way. Ok I’m done. For now.
I love the way you voice the problems that I can't seem to put into words. They're nagging me and yet you make them so painfully obvious. Loving your content, man. I was drawn into this channel after the Utopia videos (I especially appreciate the fact that you love Cristobal Tapia de Veer's music and talked at length about it) and now I'm a happy subscriber. Looking forward to new content and the eventual growth this channel will face in the future (which it will because people love quality).
i feel the exact same way the first john wick had so much more substance behind it then the sequels even tho i feel like john wick 2 was not bad actually 3,4 was ATROCIOUS great action with no SOUL
For real I don't understand how so many people think they are good. One is awesome but the last one had plenty of I'll just wait to attack moments one was good because it felt realistic
I didn't like the sequels as much as the first. my favourite aspect of the first was the amazing combination between action, music and visuals that seemed to set the mood/character perfectly. i felt the sequels lacked that or didn't have enough of it. the club scene is also my favourite scene, I can just watch that scene over and over, it's what I find myself rewatching. not so much some of the 3rd and 2rd movie scenes. great editing, and great analysis. I think I agreed with you all the way and also learnt more about why i like the first one best. I wonder if the problems with the bigger and bigger stunt pieces have anything to do with the fact that the directors were stunt coordinators originally, so not really story tellers/writers.
i'd give more likes, but i only use the one account to like, hey part 4 is even worse, he dies from far less damage after falling from the damn building in part 3, unbelievably bad ending
Your channel is really solid. Only watched the two Utopia videos and the first 5 minutes of this, but I can already tell I'm about to binge through all your content.
The first one was on the edge of stupid as it was.... ...come on, guy murders the criminal infrastructure of a city because his dog was killed. THAT was the entire premise of JW1. It was the execution of that first film that made the stupid premise WORK.
I totally agree especially with the new 4th movie now. My wife and I love John wick but we both started falling asleep in the theater. Just the same thing over and over again for 3 hours.
Honestly, I’m kind of nervous for 4. There’s a scene in the trailer where he jumps out the window of another multi-story building. Like ffs. If 4 is just as ridiculous or even more so, I’m stopping after that.
@@RecDougs I just miss the realism of the 1st one tbh. They kept most of that in the 2nd one, but completely threw it out towards the end of the 3rd film. I was checked out when Zero was still talking with a sword in his heart. Like ffs. I dunno. I'll probably watch 4 for curiosity sake, but if they don't end it there, I'm out.
Unfortunately you where right boy it was so out drawn punchings guns cars almost no injuries from being hit and no deep narrative plot that really makes sense I just wish they would just not make anymore Part 1 is still the best ok I’ll show myself out the door
@@thatjrpganimefanplayerjusi8003 Yeah, that's what I heard too. I don't think I'll watch it tbh, especially seeing how long it is. I heard he died at the end anyways (from a side wound?). It's just too ridiculous for my taste now, which is a shame since I kinda like the lore and the characters. Ah well. Nothing matches 1 imo.
@@amit_patel654 absolutely I agree with ya and I saw part 4 5 hours ago And SPOILERS . . . . . . . . . Yes they F killed him off and honestly the way the series was going after 1 iam glad they did the first movie really was the only one that was very grounded the fighting in 4 is soulless and even LOOONGER then it’s 3 and 2 I think even Keanu is probably saying to himself ok this is not what I was envisioning since the first film was like yeah kill me off But to give some credit to part 3 it will only go to it’s crazy fatalities but other then that NOPE 👎
Damn and here I was thinking the action scenes were just too long, but now that you point it out, the lack of narrative weight and real challenge might've played into my own fatigue with the sequels at a subconscious level. Not exactly sure, but definitely worth thinking about even when it comes to my favourite action franchise in recent years.
I fully agree with everything you said throughout this entire video after i saw parabellum i lost hope i honestly think after all the crazy shit they pulled im 2 the writers dont even know where to go
Finally found a guy who agrees with me....I absolutely understand where you come from ...the first movie was great and all other movies are basically shit...and don't get me wrong , the direction, cinematography , and fight is good but the writers don't care about why the fight is happening ... it's just beating the shit out of everybody.... with a bit more compelling story the franchise would have been great....from my perspective it's wasted potential.
Eh, I will be honest, I noticed that the action made less sense since the second movie, but it never bothered me at all for some reason. I guess the action downgraded from 1, but it was still pretty good action.
One thing though, the knife fight scene in 3 is also awful. Count how many times an attacker does nothing with an empty hand that is just offscreen. It's just like having a gun and not drawing it, and it's all over that scene.
I remember the ending of that fight scene with the knife in the eye, and you can see the assailant's left hand be just let go by John Wick and he doesn't use it at all to stop the knife lol
Yes! yes......I could not agree more. The first one was a perfect film, no sequel was needed. It's an example of how the film industry is only out for the quick buck and can't figure out how to make a decent sequel anymore. Or even better a new exciting thought out film.
Oh yes finally someone who said it! First one has this fresh quality, it's simple but honest and it's compellingly fast. All the rest are just stupid and they feel like they could've came out as 15min action shorts.
The first scene in the second movie was misrepresended. He didnt kill anyone in the russian mob hideout, probably, some of then have at least some real damage, but noone is directely dead. He even tried to not use a gun. This was a show of force, so that the mob would not try to take revenge for viggo, but showing he was willing to make peace but not killing anyone, again probably. Yes i butchered inglish
I don’t think John being a bad person in the sequels is inherently bad. It plays into the main theme of the series of a man losing himself to a cycle of vengeance. I think the main problem is that it changes a bit too fast. So I agree there is a problem but I don’t think it’s necessarily the character. Also your right about the action scenes being worse. Although I feel that some of the criticisms are a bit mean, like having the hitmen not be able to shoot a gun whilst travelling at very high speeds kind of makes sense, although they should’ve tried to. I could say some other things but I think mostly you got it right but I probably just have my brain clouded by cool stunts go brrrrrrrrr
1) Enemies aim like Stormtroopers 2) John Wick should've died falling off the roof at the end of part 3 3) In John Wick 4, John jumps out a window at great height and falls on the roof of a car.... Clearly should've broke bones 4) In John Wick 4, the stairs scene the villians have the worst aim... John Wick falls down the steps without breaking bones 5) Every time John Wick is unconscious or laying down in pain, no villians can be found until he gets up
The first John Wick was so hype! Its sad to see where it has gone honestly. The action is always top notch but he's become nothing more than someone who will 'kill them all'. The first film had grounded mystery and intrigue and his reputation was felt through how feared his name was, he was a man who did the impossible to get out and wanted to stay that way. After the first film we see that he isn't really that scary at all, there are quite a few opportunities for his enemies to kill him and some of the time he just gets lucky in a fight. I feel like they should have gone for quality over quantity of killing. Its strange to see him lay waste to dozens of people in the streets and the police don't even show up, but in the first movie they showed up to his house quite quickly and there was tension in the potential consequences of his killing. The killing got so out of hand that lines like 'he killed two people with a pencil' lose their impact because yes, we can very easily imagine him doing that, hes done far crazier stuff. The first was amazing though imo.
2:40 I'd argue he becomes the killing machine again after saying "Yeah, I'm thinking I'm back" in the Church in the first film. Thats his arc. He sheds his humanity over time to achieve his mission, and at the end he's back. He still remembers his prior mission of vengeance, but has turned from righteous judicious execution to, well, killing people to get his car back because it's _his_ car. He isn't the same man, he's been altered by having to be dragged back into this underworld again
I thought I was the only one that felt this way about the Wick movies. The first one was a pretty classic action film. Simple and effective and a complete story from start to finish. It left just the right amount of intrigue and mystery remaining. Every little detail from the first film that they further explained in excruciating detail in the sequels cheapened them and killed the mystery of the world they made. Also, after seeing the stupid ending of the fourth film I was left wishing that that was the end of the first film. John just bleeding out on some steps while watching his wife's video. Would have made sense and been fitting to the character. Instead they do that in the fourth film and kill all sense of character arc that developed in the first film. He was already moving on at the end of the first film. Finally putting things behind him. Instead they rinsed and repeated the same tired premise until all meaning was lost.
The action eventually just feels so impactless and coriographed, generic ants hitmen that have no chance and set after set of themed room fights. Its actually pretty neat as a form of art, its like Shen Yun. But as "a good film" nahhh.. and you dont know or care about anyone
The big problem on JW is John's now Black Panther level of durability. His suit is no different than Vibrainum armor. Why start a movie with a knife wound to the should when he's just going to be healed just in time? Same with the desert: we know he won't die of dehydration. Same with the end of JW 3: how can we worry about with movie 4 and beyond now? And people call Rey from Star Wars a Mary Sue
He didn’t kill anyone in the intro on part 2 he hurt em bad but he didn’t head shot anyone but shot the last guy in the knee caps. You gotta pay attention
Tbh, the only great scene in the third film is the knife fight, the rest of it is a bloated mess. The last series of fist fights were borderline unwatchable. Keanu is operating at half the speed he was in the first it’s clumsy
I kinda auto downvoted when I started watching. But after letting you cook. I gotta agree. John Wick 2 and 3 are kind of dumb in this regard. Still love the hell out of the sequels but your video earned this upvote because you nailed your thesis.
I would say the first one is really good and the best by far. But I enjoy the others because honestly they are fun action movies to watch Especially with some pals but yeah the plots get a bit huh?
I knew these sequels weren't as good as the first, as I could tell from the second film onward, the entire story was an excuse just to have John come back and keep fighting. The first was about a man that quit the Russian Mob only to have to fight back against foolish younger members who dragged him back to that life. But by the second, John's apparently a master assassin that was on loan to the Russians from a global secret society of hitmen that have operatives hidden in literally every aspect of society in Every country on Earth. In basically one and a half films, John went from a one of a kind expert and specialist in his world to an Assassin superman in a world of military superhumans. I think if they truly wanted to continue, they should have gone the Jack Reacher/A-Team route. John would occasionally come across criminals from out of town/state/country that are harassing someone John meets. The criminals believe themselves to be invincible/untouchable as they would believe no one could stop them as everyone in the first movie only knows of John as the literal bogeyman, a mafia urban legend that may not exist. But he is real, and plows through small armies of organized crime, letting the villains know he does exist and to stay away. Also keep in small elements like the Continental, but make it a neutral meeting place and front for New Yorks crime families, not a secret HQ for super assassins. Finally leave how Johns story ends. Him slowly fighting one last battle that slowly kills him by a "Death of a Thousand cuts". Each severe injury slowly wearing him down up to the films climax.
The john wick films were always intended to be about the theatrics and not cutting away from the action and having props that recoil and authentic knowlege on the weapons john uses. In that sense they never lost sight of that but they became more transparent about it overtime. There was a goofiness with the gold coins and the fact that criminals in this universe have rules even though they would realistically disregard them realistically. This is why the later movies got goofier not necesarilly because of greed but more or less just the films becoming more of themselves overtime. Edit: this is also partly why i consider nobody. Made by the same guys a bettwr movie because its more grounded and tells a better story and has less of that favor coins that dont acount for how favors arent always equivalent.
Casting Reeves was the biggest issue - It feels like he's out of his depth here and somewhat misplaced. The character would have been best suited to a more grittier hardened action/martial arts star type like Statham or other on similar par. Just hearing the "Give me your son" line was just 😆
the start of john wick 4 he chases down and kills 4 unarmed men attempting to flee, then kills a surrendering man who hadn't wronged him in any real personal way. i only watched the original john wick before this so the opening really caught me off guard, i mean he is badass sure, but like in the way that optimus prime in transformers 3 is badass.
incredible. it's so rare to hear an opinion that isn't "omg this movie was so good!" i enjoyed the sequels but it wasn't exactly the most gratifying experience. i think you're helping me understand why. super spot on! though I felt the horse riding scene and the gun assembly were clearly jokes. based on the behind the scenes, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on keanu reeves having freedom to be satirical or serious. especially the gun assembly scene, it was almost saying how action movies always cut out the fluff and preparation required to perform all of these dangerous activities. so he inserted a whole scene where he's literally given an unassembled gun with one bullet, as a joke. given this premise, this would be the most important moment to view before he fires said gun. i think the point is, that was probably really really fun for people that know about guns. but the average viewer is interested in shooting the bullet. i agree with the overall sentiment, but it was pretty intentional that it's dead pan satire of action movies :(. wait, i think you actually fell for it lol.
when you watch a competitive fight, you are driven by the training and preparation one undergoes to be up to the task (at least you're supposed to be if you care about the art of combat -_-). when you watch martial art movies, they often cut the training, or they make it superfluous. the average viewer that watches action movies are not interested in the actual mechanics to become a fighter, but they are willing to watch people become punching bags. that's the 'point' of john wick. it was incredibly realistic and "slow" in the first movie, then the sequels it became about absurdity. this is because the 'typical' viewer of "action movies" is neither a martial arts fan, or a fan of plot. i think my explanation breaks down because it really is absurd as you have describe, but it is *on purpose.*
I’m a john wick fan... I honestly love all three movies but I don’t take them super seriously. I watch them as a means of escapism from real life. Not as a piece of super meta commentary on blah blah blah and the story is super in-depth.. no, it’s just mindless entertainment to me and I don’t mind the excess action scenes. I totally get the lack of compelling moments from the first in the subsequent films, but gosh darn I loved when there was a hit out on John and he didn’t know where or when he was safe or not! I thought that was cool! Also, I missed one of my favorite music producers being involved in the 2nd and 3rd soundtracks! Le Castle Vania brought the club bangers from the first movie! Wish some more original electronic composure was used in the next two movies. Hopefully the 4th amps up the story, action (not just delivering more scenes, improving upon them), and series lore once again in all accounts and aspects when it comes out! Great review! Thanks man! 🤗🤘🏻🔥
Thanks for your comment! Really glad you enjoyed all 3 movies. They're almost definitely making a fourth so you have that to look forward to. I also loved the music in particularly in the first movie.
I'm apart of of Keanu fanboy Bandwagon we're I just wanna see Keanu reeves and in coolest way possible. John wick works cuz of how nice Keanu Reeves is in Real life
I originally went in thinking "I disagree", and I still do, but I watched the whole thing and you've raised some good points. I actually think that you'd enjoy John Wick 4 much more than 2 and 3. Every major action set piece in the movie (hotel, nightclub, france) has a narrative reason and different goal. Escape, hunt, arrive at a location. Especially towards the end, there's a sense of progression that's less felt in 2 and 3, and the story, while still obviously not good, is improved- at least insofar as it makes the fights make more sense.
Are you kidding? Everything that he criticized in this video is doubly true for JW4. John can literally not die. He can get hit by a dozen cars, fall off multiple roofs, fall down a mile of stairs, get shot from every angle, but he's always fine. And the plot is contrived to the point of absurdity. It's basically a video game at this point.
John Wick is a cool concept and its neat that Reeves did all that training. But thats all. Everything about these movies is terrible. And lets face it Reeves is a garbage actor, and even with all that training he looks goofy and over choreographed. Im tired of the references to this character
So happy to find this review to see that not everyone has been captured by a bad franchise based on a really good first movie. I gave up 15 mins from the end in Chapter 2.
I just watched 3, You are Correct, the first one had a story, wants to morn and remember his 'normal' life (Now it'll turn out to have all been a lie, or manipulated memory). Now it seems like everyone is in Assassin Hell, everyone is evil crap. In the second movie there was less story, then in the third no story or plot at all, just way too many "actions" that it ends up being ultra dull. Yes, tiresome to watch, each sequel successively worse, no context to the "action". That scene with taking the revolver apart seems to have only been an homage to "The Ugly" character from the movie The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, when he modifies a revolver for it's action. But, I think John only takes one single shot with that revolver. I don't think Cat Woman didn't even get hit or get a single scratch. Oh I hope you take on the "character" of the adjudicator - Finish Her! Instead of watching 4 - I'll look for reactions like yours instead of wasting time on the "movie".
With every movie they tried to level up the action by doing dumb things just to impress the audience, I'm not saying the action is bad, it's too much and not rewatchable, its not like The raid thats action entertaining as hell i could watch that again. I remember watching the last fight scene in John Wick 3 the scene was so long that I actually had in my mind…shit, when is this going to end? and keanu, well i don't know why everyone is praising him, he's not that good at acting. I give him credit for doing his own stunts, but as the sequels go on, he becomes sluggish and sluggish because he's almost 60 years old. I respect your opinion, sadly it's one of many movies that became so popular that fans can't take a critique and analyze the pros and cons of their beloved franchise.
The fourth John Wick is so bad I had to stop watching it After the first major shootout scene. Literally, everybody was wearing special armor, so shooting them at point blank didn’t do anything unless you hit him in the face. It was so unrealistic and so absurd. I had to stop watching it.
I pretty much agree. The kept the very nice aesthetic, they still execute their scenes incredibly well, and quite beautifully, but they have neglected literally everything else that made it a nice, simple but engaging story *with actual stakes*, fueled by nice looks.
I was honestly preparing to berate you in my comment... but you made excellent points. When you said the 2nd and 3rd are kind of a chore to get through, I have to agree. They made the sequels common Hollywood shoot 'em ups with some flashy moves/sets... but they don't hit the same as the first one.
Bro you glossed over how they're also related to the same organization who gave him absolute hell in just the last movie and invaded his fucking home at one point and he's pretty goddamn mad about it, or you ignored how he said "its not just a dog and not just a car." of course he's gunna look lke kind of a dick at the start of John Wick 2 if you ignore all the context of the first
Great analysis, great video, and fair points made! I personally prefer the sequels for a very specific reason. For almost the entirety of the first film, after the initial setup of his motivations, the bad guys all know they're screwed, fear John Wick, and are basically just counting down the clock until he comes to kill them all. Their fate is basically already decided - it's just a matter of watching it unfold bloodily over an hour. For me personally, it felt like the minimal amount of story to then justify a (brilliantly made) stunt action short-film. It's fine, but I'm not wild about it. It was fun, but I put off watching the second one for months. The second one, even though it started to get a bit more comicbook-ish with its underworld elements, now felt like John had suddenly found himself pitted against an unseen and seemingly infinite and unstoppable crime Illuminati (The High Table), and no longer just young spoiled thugs who steal muscle cars and abuse/kill your pet. From then on, I was completely hooked.
I only just started watching the john wick movies. Really liked the first, thought the ending of the second was stupid, and the 3rd movie was a continuation of that stupidity. The whole premise is just dumb. Don't even know if I want to watch the last one.
Кино
The sequels gradually lost what all sequels lack, stakes & believability, In the first movie you understood his motivations & why he was going on this spree, as the sequels came out the stakes & plot made less & less sense or flat out didn't matter, the 3rd movie seriously jumped the shark
"the level of effort that went into the context of the action scenes in the first film was completely sacrificed for the sake of having larger action sequences"
yes. this is the flaw of like every sequel. absolutely spot on, i'd never heard it put so succinctly.
I don’t know if I feel the exact way about the sequels but I think you’ve vocalized something that I’ve felt for a bit, especially the third one. I got halfway through it and quit at the big escape with the dogs. It didn’t really make me hate it but I did realize “you know what? I could quit right now and not miss anything.” It lost a bit of the humanity. For all of the first movie’s simplicity, there are subtle things about it that, when removed, completely deflate the movie.
Completely agree. At a glance it seems like the sequels are "more of the same but bigger", but I feel like enough little things changed that upset the foundation and I suddenly realised there was nothing in the scenes I was really holding onto and it all fell apart.
See I didn’t realize it in the first two, but the third one really got me, “bulletproof”, doesn’t mean bulletproof, none of the movies really addressed this, but that suit should’ve left him absolutely broken if it itself didn’t fall apart into strings from how many different caliber weapons were hitting it. The shockwave of the bullet needs to go somewhere, they completely gave up entirely on the idea of that with John, just the big ass armored people.
I know a lot of people will reply to this by saying that the films not trying to be realistic, but honestly if I have no fear for John's safety then why would I be invested in any of the fights? They made his injuries matter in the first movie but never again since.
@@RecDougs exactly, like I fully expected going into the third one that atleast some kind of realism was going into it with all the cast talking about training and all this, just for it to be John Wick:Last survivor in infected, the first was the best and only Great movie, the other three were just pretty, alright movies
@@RecDougs have you seen the 4th by any chance?
while i dont hate the sequels i do agree the lack certain things the made the first special, still excellent action, but just excellent action
This aged very well given the 4th movie.
Yeah I really don't get why 2 and 3 are rated so highly. I thought they were pretty cheesy most of the time and they definitely require you to turn your brain off. That scene in 2 where John and the other hitman are shooting at eachother in the metro and nobody in the crowd is noticing just makes me laugh at how bad it is
I’d say the second one straddles the line enough to still be entertaining. It certainly has a lot of great action scenes, and a fantastic ending and cliffhanger. There are dumb bits like you mention but the fights aren’t clumsy to me. The third one is a mess however.
In short, the sequels are overloaded with absurd over the top actions scenes compared to the first movie. The movie first was about a crazy elite hitman avenging his pet dog and now its turning into every generic Hollywood action movie ever made. These sequels were made to impress children who play Fortnite and nerdy power fantasy fanboys that want John Wick to be a invincible army of one super soldier.
Nope, we just wanted for the John Wick series to enhance it's winning formula of action that made the first so great, and the plot is a gateway to that. In all actuality , the 4th movie has a simple plot at surface but such an intricate set of subtext and mythology, that enhances the world it created, leading me to believe it's a fantastic plot for an action movie. Anyway, the action had to go bigger and more over the top, otherwise it would've felt repetitive. The reason why a fight scene in the Arc de Triomphe for example is so great is because the action can blend with it's environment more, which creates freshness. I'm sorry to say it but simple shootouts in parking areas and houses don't generally do as well anymore, because it's not fresh. This is, in my eyes. You don't have to agree with me though, I'm just providing you my perspective. If you don't like these movies, that's fine, I just feel sorry for you, because you're missing out, most of us love these movies.
@@Perceptive-Abyssthe movies are boring as fuck. No tension at all.
@@KD--sj8eo Ok. You are right, they’re not tense, but that’s not the appeal of the action that 94% of the audience enjoy. We come here for action that has never been done before, never been seen before. We enjoy new concepts in action. Have u ever seen an action scene with a 2 minute long top down shot following a guy sparking people up with a Dragon’s Breath Shotgun? Have u ever seen an action scene where someone is actually fighting in the Arc de Triomphe on foot? No, because most directors like Cristopher McQuarry in Mission Impossible Fallout can’t see any other concepts to use in the Arc de Triomphe other than driving through it. Many action scenes have used the Arc de Triomphe but none to the level of John Wick, just because it dedicated an action scene towards it, where concepts can be explored. In many ways, some of John Wick’s action (particularly from 3 and 4) is revolutionary and defines a blueprint of action cinema. JW4 ruined my experience of MI7 just because it’s action scenes there felt underwhelming . It was just that good to me. I can understand if u can’t tolerate an hour of action, but longer action allows more concepts to be introduced and blends in with its environment seamlessly. A lot of action movies don’t do that. Then again, I’m not saying you’re wrong if you think John Wick isn’t good. I’m just offering my perspective on why I think it has some of the greatest action in modern action cinema, and quite frankly I feel sorry for you that you are part of the unlucky 7% that doesn’t enjoy these movies, and wasted money to watch a film you didn’t enjoy. Bit of an L.
@@Perceptive-AbyssI won't read this text, maybe I'll watch the film based on this text if it's less boring than the John Wick films.
This is just a comment to show appreciation for the content you are creating. I thoroughly enjoyed all your videos and came to your channel because of your brilliant video essay on Utopia. Was thrilled to see you uploaded yet another one. Keep up the great work!
I feel john wick took all their focus from "why this movie exists in the first place" and instead got SOOOOOO hung up on what they believe to be interesting lore; neglecting what made the first work
The first movie felt it could take place in our world in almost every aspect, from the action to the story, but the sequels just feels less grounded and over-the-top, in some way almost feels like a parody of the first movie.
It felt like breaking bad kind of our world but a little Extra
Well it is like a modern day epic poem that pays homage to a number of classical epics like Homer's Iliad. John's wife's name is Helen, the main catalyst for every event that happened in the John Wick films, as was mentioned in Chapter 2 when a member of the high table kills herself and asked who was responsible. You have the high table, 12 seats, symbolizing the 12 Greek gods also referenced in chapter 2. The Iliad was fucked up, lots of killing. Same with John Wick. I really liked it. Reminds me of Homer who was also over-the-top.
Its not really a parody, its just more mythological.
Lazy writing, dumb action, stylish visuals and Keanu Reeves - that's the formula of John Wick franchise. People wouldn't hype it up so much if John Wick was played by some other action star like Jason Statham.
There were some moments in the sequels where the grunts could’ve just bum-rushed Wick in a mass, especially since hand to hand isn’t Wick’s strongest suit, but instead it always ends up a one-on-one sequence where each bad guy takes a turn to fight him, couldn’t get it out of my head once I saw it as every fight scene involving grunts ensued
Don't tell me you've disappeared for another 9 months, I *just* found out about your channel and all your videos are amazing! Please, come back and make more
Still working on videos, promise. Just been a rough year. Next vid is very long.
@@RecDougs Good luck and stay strong dude!
@@RecDougs You should be on EFAP. Embrace the long.
I'll let you in on a secret. The first John Wick sucked too.
another thing you didn't mention that really irks me about 3 is a part of the continental fight scene. there's a shot of a bunch of continental staff firing at the high table assassins, only for them to not even flinch and take all of the staff out. but every time john shoots a high table assassin, they fall flat on their ass and struggle to get up.
Does it feel awkward whenever John talks for anyone else? I don't know if it's just the character or how the lines are delivered, but there’s always an awkward pause after a sentence he says. Other times it’s as if the actor doesn’t believe in what he’s saying, and he’s supposed to sound cool but just ends up being cringe.
I do find myself only thinking about the first movie every time I think of JOHN WICK.
Movies 2 and 3 are just a consequence of the first and I would go as far as to say, I consider them as kind of OVA's
Good Video essay. I can't say I have the same sentiment because I get why the action had to become more sensationalized to rake in the cash...
BUT I do agree that the writing seems to have went to shit. I don't think that this series was supposed to have a sequel.
I just watched John Wick 1, 2, & 3 yesterday for the first time & I'll have to agree, I was super excited to watch 2 & 3 after watching the first but it was kinda boring & exhausting to get through, which is how I ended up here. I'm surprised how bad these sequels are when all my guy friends just love them so so much. I hope chapter 4 is at least up there with the first one, great video!!
2 and 3 are sooo boring, at least 4 is kinda okay, decent
My comment got delete
I think the first film has the best plot. It's more direct, straightforward, and well engineered. But the second and third, whilst overwrought in terms of narrative, have much better action sequences. Arguably too much action. And the third one ended up being the most successful. Roll on part 4.
i think the best action trilogy of modern action is the Bourne Trilogy
And Endgame made more money than infinity war. And you tell me which was the better one..
@@sr.little2128 If you discount hand to hand fights, absolutely
@@badgasaurus4211 nah, i liked the fights, i liked that even with shaky cam you can see there's choreography and see the action with not a single note of music, just the sound of the punch and brutality
@@badgasaurus4211 but if you want a more direct response to your comment, i have this: "🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓"
John Wick was fun.
ALL the sequels are B and C movies.
It's all about choreography, the scripts just read [They shoot at each other] and [Insert Catch Phrase Here].
This is exactly how i felt too, and the fourth one was the worse of them all. Absolutely cringe snorefest, i ended up walking out the cinema since it was so boring just mindless action for 3 hours, mixed in with pretty set piece and cinematography. He meet random and uninteresting character along the way, and the movie just doubled down on the absurdity and comedy. Wow he fell down a really long stair, oh no another person also fall off the really long stair wow so funny. Everything felt like padding, everything was overdrawn, and i kept wanting it to end by halfway. I wasn't invested, i didn't cared about the plot or character or fancy scene, it was just silly in a bad way.
The shoot outs in JW 3 were like IPSC stages with known targets and the purpose of the whole movie seemed to be product placement for Taran Tactical guns.
Yeah. John Wick went from a man with a goal, a purpose, a motivation and even complications to those things (it seems unlikely his wife would have wanted this for him and he knows that) to a man reacting to things and not really thinking about them. The world around him goes from a place of rules and implied depth that while fantastical seems grounded to an increasingly chaotic world where nothing really matters.
It's a bit of a bummer.
I saw John Wick 3 on tv, having seen none of the films before, and I was not impressed. There was literally 0 plot, no characters of significance, just nonstop action start to finish, and all the action that is there is so videogamey. Even seeing it now in this video I feel the same way. Looks like Keanu Reeves is playing Call of Duty or something. It doesn't feel like a real action movie. It's a joke, an empty shell of what the action movie genre once was in the days of legendary stars like Schwarzeneggar, Stallone, et. al.
Right on. This is why I prefer the Indiana Jones, Rambo, Bruce Lee and Tony Jaa movies. The fights and action sequences may not be over the top glossy Bukkake like in John Wick, but they're still awesome, make sense and match the solid story characters and emotion that surround them. All of those guys TOOK DAMAGE, too, while Wick is just a no-selling, all powerful Silver Skeeter from Doug. B-O-R-I-N-G.
it got to the point that he wasn't even killing anyone anymore. It was like he was balancing his check book or taking out the trash while intermittently shooting someone; muzzle fire and flash of light loud enough to make the act of killing LOOK like he was engaging a deadly foe. "Well, I've killed 2 hundred people now. Maybe I should have a cheese sandwich before I kill 2 hundred more". Hard not to think John had crossed the line between "natural " act of vengeance guy and a sociopath. You could make the case for self defense since they kept coming to kill him.. but since we already knew he would win, the future was already known. Cant go there either. No risk, no tension, no fighting for the cause, no get the bad guys. They were just.. nothing. Sorry: Psychopath.
Bad writing in a nutshell. The first one did "only" cost 20 million. They doubled each sequel budget, but what amazes me is that people doubled also the revenue. This means, the general public likes trashy action better than realistic one?
Well, at least now we have the "Extraction" movies, that feel pretty much like the amazing first "John Wick".
Your video was from 2yrs ago but I’m commenting now since I just watched (or am currently watching- I’m in the last 1/4 of JW3) the trilogy, after they popped up on HBOMax. I realize now that’s because JW4 is coming out soon. Anyway, I sought out alternative reviews because I feel exactly like you do. The original was pretty cool (I’m watching w my young kids so the cartoony style is ok) and I kinda dug the suggestion of an ancient cultured assassin’s guild right under our noses, and the very simple, classic trope of “heartbroken prodigy assassin is done with the world but the world isn’t done with him”… but omg the sequels are SO LONG AND REPETITIVE - the fact that when the bounty goes out, apparently 60% of the general population are actually assassins- and then JW can’t even like, put a hat on or change clothes? And why do they use 1980s computers and old phone operators to stay off grid but then have an ultra high tech inverted glass skyscraper that is for “when you really need to see what’s happening” argh i fell asleep and when I woke up it was the same exact thing- fighting and cool talk, just boring my aF. I really need to cut this comment off but I had to rant. I’ve heard so much about these movies and they’re so fawned over but they end up getting in their own way. Ok I’m done. For now.
I love the way you voice the problems that I can't seem to put into words. They're nagging me and yet you make them so painfully obvious. Loving your content, man. I was drawn into this channel after the Utopia videos (I especially appreciate the fact that you love Cristobal Tapia de Veer's music and talked at length about it) and now I'm a happy subscriber. Looking forward to new content and the eventual growth this channel will face in the future (which it will because people love quality).
*I disagree, but thanks for your opinion.*
i feel the exact same way the first john wick had so much more substance behind it then the sequels even tho i feel like john wick 2 was not bad actually 3,4 was ATROCIOUS great action with no SOUL
For real I don't understand how so many people think they are good. One is awesome but the last one had plenty of I'll just wait to attack moments one was good because it felt realistic
I didn't like the sequels as much as the first. my favourite aspect of the first was the amazing combination between action, music and visuals that seemed to set the mood/character perfectly. i felt the sequels lacked that or didn't have enough of it. the club scene is also my favourite scene, I can just watch that scene over and over, it's what I find myself rewatching. not so much some of the 3rd and 2rd movie scenes.
great editing, and great analysis. I think I agreed with you all the way and also learnt more about why i like the first one best. I wonder if the problems with the bigger and bigger stunt pieces have anything to do with the fact that the directors were stunt coordinators originally, so not really story tellers/writers.
i'd give more likes, but i only use the one account to like, hey part 4 is even worse, he dies from far less damage after falling from the damn building in part 3, unbelievably bad ending
But did he *really* die, tho? 👀
Your channel is really solid. Only watched the two Utopia videos and the first 5 minutes of this, but I can already tell I'm about to binge through all your content.
The first one was on the edge of stupid as it was....
...come on, guy murders the criminal infrastructure of a city because his dog was killed. THAT was the entire premise of JW1.
It was the execution of that first film that made the stupid premise WORK.
I completely agree, inasmuch as I still kinda enjoyed them, the way a bad or inadequate movie can still be entertaining.
I totally agree especially with the new 4th movie now. My wife and I love John wick but we both started falling asleep in the theater. Just the same thing over and over again for 3 hours.
John Wick knock-offs like Nobody,Kate,Jolt,Polar,Protégé...are better then John Wick sequels,but I also like first John Wick.
Honestly, I’m kind of nervous for 4. There’s a scene in the trailer where he jumps out the window of another multi-story building. Like ffs. If 4 is just as ridiculous or even more so, I’m stopping after that.
I hope it can at least be fun and not just constantly insisting how cool it thinks it is
@@RecDougs I just miss the realism of the 1st one tbh. They kept most of that in the 2nd one, but completely threw it out towards the end of the 3rd film. I was checked out when Zero was still talking with a sword in his heart. Like ffs. I dunno. I'll probably watch 4 for curiosity sake, but if they don't end it there, I'm out.
Unfortunately you where right boy it was so out drawn punchings guns cars almost no injuries from being hit and no deep narrative plot that really makes sense
I just wish they would just not make anymore
Part 1 is still the best ok I’ll show myself out the door
@@thatjrpganimefanplayerjusi8003 Yeah, that's what I heard too. I don't think I'll watch it tbh, especially seeing how long it is. I heard he died at the end anyways (from a side wound?). It's just too ridiculous for my taste now, which is a shame since I kinda like the lore and the characters. Ah well. Nothing matches 1 imo.
@@amit_patel654 absolutely I agree with ya and I saw part 4 5 hours ago
And SPOILERS
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Yes they F killed him off and honestly the way the series was going after 1 iam glad they did the first movie really was the only one that was very
grounded the fighting in 4 is soulless and even LOOONGER then it’s 3 and 2
I think even Keanu is probably saying to himself ok this is not what I was envisioning since the first film was like yeah kill me off
But to give some credit to part 3 it will only go to it’s crazy fatalities but other then that NOPE 👎
Damn and here I was thinking the action scenes were just too long, but now that you point it out, the lack of narrative weight and real challenge might've played into my own fatigue with the sequels at a subconscious level. Not exactly sure, but definitely worth thinking about even when it comes to my favourite action franchise in recent years.
I fully agree with everything you said throughout this entire video after i saw parabellum i lost hope i honestly think after all the crazy shit they pulled im 2 the writers dont even know where to go
Finally found a guy who agrees with me....I absolutely understand where you come from ...the first movie was great and all other movies are basically shit...and don't get me wrong , the direction, cinematography , and fight is good but the writers don't care about why the fight is happening ... it's just beating the shit out of everybody.... with a bit more compelling story the franchise would have been great....from my perspective it's wasted potential.
The first movie was good because of how grounded it was. The third movie was just ridiculous.
Eh, I will be honest, I noticed that the action made less sense since the second movie, but it never bothered me at all for some reason. I guess the action downgraded from 1, but it was still pretty good action.
One thing though, the knife fight scene in 3 is also awful. Count how many times an attacker does nothing with an empty hand that is just offscreen. It's just like having a gun and not drawing it, and it's all over that scene.
I remember the ending of that fight scene with the knife in the eye, and you can see the assailant's left hand be just let go by John Wick and he doesn't use it at all to stop the knife lol
i thought it was just me...
Yes! yes......I could not agree more. The first one was a perfect film, no sequel was needed. It's an example of how the film industry is only out for the quick buck and can't figure out how to make a decent sequel anymore. Or even better a new exciting thought out film.
Yeah but 4 was pretty rad amirite guys? 🤜🤛
the babayaga is immune to fall damage
They've already made a good John Wick sequel, it's called "Extraction"
Thx for the tip!
Oh yes finally someone who said it! First one has this fresh quality, it's simple but honest and it's compellingly fast. All the rest are just stupid and they feel like they could've came out as 15min action shorts.
Chapter 4 is even worse…
The first scene in the second movie was misrepresended.
He didnt kill anyone in the russian mob hideout, probably, some of then have at least some real damage, but noone is directely dead. He even tried to not use a gun.
This was a show of force, so that the mob would not try to take revenge for viggo, but showing he was willing to make peace but not killing anyone, again probably.
Yes i butchered inglish
I don’t think John being a bad person in the sequels is inherently bad. It plays into the main theme of the series of a man losing himself to a cycle of vengeance. I think the main problem is that it changes a bit too fast. So I agree there is a problem but I don’t think it’s necessarily the character. Also your right about the action scenes being worse. Although I feel that some of the criticisms are a bit mean, like having the hitmen not be able to shoot a gun whilst travelling at very high speeds kind of makes sense, although they should’ve tried to. I could say some other things but I think mostly you got it right but I probably just have my brain clouded by cool stunts go brrrrrrrrr
1) Enemies aim like Stormtroopers
2) John Wick should've died falling off the roof at the end of part 3
3) In John Wick 4, John jumps out a window at great height and falls on the roof of a car.... Clearly should've broke bones
4) In John Wick 4, the stairs scene the villians have the worst aim... John Wick falls down the steps without breaking bones
5) Every time John Wick is unconscious or laying down in pain, no villians can be found until he gets up
Honestly I hate all these movies
"SHOOT ME TO JOHN , SHOOT ME" 😂😂😂
The first John Wick was so hype! Its sad to see where it has gone honestly. The action is always top notch but he's become nothing more than someone who will 'kill them all'. The first film had grounded mystery and intrigue and his reputation was felt through how feared his name was, he was a man who did the impossible to get out and wanted to stay that way. After the first film we see that he isn't really that scary at all, there are quite a few opportunities for his enemies to kill him and some of the time he just gets lucky in a fight. I feel like they should have gone for quality over quantity of killing. Its strange to see him lay waste to dozens of people in the streets and the police don't even show up, but in the first movie they showed up to his house quite quickly and there was tension in the potential consequences of his killing. The killing got so out of hand that lines like 'he killed two people with a pencil' lose their impact because yes, we can very easily imagine him doing that, hes done far crazier stuff. The first was amazing though imo.
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I'd argue he becomes the killing machine again after saying "Yeah, I'm thinking I'm back" in the Church in the first film.
Thats his arc.
He sheds his humanity over time to achieve his mission, and at the end he's back. He still remembers his prior mission of vengeance, but has turned from righteous judicious execution to, well, killing people to get his car back because it's _his_ car.
He isn't the same man, he's been altered by having to be dragged back into this underworld again
Wait’ll you see the 4th one. It was actually exhausting to watch
Oh I've seen it. Very aware now that all the things I hate seem to be the things most people love.
@@RecDougsYou need to make a follow up video specifically ragging on the fourth
I thought I was the only one that felt this way about the Wick movies. The first one was a pretty classic action film. Simple and effective and a complete story from start to finish. It left just the right amount of intrigue and mystery remaining. Every little detail from the first film that they further explained in excruciating detail in the sequels cheapened them and killed the mystery of the world they made. Also, after seeing the stupid ending of the fourth film I was left wishing that that was the end of the first film. John just bleeding out on some steps while watching his wife's video. Would have made sense and been fitting to the character. Instead they do that in the fourth film and kill all sense of character arc that developed in the first film. He was already moving on at the end of the first film. Finally putting things behind him. Instead they rinsed and repeated the same tired premise until all meaning was lost.
The action eventually just feels so impactless and coriographed, generic ants hitmen that have no chance and set after set of themed room fights. Its actually pretty neat as a form of art, its like Shen Yun. But as "a good film" nahhh.. and you dont know or care about anyone
The big problem on JW is John's now Black Panther level of durability. His suit is no different than Vibrainum armor.
Why start a movie with a knife wound to the should when he's just going to be healed just in time? Same with the desert: we know he won't die of dehydration. Same with the end of JW 3: how can we worry about with movie 4 and beyond now?
And people call Rey from Star Wars a Mary Sue
How do your videos not have more views? This is great content.
Hopefully part 4 can bring something that 2 and 3 didn't. Like a completely new threat and story arc
This made me want to watch the first one tho
He didn’t kill anyone in the intro on part 2 he hurt em bad but he didn’t head shot anyone but shot the last guy in the knee caps. You gotta pay attention
Tbh, the only great scene in the third film is the knife fight, the rest of it is a bloated mess. The last series of fist fights were borderline unwatchable. Keanu is operating at half the speed he was in the first it’s clumsy
I kinda auto downvoted when I started watching. But after letting you cook. I gotta agree. John Wick 2 and 3 are kind of dumb in this regard. Still love the hell out of the sequels but your video earned this upvote because you nailed your thesis.
Oh yeah totally, please don't let my issues with them take away from your enjoyment of them.
I would say the first one is really good and the best by far. But I enjoy the others because honestly they are fun action movies to watch Especially with some pals but yeah the plots get a bit huh?
He really fell off a building lmao this is so funny
I knew these sequels weren't as good as the first, as I could tell from the second film onward, the entire story was an excuse just to have John come back and keep fighting.
The first was about a man that quit the Russian Mob only to have to fight back against foolish younger members who dragged him back to that life. But by the second, John's apparently a master assassin that was on loan to the Russians from a global secret society of hitmen that have operatives hidden in literally every aspect of society in Every country on Earth.
In basically one and a half films, John went from a one of a kind expert and specialist in his world to an Assassin superman in a world of military superhumans.
I think if they truly wanted to continue, they should have gone the Jack Reacher/A-Team route. John would occasionally come across criminals from out of town/state/country that are harassing someone John meets. The criminals believe themselves to be invincible/untouchable as they would believe no one could stop them as everyone in the first movie only knows of John as the literal bogeyman, a mafia urban legend that may not exist.
But he is real, and plows through small armies of organized crime, letting the villains know he does exist and to stay away. Also keep in small elements like the Continental, but make it a neutral meeting place and front for New Yorks crime families, not a secret HQ for super assassins.
Finally leave how Johns story ends. Him slowly fighting one last battle that slowly kills him by a "Death of a Thousand cuts". Each severe injury slowly wearing him down up to the films climax.
I don't agree with you but I respect and enjoy your thoughts, this was definitely a different take.
Thanks for watching brother
JW1: humble with heart
JW2: bland with bronze
JW3: wtf
The john wick films were always intended to be about the theatrics and not cutting away from the action and having props that recoil and authentic knowlege on the weapons john uses.
In that sense they never lost sight of that but they became more transparent about it overtime. There was a goofiness with the gold coins and the fact that criminals in this universe have rules even though they would realistically disregard them realistically.
This is why the later movies got goofier not necesarilly because of greed but more or less just the films becoming more of themselves overtime.
Edit: this is also partly why i consider nobody. Made by the same guys a bettwr movie because its more grounded and tells a better story and has less of that favor coins that dont acount for how favors arent always equivalent.
You summed up EXACTLY what I feel about the sequels. Seriously, you covered literally every single thing I've complained about with these sequels.
Casting Reeves was the biggest issue - It feels like he's out of his depth here and somewhat misplaced. The character would have been best suited to a more grittier hardened action/martial arts star type like Statham or other on similar par.
Just hearing the "Give me your son" line was just 😆
I disagree with this. Reaves is a better actor than Statham.
He never breaks out of character - just more 🪵 than previous.
the start of john wick 4 he chases down and kills 4 unarmed men attempting to flee, then kills a surrendering man who hadn't wronged him in any real personal way.
i only watched the original john wick before this so the opening really caught me off guard, i mean he is badass sure, but like in the way that optimus prime in transformers 3 is badass.
incredible. it's so rare to hear an opinion that isn't "omg this movie was so good!"
i enjoyed the sequels but it wasn't exactly the most gratifying experience. i think you're helping me understand why. super spot on!
though I felt the horse riding scene and the gun assembly were clearly jokes. based on the behind the scenes, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on keanu reeves having freedom to be satirical or serious. especially the gun assembly scene, it was almost saying how action movies always cut out the fluff and preparation required to perform all of these dangerous activities. so he inserted a whole scene where he's literally given an unassembled gun with one bullet, as a joke. given this premise, this would be the most important moment to view before he fires said gun.
i think the point is, that was probably really really fun for people that know about guns. but the average viewer is interested in shooting the bullet.
i agree with the overall sentiment, but it was pretty intentional that it's dead pan satire of action movies :(. wait, i think you actually fell for it lol.
when you watch a competitive fight, you are driven by the training and preparation one undergoes to be up to the task (at least you're supposed to be if you care about the art of combat -_-). when you watch martial art movies, they often cut the training, or they make it superfluous. the average viewer that watches action movies are not interested in the actual mechanics to become a fighter, but they are willing to watch people become punching bags.
that's the 'point' of john wick. it was incredibly realistic and "slow" in the first movie, then the sequels it became about absurdity. this is because the 'typical' viewer of "action movies" is neither a martial arts fan, or a fan of plot. i think my explanation breaks down because it really is absurd as you have describe, but it is *on purpose.*
I’m a john wick fan... I honestly love all three movies but I don’t take them super seriously. I watch them as a means of escapism from real life. Not as a piece of super meta commentary on blah blah blah and the story is super in-depth.. no, it’s just mindless entertainment to me and I don’t mind the excess action scenes. I totally get the lack of compelling moments from the first in the subsequent films, but gosh darn I loved when there was a hit out on John and he didn’t know where or when he was safe or not! I thought that was cool! Also, I missed one of my favorite music producers being involved in the 2nd and 3rd soundtracks! Le Castle Vania brought the club bangers from the first movie! Wish some more original electronic composure was used in the next two movies. Hopefully the 4th amps up the story, action (not just delivering more scenes, improving upon them), and series lore once again in all accounts and aspects when it comes out! Great review! Thanks man! 🤗🤘🏻🔥
Thanks for your comment! Really glad you enjoyed all 3 movies. They're almost definitely making a fourth so you have that to look forward to. I also loved the music in particularly in the first movie.
I'm apart of of Keanu fanboy Bandwagon we're I just wanna see Keanu reeves and in coolest way possible. John wick works cuz of how nice Keanu Reeves is in Real life
"Imagine how far he could have gotten into the one minute"
Yeah very far in a closed building with people shooting on the door
No one was shooting at the door??? It wasn't closed?? After the fight he leaves the building. What are you even saying?
There was not a single person shooting
@@RecDougs how did the door open then?
I remember watching the second one and in the first 10 minutes was like “I could be watching the first one and be watching almost the same movie”
I originally went in thinking "I disagree", and I still do, but I watched the whole thing and you've raised some good points. I actually think that you'd enjoy John Wick 4 much more than 2 and 3. Every major action set piece in the movie (hotel, nightclub, france) has a narrative reason and different goal. Escape, hunt, arrive at a location. Especially towards the end, there's a sense of progression that's less felt in 2 and 3, and the story, while still obviously not good, is improved- at least insofar as it makes the fights make more sense.
Are you kidding? Everything that he criticized in this video is doubly true for JW4. John can literally not die. He can get hit by a dozen cars, fall off multiple roofs, fall down a mile of stairs, get shot from every angle, but he's always fine. And the plot is contrived to the point of absurdity. It's basically a video game at this point.
Can u talk about JW4?
The bulletproof Jackets are lame. I prefer to watch movies by NWR.
John Wick is a cool concept and its neat that Reeves did all that training. But thats all. Everything about these movies is terrible. And lets face it Reeves is a garbage actor, and even with all that training he looks goofy and over choreographed. Im tired of the references to this character
The revolver scene was a throwback to the good the bad and the ugly.
Loved the first, 2 was a good attempt, 3 was ok, by the way it’s going 4 will be watchable but that’s it.
So happy to find this review to see that not everyone has been captured by a bad franchise based on a really good first movie. I gave up 15 mins from the end in Chapter 2.
i feel you
came right here after your video haha
I just watched 3, You are Correct, the first one had a story, wants to morn and remember his 'normal' life (Now it'll turn out to have all been a lie, or manipulated memory). Now it seems like everyone is in Assassin Hell, everyone is evil crap. In the second movie there was less story, then in the third no story or plot at all, just way too many "actions" that it ends up being ultra dull. Yes, tiresome to watch, each sequel successively worse, no context to the "action". That scene with taking the revolver apart seems to have only been an homage to "The Ugly" character from the movie The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, when he modifies a revolver for it's action. But, I think John only takes one single shot with that revolver. I don't think Cat Woman didn't even get hit or get a single scratch. Oh I hope you take on the "character" of the adjudicator - Finish Her! Instead of watching 4 - I'll look for reactions like yours instead of wasting time on the "movie".
It's lucky that John Wick's friend had the only sniper in the John Wick-world.
With every movie they tried to level up the action by doing dumb things just to impress the audience, I'm not saying the action is bad, it's too much and not rewatchable, its not like The raid thats action entertaining as hell i could watch that again. I remember watching the last fight scene in John Wick 3 the scene was so long that I actually had in my mind…shit, when is this going to end? and keanu, well i don't know why everyone is praising him, he's not that good at acting. I give him credit for doing his own stunts, but as the sequels go on, he becomes sluggish and sluggish because he's almost 60 years old. I respect your opinion, sadly it's one of many movies that became so popular that fans can't take a critique and analyze the pros and cons of their beloved franchise.
The fourth John Wick is so bad I had to stop watching it After the first major shootout scene. Literally, everybody was wearing special armor, so shooting them at point blank didn’t do anything unless you hit him in the face. It was so unrealistic and so absurd. I had to stop watching it.
I pretty much agree. The kept the very nice aesthetic, they still execute their scenes incredibly well, and quite beautifully, but they have neglected literally everything else that made it a nice, simple but engaging story *with actual stakes*, fueled by nice looks.
I was honestly preparing to berate you in my comment... but you made excellent points. When you said the 2nd and 3rd are kind of a chore to get through, I have to agree. They made the sequels common Hollywood shoot 'em ups with some flashy moves/sets... but they don't hit the same as the first one.
Bro you glossed over how they're also related to the same organization who gave him absolute hell in just the last movie and invaded his fucking home at one point and he's pretty goddamn mad about it, or you ignored how he said "its not just a dog and not just a car." of course he's gunna look lke kind of a dick at the start of John Wick 2 if you ignore all the context of the first
The sequels are a parodying of the first.
Great analysis, great video, and fair points made! I personally prefer the sequels for a very specific reason. For almost the entirety of the first film, after the initial setup of his motivations, the bad guys all know they're screwed, fear John Wick, and are basically just counting down the clock until he comes to kill them all. Their fate is basically already decided - it's just a matter of watching it unfold bloodily over an hour. For me personally, it felt like the minimal amount of story to then justify a (brilliantly made) stunt action short-film. It's fine, but I'm not wild about it. It was fun, but I put off watching the second one for months. The second one, even though it started to get a bit more comicbook-ish with its underworld elements, now felt like John had suddenly found himself pitted against an unseen and seemingly infinite and unstoppable crime Illuminati (The High Table), and no longer just young spoiled thugs who steal muscle cars and abuse/kill your pet. From then on, I was completely hooked.
I only just started watching the john wick movies. Really liked the first, thought the ending of the second was stupid, and the 3rd movie was a continuation of that stupidity. The whole premise is just dumb. Don't even know if I want to watch the last one.